The Martin Place Papers are an occasional series published by the International Law Association (Australian Branch) to provide wider access to the proceedings and outcomes of ILA sponsored seminars and conferences. No 7 in this series has now been published. Martin Place Paper No 7, The International Law Context of Recent Developments in Indigenous Policy contains the proceedings of a seminar convened jointly by the ILA and the National Centre for Indigenous Studies (NCIS) at the ANU in late 2015.
The paper by ILA member Greg Marks, ‘Lifestyle choices? Closing down Aboriginal communities and international law’ examines the relevance of Australia’s obligations under the UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to policies aimed at closing down remote small Aboriginal communities. Such policies and their concomitant funding arrangements have been problematic to Aboriginal groups endeavouring to achieve their aspirations to live on and manage their traditional lands and waters. The analysis by Greg Marks indicates that the policies are also problematic in terms of Australia’s international legal obligations.
The second paper, by Dr Sean Kerins, ‘Indigenous Development in the Southwest Gulf of Carpentaria region of the Northern Territory: Opportunities and Challenges’ examines policies and developments in the Region from the viewpoint of international norms and expectations contained in instruments such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This analysis is particularly relevant to the current controversy about the proposal to expand the huge McArthur River mine near Borroloola (see media coverage here).
To obtain a copy of Martin Place Paper No 7, contact the Secretary, ILA (Australian Branch) at secretary@ila.org.au. Cost is $20 per copy.