How an International Declaration Is Made
International institutions are not abstract forces. They are created and run by nations, and nations are made of people.
International declarations are created through drafting, negotiation, review, debate and a vote of member states. UNDRIP was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007 after more than twenty years of negotiation. ADRIP was adopted by the OAS General Assembly on June 15, 2016.
Why the institutions exist
Before 1945 there was no unified global system for protecting human rights. After the devastation of the Second World War, sovereign nations signed the United Nations Charter on June 26, 1945, and the United Nations began operating when the Charter entered into force on October 24, 1945. Three years later, nations of the Western Hemisphere created the Organization of American States in Bogotá, Colombia, on April 30, 1948, to serve similar purposes for the region.
These institutions exist because nations chose to create them. They function because member states take part in voting, drafting and setting standards.
The four stages of a declaration
- A problem becomes undeniable. Patterns of dispossession, assimilation and denial of collective rights created pressure for minimum standards.
- People organize across nations. Indigenous leaders, advocates, legal scholars and supportive states form coalitions.
- Drafting and negotiation. Language is proposed, negotiated line by line, revised and timed.
- Adoption by vote. UNDRIP was adopted through UN General Assembly resolution 61/295. ADRIP was adopted through OAS General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 2888 (XLVI-O/16).
A sovereign nation that participates in an international organization and has voting and participation rights.
What the declarations changed
The declarations gave Indigenous peoples clarity, a shared framework of standards; legitimacy in advocacy, internationally adopted text to point to; common language across governments; and steady pressure for institutional reform.
“Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination.”
“Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination.”
The lesson for every reader
Every declaration and institution was created through human effort. Progress happens when people learn, participate and contribute to systems responsibly. Regional change usually comes from cross-border Indigenous networks, legal advocates, champions inside member states, and institutional persistence over years. Your impact does not have to be global to be historic. Continue with ADRIP and UNDRIP, Side by Side.
The Republic is grateful for the work member states and Indigenous representatives did to bring these declarations into being.
Keep up with the nation
Official notices, meeting records and publications are posted by the Aboriginal Ministry of Justice.
Questions people ask
When was UNDRIP adopted?
On September 13, 2007, by the United Nations General Assembly, through resolution 61/295.
When was ADRIP adopted?
On June 15, 2016, by the General Assembly of the Organization of American States, through resolution AG/RES. 2888 (XLVI-O/16).
Who creates international declarations?
Member states adopt them, after drafting and negotiation that involve Indigenous leaders, advocates and participating nations.
Adapted from the Entry-Level Tribal Law Course Workbook, Chapter 2. © Aboriginal Ministry of Justice. Declaration text checked word for word against the primary sources: ADRIP, AG/RES. 2888 (XLVI-O/16) and UNDRIP, A/RES/61/295. This article is general education, not legal, tax or financial advice.
