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E:\Cable\Data_Source\Cables\CD032\JUL98\MSGS\M3401547.htm Page 3 of 9 WITHIN THE UN SYSTEM AND FELT THAT CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO RESTRUCTURING THE WGIP SO THAT A DIALOGUE COULD TAKE PLACE BETWEEN INDIGENOUS GROUPS, GOVERNMENTS, AND UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 05 GENEVA 005015 SENSITIVE PARIS ALSO FOR UNESCO OBSERVER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM, UNHRC-1, US SUBJECT: WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENO POPULATIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INSTEAD OF HAVING THAT FORUM ENGAGE SOLELY IN IDEOLOGICAL DEBATE. AUSTRALIA SUGGESTED THAT CANZUS GENEVA MISSIONS MEET AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION. 6. (U) IT APPEARS THAT FORMER PERUVIAN AMBASSADOR URRUTIA WILL RETURN AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE WGDD. WHILE HE DID NOT ATTEND THE WGIP SESSION, PERU MISSION MEMBERS STATED THAT URRUTIA HOPED TO CHAIR THE UPCOMING WGDD SESSION AS LONG AS IT WAS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE SESSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. PERUVIAN MISSION MEMBERS STATED THAT AMBASSADOR URRUTIA WOULD CONSULT WITH CANZUS AND THE NORDIC STATES CONCERNING THE AGENDA FOR THE UPCOMING SESSION. USDEL RAISED THE POSSIBLE NEED TO CLARIFY THE SCOPE OF THE DRAFT DECLARATION AT THE UPCOMING SESSION. 7. (U) USDEL HOSTED A SERIES OF INFORMAL MEETINGS WITH U.S. INDIGENOUS GROUPS THAT WERE GENERALLY QUITE POSITIVE. THESE DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES INCLUDING THE U.S. POSITIONS ON A PERMANENT FORUM AND THE DRAFT DECLARATION ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS. U.S. GROUPS CONTINUED TO EXPRESS THEIR NHAPPINESS WITH THE U.S. DOMESTIC POSITION THAT FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES WERE DOMESTIC DEPENDENT NATIONS AND CALLED FOR THE DECLARATION TO BE ADOPTED AS DRAFTED. SEVERAL GROUPS ALSO AGAIN ASSERTED THAT THEY HAD A RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, WHICH MEANT THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO FREELY DETERMINE THEIR POLITICAL STATUS. 8. (U) US GROUPS EXPRESSED UNHAPPINESS OVER THE POSITION TAKEN BY ALFONSO MARTINEZ IN HIS TREATY STUDY THAT THE CONCEPT OF INDIGENOUS DID NOT APPLY IN AFRICAN- ASIAN COUNTRIES. THEY STATED THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT THE CONCEPT OF INDIGENOUS HAD UNIVERSAL APPLICATION AND THAT IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THIS ISSUE AT THE UPCOMING SESSION OF THE WORKING GROUP ON A DRAFT DECLARATION. USDEL STATED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO SUPPORT ANY DECLARATION ON INDIGENOUS RIGHTS WHICH WAS NOT UNIVERSAL IN APPLICATION.