Leveraging momentum on indigenous rights for real, tangible change
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened with renewed optimism, built on the historic milestone of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, to help bring indigenous peoples to the forefront of a new transformative agenda.
21 April 2015
In his opening statement to the 14th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson called upon Member States to ensure that the post-2015 development agenda includes the situation and rights of indigenous peoples and for “indigenous peoples to be at the forefront of a transformative agenda that leaves no one behind.”
Mr. Eliasson highlighted the importance of the rights listed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples such as health, education, clean drinking water and environmental sustainability. He underscored the important of sustainable development by stating that “we have no planet B… Plan B we may have, but certainly no planet B.”
The discussions at this year’s Forum will commence with a review the outcome of last years’ landmark high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP). The outcome document of the WCIP was a unique opportunity to strengthen the rights for more than 370 million indigenous people worldwide as well as reaffirming the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007.
Reflecting upon to outcome document of the World Conference, Sam Kutesa, President of the UN General Assembly stated that it was a highly significant moment as “Member States and indigenous peoples worked together in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.”
Mr. Kutesa stated that the unparalleled cooperation between these indigenous peoples and the Members States during the Conference was “instrumental in laying out firm commitments by Member States to take concrete actions on addressing the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
As part of the opening session, the assembled delegates unanimously elected a new Chairperson for the Permanent Forum, Dr. Megan Davis, who is the Director of the Indigenous Law Centre at the University of New South Wales and a Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Davis stated that this meeting comes at a critical time for indigenous peoples where we must address the “full gamut of actions included in the Outcome Document and not focus solely on procedure and process”.
After the opening session Member States and delegates from the indigenous groups, UN system and civil society had the opportunity to raise key issues that will be discussed in the plenary as well as in the over 90 planned side events.
In her statement to the Plenary, Shauna Olney, ILO’s Head of the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch spoke of on-going work with Member States to give greater visibility to and promoting ratification of ILO’s Convention No. 169 on indigenous peoples. Ms. Olney pointed out that “the World Conference called for further ratification of the Convention and stressed the obligation of ratifying states to take systematic and coordinated action to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.”
Overall, the opening session was characterised by a high level of optimism from delegates as this was the first global forum addressing indigenous issues since the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in September last year. The Permanent Forum provides an occasion to focus on the practical steps in follow-up to the outcome document adopted at that Conference.
With the rapidly approaching deadline for a post-2015 development agenda, these discussions are essential to ensure that rights and prosperity of the world’s indigenous peoples are central to the new vision of development.
Mr. Eliasson highlighted the importance of the rights listed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples such as health, education, clean drinking water and environmental sustainability. He underscored the important of sustainable development by stating that “we have no planet B… Plan B we may have, but certainly no planet B.”
The discussions at this year’s Forum will commence with a review the outcome of last years’ landmark high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP). The outcome document of the WCIP was a unique opportunity to strengthen the rights for more than 370 million indigenous people worldwide as well as reaffirming the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007.
Reflecting upon to outcome document of the World Conference, Sam Kutesa, President of the UN General Assembly stated that it was a highly significant moment as “Member States and indigenous peoples worked together in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect.”
Mr. Kutesa stated that the unparalleled cooperation between these indigenous peoples and the Members States during the Conference was “instrumental in laying out firm commitments by Member States to take concrete actions on addressing the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
As part of the opening session, the assembled delegates unanimously elected a new Chairperson for the Permanent Forum, Dr. Megan Davis, who is the Director of the Indigenous Law Centre at the University of New South Wales and a Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Davis stated that this meeting comes at a critical time for indigenous peoples where we must address the “full gamut of actions included in the Outcome Document and not focus solely on procedure and process”.
After the opening session Member States and delegates from the indigenous groups, UN system and civil society had the opportunity to raise key issues that will be discussed in the plenary as well as in the over 90 planned side events.
In her statement to the Plenary, Shauna Olney, ILO’s Head of the Gender, Equality and Diversity Branch spoke of on-going work with Member States to give greater visibility to and promoting ratification of ILO’s Convention No. 169 on indigenous peoples. Ms. Olney pointed out that “the World Conference called for further ratification of the Convention and stressed the obligation of ratifying states to take systematic and coordinated action to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.”
Overall, the opening session was characterised by a high level of optimism from delegates as this was the first global forum addressing indigenous issues since the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in September last year. The Permanent Forum provides an occasion to focus on the practical steps in follow-up to the outcome document adopted at that Conference.
With the rapidly approaching deadline for a post-2015 development agenda, these discussions are essential to ensure that rights and prosperity of the world’s indigenous peoples are central to the new vision of development.