Amnesty International welcomes news that the Australian Government will make good on its election commitment to officially support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Amnesty International has campaigned vigorously for Australia to endorse the Declaration, which sets minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous peoples.

When the Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2007 only four countries opposed it: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA.

Federal Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, is expected to make a formal statement in Parliament on the matter on 3 April.

"We have been consistent in our calls on the Australian Government to endorse this document and we are delighted that it will now be formally supported," said Amnesty International Australia’s Indigenous Rights Coordinator, Rodney Dillon. "The text of the Minister's statement to Parliament has not yet been made public, but we hope that it will be unequivocal and not contain qualifications that reduce its impact."

"Although the Declaration is not legally binding, supporting it places additional responsibilities on the Australian Government and we look forward to seeing how its principles are implemented in policy and programs. The Declaration outlines that particular attention should be paid to the rights and special needs of Indigenous elders, women, youth, children and persons with disabilities in its implementation," said Rodney Dillon.

Earlier this month, Amnesty International presented the UN with a detailed report setting out its concerns about Australia’s failure to comply with some of the country's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

That report said that adopting the principles set out in UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would be of great assistance to Australia in its attempts to bridge the gap between the enjoyment of human rights by Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

"The Declaration reaffirms the rights of all Indigenous peoples, including rights to security, consultation, participation in decision-making and freedom from discrimination, both as a collective and as individuals," said Rodney Dillon.