DEMARCHE ON NEXT STEPS ON OAS INDIGENOUS RIGHTS

UNCLAS GUATEMALA 002123

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/USOAS SARAH HANKINS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM SOCI KJUS GT
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON NEXT STEPS ON OAS INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
DECLARATION

REF: STATE 145292


1. Poloff delivered reftel demarche on October 22 to Luis
Carranza, Director of Multilateral Policy at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Carranza commented that Guatemala will not
be able to support suspension of negotiations on the text of
the OAS Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, but
looks forward to supporting the U.S. on an action plan to
promote indigenous rights and issues in the Americas.


2. Guatemala, which participated in the negotiation of the
OAS Declaration in New York and Geneva, supports continuation
of negotiations. Carranza explained that Guatemala views the
OAS Declaration as distinct and non- duplicative of the
recently adopted UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples. He further explained that it would be very
difficult for Guatemala to stop negotiating on the OAS
Declaration because Guatemala agreed under the 1996 Peace
Accords to advocate for indigenous issues as a matter of
state policy, in national and international fora, to address
the issue of discrimination.
Derham