Rudolph Ryser: Indigenous nations need leverage to bring change

Let us stipulate from the very outset that international states own, control and regulate an institution called the United Nations. It is their organization and they can do with it what ever they chose. Fourth World nations are not members of the UN. They sit outside that body. To be a member, as the Palestinians have learned, takes the embrace of the member states. Let us also note that the UN Third Committee accepted the proposal from the State of Bolivia in 2010 to convene the United Nations High-Level Plenary Session of the General Assembly and would call that session of the UN the “World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.” Neither of these facts can be contested.

It is important, as well to stipulate that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (The World Conference topic) is not “law,” it is a “declaration” of principles and mandates to Member UN governments. Those governments are “encouraged” to “implement all of their obligations as they apply to indigenous peoples under international instruments.” States “may” implement parts or all of a formal declaration, but there is nothing except “encouragement” and binding treaties and protocols adopted by each of the states and nations to make new law.

Will states’ governments come to the table to negotiate with each Fourth World nation? They will not without some “encouragement” and nations must determine what leverage they have to encourage the negotiations. States’ governments are asked to relinquish some of their legal, political and military power to make room for Fourth World nations. They will not give up that power easily. Some nations will use political leverage; some will use economic leverage while others will use their strategic location as leverage.