The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous (UNDRIP) is an important document that articulates world Indigenous peoples’ rights to set and pursue their own priorities for development and to maintain and control their cultural heritage. This has not been formally adopted into Australian law, but it was endorsed in 2009. There are remaining steps to be taken before UNDRIP can be adopted into national law.
Much of the content of UNDRIP is relevant to the consideration of cultural heritage laws. The key provisions of UNDRIP include that Indigenous people have the right to, Article 11, Article 12, Article 13, Article 14, Article 31, Article 32, and Article 40.
