High Level United Nations Conference Focuses on World’s Indigenous Peoples on September 22-23

NEW YORK - Indigenous Peoples represent remarkable diversity - more than 5,000 distinct groups in some 90 countries, making up more than 5 per cent of the world’s population, some 370 million people. These peoples continue to self-identify as distinct peoples with strong links to traditional territories with their own social, economic and political systems as well as unique languages, cultures and beliefs.

Today, many Indigenous Peoples struggle to remain on their lands and retain the right to their natural resources. Other Indigenous Peoples have long since been removed from their lands, denied their languages and traditional ways, and have consequently been left impoverished. In order to address these injustices Indigenous Peoples effectively advocate for their rights and have engaged the United Nations (UN) since its establishment. Indeed, they also brought their concerns to the predecessor of the UN, the League of Nations in the 1920s.

On September 22-23, 2014 the first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), a high-level plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), will be held at the UN Headquarters in New York City. Over a thousand Indigenous and non-Indigenous delegates will have the opportunity to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including pursuing the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration sets out minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples of the world and was adopted by the UNGA on September 13, 2007. Meeting participants will include a wide range of parties and stakeholders, including the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Heads of State or Government and high-level representatives of Member States, high-level representatives of entities of the UN system, Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations and national human rights institutions. It is expected that the WCIP will result in a concise, action-oriented outcome document on the implementation the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the promotion of the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, prepared by the President of the General Assembly on the basis of inclusive and open consultations with Member States and Indigenous Peoples.

"The UN General Assembly’s adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007 is hailed as a milestone in the recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and a triumph for justice and human dignity. It is indeed not difficult to concur with these views, as the Declaration represents the world community’s commitment towards redressing the historic injustice faced by the world’s Indigenous Peoples. The World Conference provides Member States and the UN an excellent opportunity to demonstrate a firm commitment towards the realization of the Declaration, by adopting an action-oriented outcome document. However, the world’s Indigenous Peoples struggle for their rights does not end with the World Conference, but the Conference could become an important stepping stone towards achieving improved implementation of their rights." Mr. John B. Henriksen, International Representative of the Sami Parliament of Norway, and member of the Global Indigenous Coordinating Group (GCG) for the World Conference.

"This is the time for states to demonstrate their adherence to their international human rights obligations by committing to clear actions at all levels in response to the demands made by indigenous Peoples for them to respect, protect, and fulfill the rights of Indigenous Peoples in line with the full implementation of UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous Peoples." Ms. Joan Carling, Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact and a member of the GCG.

 

Program:

Monday 22 September

9am-1pm - Opening Plenary Meeting

3-6pm - Roundtable 1: United Nations system action to implement the rights of Indigenous peoples

3-6pm - Roundtable 2: Implementation of the rights of Indigenous peoples at the national and local level

 

Tuesday 23 September

3-5pm - Roundtable 3: Indigenous peoples’ lands, territories and resources

3-5pm - Panel Discussion: Indigenous priorities for the post-2015 sustainable development agenda

5-6pm - Closing Plenary Meeting

 

Draft Outcome Document:

http://wcip2014.org/4414

 

Background Information:

Little progress was made on advancing Indigenous Peoples’ rights internationally until the 1980s, when the Working Group on Indigenous Populations was established in Geneva and the International Labour Organization adopted Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. The First International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was launched in 1994 followed by a Second Decade, which will end in December 2014.

During these two decades, the UN and Indigenous Peoples have made significant progress in their collaboration, with the establishment of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. In 2007 the General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration sets out minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.

The General Assembly, in its resolution 65/198 of 21 December 2010, decided to organize a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, in order to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including pursuing the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

In its resolution 66/296, the General Assembly further decided that the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples would be held on 22 September 2014 and in the afternoon of 23 September 2014 in New York.

The World Conference will be composed of two plenary meetings in the form of an opening and a closing session, three interactive round-table discussions and one interactive panel discussion, with the opening meeting beginning at 9 a.m. on 22 September 2014, followed, in the afternoon, by two round-table discussions taking place simultaneously.

To provide valuable input into the preparatory process for the World Conference, the President of the General Assembly organized on 17 and 18 June 2014 an informal interactive hearing with representatives of Indigenous Peoples and representatives of entities of the UN system, academic institutions, national human rights institutions, parliamentarians, civil society and non-governmental organizations, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the present resolution.

The World Conference will result in a concise, action-oriented outcome document prepared on the basis of inclusive and open informal consultations with Member States and indigenous Peoples.

 

Detailed schedule here



 

June 12, 2013 - Day 3, Afternoon Plenary session of the Preparatory Conference - at the Finnmark Hall in Alta, Norway. Photo: Ben Powless, Global Coordinating Group Media Team.