The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution supporting the rights of indigenous peoples across the world, despite opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

According to this declaration, more than 300 million indigenous peoples have the right to chose their political appurtenance, preserve their traditions and administer their communities without any foreign intervention.

“Every indigenous individual has the right to a nationality,” the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states.

Numerous indigenous communities frequently complain about abuses, flagrant violations of human rights, most of them being reported in developing states. Indigenous peoples say they are forced to reintegrate into different cultures and leave their lands.

The resolution says they cannot be subjected to “any act of genocide or any other act of violence, including forcibly removing children of the group to another group.” Also, indigenous peoples can manage their own cultural and religious sites, along with separate education systems.

The declaration was approved by 143 countries, four rejecting the treaty, while eleven abstained. The US said the declaration does not comply with existing national laws.

“Under the United States domestic law, the US recognizes Indian tribes as political entities with inherent powers of self-government as first peoples,” US delegate Robert Hagen said.

“In our legal system, the federal government has a government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes.”

Nevertheless, the government “will continue its vigorous efforts to promote indigenous rights domestically,” he added.

A similar stance was adopted by New Zealand’s representative, Ambassador Rosemary Banks, who said such treaties recognizing the right of indigenous peoples exist in her country for a long period.

She said the UN declaration was drafted with the help of New Zealand’s government, but several gaps are present and that is why she opposed the resolution.

“It is with genuine regret and disappointment therefore that New Zealand is unable to support the declaration,” Banks said.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has 46 articles, most of them having the Universal Declaration on Human Rights as backbone.