New book on Indigenous Space and the UN processes

Written on 30 January 2013. Posted in About IWGIA

Based on the author’s profound knowledge about indigenous peoples long struggle for being recognized as subjects of international law and building on his more of 20 years of engagement and commitment to the promotion and recognition of indigenous peoples rights in the United Nations, this book presents us with an analysis on how a relatively independent space, the Indigenous Space, has been constructed within the United Nations.

In the book Jens Dahl combines a historical overview and first hand accounts of the indigenous involvement with the UN with an analysis of global indigenous identity. Undoubtedly, Jens Dahl’s new book is an important contribution and an important reading for all those interested in the question on how indigenous peoples have been able to achieve international recognition as subjects of international law. According to the findings of the book this is due to indigenous peoples’ ability to reach consensus among themselves, the establishment of an indigenous caucus, and the construction of a global indigenous identity. Jens Dahl was IWGIA’s director from 1998 - 2006 and currently holding an adjunct position at Copenhagen University