Speakers Address Future Role of Permanent Forum in Ensuring Indigenous Rights Given Equal Weight with Other Human Rights Issues
1 May 2008
Economic and Social Council
HR/4952
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Seventh Session
13th & 14th Meetings (AM & PM)
Hears from Economic and Social Affairs Head, General Assembly President
As the seventh annual session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues neared its close today, delegates discussed the future role the 16‑member body could play in ensuring that the question of indigenous human rights was on par with other human rights issues, with many voicing hope that the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would lend new ammunition to their cause.Addressing the Forum this morning, Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the adoption of the Declaration last year had raised the profile of indigenous groups. He noted also that the number of stakeholders attending the Forum had grown, reflecting the shared conviction that meeting the challenges of indigenous peoples required concerted effort.
For instance, recalling the special theme for this session, “climate change, biocultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”, he noted — as others had done — that indigenous peoples interpreted and reacted to climate change in creative ways, and had drawn on traditional knowledge and other technologies to find solutions.
However, difficulties remained in integrating indigenous peoples’ adaptation concerns into current policymaking processes. The ability of humans to adapt and cope with climate change depended on their wealth, technology, education, information, skills, infrastructure, access to resources and management capabilities. Those were often not accessible to many indigenous peoples and their communities.
Indeed, today and throughout the two-week long session, representatives of indigenous groups, non-governmental organizations, United Nations specialized agencies and Member States have traded examples about discrimination, repression and other human rights abuses heaped on indigenous peoples by corporations and States. While many delegates harboured great hopes that the Declaration would help end such abuses, others voiced concerns about its “politicization” at the hand of Forum participants.
The representative of the Indonesian Government, who said the Declaration should become an important foundation and framework for the Forum in implementing its mandate, expressed concern about the involvement of those supporting separatist agendas in a number of countries. That trend had the potential to erode the confidence of Member States.
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chair of the Forum, replied that many important political questions needed to be asked at the body’s sessions, since it was one of the few places in the international arena where indigenous peoples could air their views. She also pointed out that it was not the principle of self-determination that would ultimately push indigenous people to seek separatist agendas, but their increased marginalization in their own countries. She stressed the importance of maintaining a spirit of dialogue among participants, while using the Declaration as a framework.
In that same vein, Srgjam Kerim, President of the General Assembly, said that, despite the General Assembly’s past efforts to address the challenges facing indigenous populations, the Forum was uniquely placed to ensure that indigenous peoples’ knowledge and special resources were integrated into the work of the United Nations. The Declaration’s mandate marked new challenges and opportunities for the Forum.
Mick Dodson, the Permanent Forum’s Rapporteur, said that, when the session ended tomorrow, the Forum was expected to recommend draft decisions to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, since it had been decided that 2007 would be a policy year. Among the items that the Forum planned to recommend to the Economic and Social Council was that a dialogue be organized with six United Nations agencies on implementing indigenous issues.
Also speaking today were the representatives of France, Germany and Bangladesh.
A representative from Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Indigenous Peoples and a parliamentarian of Central America from Nicaragua also spoke.
Other speakers during the discussion included representatives from the Partnership for Indigenous Peoples Environment; Transnational Radical Party; Herri Topa; CONAVIGUA; Lao Human Rights Council; Ecospirituality Foundation; Yachay Wasi; Zomi Reunification Organization (ZORO); Federation of Saskatchewan of Indian Nations; Fundacion AMA El Salvador; Chotanagpur Rising Society; Caucus Euskal Herria; Innu Council of Nitassinan; CLAI, Chile; CAPAJ; Indigenous Youth and Elders Council; Ethiopian Women’s Federation; Native Children’s Survival; Ombuds Office of Indigenous Peoples and Nations of Ecuador in America (DPIA); Parliamentarian of Central America, Nicaragua; and Comunidad Campesina de Tauria, Arequipa.
A Forum member from North America and Chief Oren Lyons offered a prayer in honour of the Declaration’s passage and in recognition of the role played by the President of the General Assembly in promoting indigenous issues in the United Nations and in the Declaration’s adoption.
The Permanent Forum will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 2 May, to adopt its draft report on its seventh session.
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