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INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PETITION CERD

From 3 to 28 August the 1960 on the Granting of competent Committee of ment its obligations under
United Nations Committee Independence of Colonial the General Assembly for CERD. During the dialo-
on the Elimination of Countries and Peoples. further examination. Such gue before the Committee
to
the
Racial Discrimination held transmittal
IPNC recalled that Alaska
a historically important The IPNC petition "Committee of 24" would and Hawaii had been pla-
session in Geneva. Among contends that the prevai- be well within the compe- ced on the list of non-self-
its agenda was the exami- ling situation concerning tence of CERD in the light governing territories pur-
nation of a petition by the the right of self-determina- of the 1970 procedure suant to in General
Indigenous Peoples and tion of indigenous peoples envisaged in CERD's Assembly resolution 66 (I)
of
Nations Coalition (IPNC) in Alaska and Hawaii does Statement
in 1946. It was further
under
recalled that the Kingdom
and the Koani Foundation not correspond to the UN Responsibilities
(Hawaii). CERD is an objectives, standards and Article 15, which stipula- of Hawaii had existed as a
expert body of 18 members procedures laid down in tes that if the Committee fully independent and
from all regions of the the UN Charter and in rele- receives petitions, it shall sovereign State under
world, and its main func- vant General Assembly act in a way so as not to international law, with
tion is to monitor State resolutions. In this deprive a petitioner -- or diplomatic relations and
compliance with the connection IPNC and the competent bodies of treaties with the United
International Convention Koani submitted to the the United Nations - of the States and other countries.
on the Elimination of All 75th session of CERD (and opportunity to have peti- With regard to the U.S.
of
Forms claim to sovereignty over
Racial earlier to the Human tions duly considered.
Discrimination. Rights Committee) its own Alaska by virtue of purcha-
"Shadow Reports", docu- The IPNC petition was se from the Russian
Pursuant to article 15 of menting the grave irregula- submitted as part of the Empire, it was pointed out
the Convention, CERD can rities that have characteri- follow-up to the examina- that the United States had
be seized of petitions sub- zed the United States hand- tion of the United States consistently denied that
mitted by indigenous peo- ling of indigenous matters periodic report to CERD, Russia had ever acquired
ples pursuant to a procedu- in Alaska and Hawaii. In which in principle is sub- governing authority over
re based on General particular, the petition mitted every 5 years and the Alaska. Thus, if the
Assembly Resolution 1514 requested that CERD for- outlines the measures Russia had no sovereignty,
(XV) of 14 December ward the matter to the taken by the US to imple- the U.S. could not acquire
28 4 2009 Diva

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