Erica-Irene Daes (18 September 1925 – 12 February 2017) was an academic, diplomat, and United Nations expert best known for her almost 20 years work with the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations (1984–2001) promoting the cause of the world's indigenous peoples, during which time she authored many United Nations reports on Indigenous rights issues and was a driving force behind the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.She was the Founding Chairperson & Special Rapporteur, United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations; Member, United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.