A theme of the Declaration is empowerment of indigenous peoples through maintaining and strengthening their own institutions, cultures and traditions e.g.

Under  Article 14 (I) "Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions....."

Under Article 16 (1) "Indigenous peoples have the right to establish their own media...."

Under Article 20 (1) "Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions..."

Under article 23 "Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular, indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and, as far as possible, to administer such programmes through their own institutions."

Under Article 26 (1) "Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired."

The Declaration is non-binding and has been adopted after two decades of debate. The United Nations has estimated that there are 370 million indigenous people throughout the world.

The United Nations news release on the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=23794&Cr=indigenous&Cr1=

The United Nations text of the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/declaration.html