The State Department has provided a response to the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The Obama administration said its goals fit in with many of the recommendations. The response points to the passage of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and the Tribal Law and Order Act, as well as the first-ever White House Tribal Nations Conference, which was held last November.

"We acknowledge the many challenges faced by Native Americans -- poverty, unemployment, health care gaps, violent crime, and discrimination -- but note the many laws and policies we have put in place to address health care reform, to improve criminal justice, and empower the tribes and their members to deal with those challenges," Harold Hongju Koh, a legal advisor at the State Department, said.

"Tribal consultations are at an all-time high after President Obama hosted the White House Tribal Nations Conference, where he directed agencies to submit plans for and progress reports on implementation of the Executive Order on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments," Koh said. "And we are reviewing our position regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a decision made in response to calls from tribes and other indigenous groups and individuals."

The State Department recently submitted its own report for the United Nations Universal Periodic Review. Paragraphs 38-42, starting on page 11, discuss "Fairness, equality, and Native Americans."

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Response of the United States of America to Recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council (State Department 11/9)

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