Argentina refuses to back UN draft resolution on indigenous rights

President Javier Milei’s government is making more diplomatic headlines – Argentina was the only one of 169 countries at the United Nations on Monday to reject a draft resolution on the rights of indigenous peoples.

The vote, at the UN General Assembly in New York, saw 161 votes in favour, one negative vote and just seven abstentions (Bulgaria, France, Laos, Lithuania, Mali, Romania and Slovenia). 

The document in question was initially tabled in October and revised before the vote. It was supported by Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela, among others. 

The draft resolution is a bid to reinforce international commitments to protecting the rights of indigenous communities. It focuses on fundamental aspects such as ensuring access to justice, environmental protection and the preservation of their cultures and languages.

Argentina’s negative vote underlines its dramatic diplomatic shift under President Milei, who has condemned United Nations projects such as the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future. 

Milei normally follows the lead of his allies, the United States and Israel, on the international stage. However, neither voted against Monday’s draft resolution.

The resolution stresses the importance of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in decisions affecting their territories and natural resources. 

In this regard, it states that “indigenous peoples should participate fully in decision-making on matters affecting their rights,” underlining the importance of respecting indigenous traditions and ancestral knowledge.

However, Argentina’s representative criticised the draft as “ambiguous and broad,” arguing that “ancestral practices can lead to the validation of practices which are at odds with the fundamental rights of women and girls, the right to health and access to scientific progress.”

The 16-page resolution also references the impact of climate change on indigenous peoples, describing it as “a threat” to their “survival, dignity and well-being.”

Milei has questioned climate change and environmental policies during various appearances on the international stage. 

Earlier this month, the President ejected his foreign minister, Diana Mondino, after Argentina backed a UN resolution calling for the lifting of the US trade embargo on Cuba. 

Mondino was replaced by former US ambassador Gerardo Werthein. Monday’s vote at the UN General Assembly was the first by the Foreign Ministry under his leadership.

– TIMES/NA