The Commission on Human Rights,

Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 47/75 of 14 December 1992 and Part II, paragraph 28, of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.157/23),

Reaffirming its resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995, in which it established an open­ended inter­sessional working group with the sole purpose of elaborating a draft declaration, considering the draft contained in the annex to resolution 1994/45 of 26 August 1994 of the Sub­Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, entitled "Draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples", for consideration and adoption by the General Assembly within the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People,
Reaffirming in particular that the invitation contained in that resolution was addressed to organizations of indigenous people seeking authorization to participate in the working group,

Recognizing that organizations of indigenous people have special knowledge and understanding of the current situation of the world's indigenous people and their human rights needs,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, in which the Assembly encouraged the Commission to consider the draft declaration

with the participation of representatives of indigenous people, on the basis of and in accordance with appropriate procedures to be determined by the Commission,

Welcoming the progress made in the process of drafting a declaration on the rights of indigenous people, and emphasizing the importance and special nature of such a draft declaration as an instrument specifically for promoting the rights of indigenous people,

Recalling the need for the working group to consider all aspects of the draft declaration, including its scope of application,

1. Takes note of the report of the working group (E/CN.4/1998/106 and Corr.1) and welcomes the continuation and positive nature of the deliberations of the working group, particularly the measures taken to ensure effective input by organizations of indigenous people;

2. Expresses its appreciation for the work of the Economic and Social Council in considering applications from organizations of indigenous people to participate in the working group under the procedures set out in the annex to Commission resolution 1995/32;

3. Welcomes the decisions of the Economic and Social Council approving the participation of organizations of indigenous people in the work of the working group, and urges the Council to process all pending applications as soon as possible, taking strictly into account the procedures set out in the annex to Commission resolution 1995/32;

4. Recommends that the working group meet for 10 working days prior to the fifty­fifth session of the Commission, the cost of the meeting to be met from within existing resources;

5. Encourages organizations of indigenous people which are not already registered to participate in the working group and which wish to do so to apply for authorization in accordance with the procedures set out in the annex to Commission resolution 1995/32;

6. Requests the working group to submit a progress report for consideration by the Commission at its fifty­fifth session under the agenda item entitled "Indigenous issues";

7. Recommends the following draft resolution to the Economic and Social Council for adoption:

The Economic and Social Council,

Taking note of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1998/14 of 9 April 1998,

1. Authorizes the open­ended inter­sessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights established in accordance with Commission resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 1995 to meet for a period of ten working days prior to the fifty­fifth session of the Commission, the costs of the meeting to be met from within existing resources;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to extend all necessary facilities, from within existing United Nations resources, to the working group for its meetings.

38th meeting
9 April 1998

[Adopted without a vote. See chap. XXIII.]