IN 2007, the UK signed up to the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Rights. This effectively protects the rights of indigenous people to land that is traditionally theirs.

The only UN countries that failed to sign up to this declaration were the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, all of which have seen their share of campaigns for the rights of indigenous inhabitants and, no doubt, feared a flood of demands for the return of lands that had been taken from the indigenous peoples throughout history since the arrival of Western settlers.

Clearly, the objective of the declaration is to protect the rights of indigenous people in countries that has seen widespread settlement and marginalisation of indigenous people, as is the case of the nations that chose not to sign.

The UK clearly felt safe in signing as we are not in the same position as the countries that have, so far, abstained.

However, this is not to say that we do not have indigenous people.

Essentially, the term "indigenous people" is defined as those whose cultural and historical roots are embedded into the territory they inhabit and have remained so since before the widespread settlement of Western civilisation.

This is certainly true for the Welsh, Scots, Irish, Cornish and Foresters. The term: "indigenous people" applies as much to them as it does to Native Americans, Aborigines and Maoris.

I think this declaration needs to be looked at in greater detail. This is, perhaps stretching the spirit of the declaration to the very letter of the UN agreement but the principles remain the same.

The declaration is perhaps not legally binding but we should consider the consequence in the event of a country failing to abide by a declaration to which it has signed.

Clearly the implications are serious enough for the above four countries to refrain from signing.

Perhaps our campaign against the sell-off of Forest land should be referred to the UN, drawing particular attention to the UK's obligations to this declaration. To fail to abide by it would render any UN declaration meaningless.

Ron Tocknell

Lydney