Relevant Issues of Exploration the Concept of Indigenous People in the International Legal Instruments and Ukrainian Legal Doctrine

Abstract In this paper, the problem of determination of the legal personality of indigenous people as a subject of international law is considered. Hence, the problem articulated above leads to the issue related to aspects of practical realization and protection of rights and freedoms of indigenous people enshrined in international legal instruments, which is revealed. The confusion of the term “indigenous people” with that of “national minorities” can be avoided by the subjects of international law. However, one cannot find a solution to this problem without envisaging written rules on the concept of ingenious people in one obligatory, for contracting parties, an international legal instrument. Thereafter, the concept of indigenous people must be unified and, consequently, used by all international legal community. The relevance of this study is due to the need to determine the legal status of indigenous peoples in Ukrainian law. Ukraine has recently acceded to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which defines the need to implement these provisions in national legislation and ensure the practical implementation of the rights and freedoms enshrined for indigenous peoples. To date, the Constitution of Ukraine makes a distinction between the categories of national minorities and indigenous peoples, but there is no specialized comprehensive law that would determine the legal status of indigenous peoples in Ukraine, in the presence of such a law on national minorities. Thus there is a need to determine the concept of indigenous peoples in Ukrainian legislation.