International law handbook

Indigenous people
28. The World Conference on Human Rights calls on the Working Group on Indigenous Popu-
lations of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to 
complete the drafting of a declaration on the rights of indigenous people at its eleventh session.
29. The World Conference on Human Rights recommends that the Commission on Human 
Rights consider the renewal and updating of the mandate of the Working Group on Indigenous 
Populations upon completion of the drafting of a declaration on the rights of indigenous people.
30. The World Conference on Human Rights also recommends that advisory services and 
technical assistance programmes within the United Nations system respond positively to requests 
by States for assistance which would be of direct benefit to indigenous people. The World Conference 
on Human Rights further recommends that adequate human and financial resources be made avail-

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Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
533
able to the Centre for Human Rights within the overall framework of strengthening the Centre’s 
activities as envisaged by this document.
31. The World Conference on Human Rights urges States to ensure the full and free participa-
tion of indigenous people in all aspects of society, in particular in matters of concern to them.
32. The World Conference on Human Rights recommends that the General Assembly pro-
claim an international decade of the world’s indigenous people, to begin from January 1994, includ-
ing action-orientated programmes, to be decided upon in partnership with indigenous people. An 
appropriate voluntary trust fund should be set up for this purpose. In the framework of such a 
decade, the establishment of a permanent forum for indigenous people in the United Nations system 
should be considered.