Indigenous peoples and the dynamics of international law

The adoption of the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has often been celebrated as an important moment for the development of a more just and open system of international law. However, a number of key questions concerning the dynamics of the process of accommodation of indigenous peoples' rights should be properly considered before making broad and generalized conclusions about international law and justice. This paper aims to discuss some of these questions with a view to presenting a more accurate assessment of the emergence of the indigenous rights regime in international law.

Dr Mauro Barelli is Lecturer in Law at The City Law School.