[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 44 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 44

To express the sense of the Congress concerning the International Year 
                   of the World's Indigenous Peoples.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

           September 24 (legislative day, September 7), 1993

    Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mr. Pell, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Campbell, Mr. 
  Kennedy, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Jeffords) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
To express the sense of the Congress concerning the International Year 
                   of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

Whereas United Nations Resolution 45/164 of December 18, 1990, proclaimed the 
        year 1993 as the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples, 
        in order to strengthen international cooperation for a solution to the 
        problems faced by indigenous communities in areas such as human rights, 
        the environment, development, education, and health;
Whereas indigenous peoples are descendants of the original inhabitants of many 
        countries with diverse cultures, religions, languages, and social and 
        economic customs;
Whereas an estimated 300 million indigenous peoples live in more than 70 
        countries, including the United States;
Whereas indigenous peoples are often disadvantaged and face common difficulties 
        in their homelands, including issues such as self-determination, the 
        preservation of land and natural resources, the preservation of culture, 
        arts, and language, and dismal social and economic conditions;
Whereas many indigenous peoples continue to face discrimination and exploitation 
        in their homelands;
Whereas the rights and social and economic conditions of indigenous peoples have 
        often been overlooked by individual nations and the international 
        community; and
Whereas the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations has drafted a 
        Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States should play an active role in 
        cooperating with indigenous peoples, the United Nations, and 
        national governments to promote public awareness of and improve 
        the political, social, and economic conditions of indigenous 
        peoples;
            (2) the United States should address the rights and improve 
        the social and economic conditions of its own indigenous 
        peoples, including Native American Indians, Alaska Natives, 
        Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, American Samoans, and Palauans;
            (3) the United States should actively support the United 
        Nations in its efforts to establish international standards on 
        the rights of indigenous peoples; and
            (4) the United States recognizes that the year 1993 is an 
        insufficient time period for promoting public awareness of the 
        plight of indigenous peoples and urges the United Nations to 
        proclaim an International Decade of the World's Indigenous 
        Peoples.

                                 <all>