Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the United Nations representative Alfonso Martinez, who is at the Hay River Reserve this week to speak about and listen to people's interpretations of treaties and their rights. He will be making a report to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations. Mr. Speaker, a special rapporteur's report could have very serious implications for aboriginal peoples and for the governments which are dealing with aboriginal peoples. The purpose of his report and investigation is to see what treaties mean, if they are international agreements and which rights stem from them.
Mr. Speaker, a previous report on self-determination done by the United Nations led to Canada declaring that aboriginal people have inherent right of self-determination. It also led to the establishment of a working group which is developing the draft United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The working group reports to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. The draft declaration has huge implications. All members of United Nations are supposed to follow United Nations directions and Canada is a member. After the previous report on self-determination which said that all peoples have the right to self-determination, Canada declared that aboriginal people have the inherent right to self-determination and began to implement their policy. Later Canada also made a presentation to the working group working on the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous People. At that point, they put forward a document that said aboriginal people have the right to self-determination as long as that self-determination respects the territorial integrity. Meaning, no right to secession.
Mr. Speaker, students of treaties and treaty rights such as myself, are quite interested to see what the report will say. Mr. Speaker, we are even more interested to see what occurs afterwards, as a result of the report. Thank you.
--Applause