The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recently met. Although the final decisions of the 7th session have not been officially released, I was able to get an advanced, unedited version of the report. Below I've summarized the decisions and recommendations of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to the Economic and Social Council.
Draft Decision I - International expert group meeting on the implementation of article 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Economic and Social Council decides to authorize a three-day international expert group meeting on the implementation of article 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and requests that the results of the meeting be reported to the Permanent Forum at its eighth session.
Draft decision II - Venue and dates of the eighth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
The Economic and Social Council decides that the eighth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues shall be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 18 to 29 May 2009.
Draft decision III - Provisional agenda and documentation for the eighth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
1. Election of officers. 2. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work. 3. Follow-up to the recommendations of the Permanent Forum on: (a) Economic and social development; (b) Indigenous Women; (c) Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. 4. Human rights: (a) Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; (b) Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenou peoples and other special rapporteurs. 5. Half-day discussion on the Arctic. 6. Comprehensive dialogue with six United Nations agencies and funds. 7. Future work of the Permanent Forum, including issues of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues. 8. Draft agenda for the ninth session of the Permanent Forum. 9. Adoption of the report of the Permanent Forum on its eighth session.
Recommendations of the Permanent Forum
Special theme, “Climate change, biocultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges”
The Permanent Forum recommends that, in the Arctic, Amazon, Congo Basin and Sahara oases, which are indicators of climate change for the rest of the world, Member States work closely with indigenous peoples. The discussions and negotiations on climate change should respect the rights of indigenous peoples to nurture and develop their traditional knowledge and their environment-friendly technologies. In the case of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and inhabiting the most biodiverse areas in the Amazon, the primary requirement of their free prior and informed consent for any alien intervention must be stressed.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples should serve as a key and binding framework in the formulation of plans for development and should be considered fundamental in all processes related to climate change at the local, national, regional and global levels. The safeguard policies of the multilateral banks and the existing and future policies on indigenous peoples of United Nations bodies and other multilateral bodies should be implemented in all climate change-related projects and programs.
The Forum recommends that States, United Nations agencies, bodies and funds, other multilateral bodies and financial institutions and other donors provide technical and financial support to protect and nurture indigenous peoples’ natural resource management, environment-friendly technologies, biodiversity and cultural diversity and low-carbon, traditional livelihoods (pastoralism; rotational or swidden agriculture; hunting and gathering and trapping; marine and coastal livelihoods; high mountain agriculture; etc.). The Forum further recommends that discussions and negotiations on strengthening the links between climate change, biodiversity and cultural diversity under the Convention on Biological Diversity or the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ensure the effective participation of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, university research centres and relevant United Nations agencies conduct further studies on the impacts of climate change and climate change responses on indigenous peoples who are living in highly fragile ecosystems, such as low-lying coastal areas and small island States; semi-arid and arid lands and dry and sub-humid lands (grasslands); tropical and subtropical forests; and high mountain areas.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States that have not already done so assign environment a more important profile in strategic planning initiatives at the national level and, in particular, in e-government initiatives so that the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) for the environment is integrated into planning processes from the beginning, along with other national priorities and initiatives (disposal of ICT equipment).
The Forum decides to appoint Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Lars Anders-Baer, members of the Permanent Forum, as special rapporteurs to prepare a report on various models and best practices of mitigation and adaptation measures undertaken by indigenous peoples from various parts of the world. The Forum also requests that these special rapporteurs, in collaboration with indigenous peoples, also prepare a draft declaration of action on climate change and indigenous peoples, which can include a road map for indigenous peoples towards the 2009 Copenhagen Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and beyond. These will be presented at the eighth session of the Forum.
The Permanent Forum calls for urgent, serious and unprecedented action by the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, along with all United Nations bodies and agencies, recognizing that climate change is an urgent and immediate threat to human rights, health, sustainable development, food sovereignty, and peace and security, and calls upon all countries to implement the highest, most rigorous and most stringent levels of greenhouse gas reduction.
The Permanent Forum urges States responsible for major sources of pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases to be accountable by enforcing and upholding stricter global pollution regulations that will apply to polluting parties.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States develop mechanisms through which they can monitor and report on the impacts of climate change on indigenous peoples, mindful of their socio-economic limitations as well as spiritual and cultural attachment to lands and waters.
The Permanent Forum calls on States to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and principles of sustainability and to call on transnational corporations to respect those standards. This applies particularly to highly industrialized States and the transnational corporations that engage in development activities in those States.
The Permanent Forum calls on all United Nations agencies and States to support the reclamation of traditional practices and laws leading to global solutions to climate change.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other relevant United Nations agencies further develop and enhance natural disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies involving indigenous peoples in the development and implementation of those strategies.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights promote the elaboration of a report on the impacts of climate change and indigenous peoples by the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people.
Other articles from Indigenous People's Issues Today on Climate Change include:
Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: A Human Rights Issues
Indigenous Peoples, Climate Change, and Anthropology
Biofuel and Its Non-Sustainable Impacts: A Case from West Papua
The Sami Indigenous People and Climate Change
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Indigenous Peoples, Climate Change, and the United Nations: Draft Report of Seventh Session
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Indigenous Native American Running: Support Navajo Runners
Emerging Indigenous Navajo Nation elite runners in the 20th and 21st century, who have gained significant status as track and distance runners, have faced different hurdles when compared to their running counterparts. For most indigenous Native Americans the concept of standing out individually can be at odds with Native American culture, which traditionally promotes commitment to family and community. As such, they have faced many difficult internal and external challenges as they strive to become elite runners in the larger world.
At the college athletics level, individual achievement is encouraged and rewarded. This sometimes aggressive and individualistic view can often hinder the advancement of indigenous Native American athletes who come from a different cultural perspective. Of the many Native American tribes in North American, the Navajo Nation is the largest with over 11 million acres and almost 400,000 tribal members. It is here that the Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners organization plays an important role.
The Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners, Inc. is a volunteer driven nonprofit organization formed for charitable and educational purposes at the local & national level. Their mission is to promote athletic excellence, wellness, and successful life skills necessary for emerging indigenous Navajo Native American runners with whom they can guide to being competitive contenders for Olympic competition while integrating Navajo language, tradition, and cultural values.
Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners is dedicated to increasing the opportunities for, and the number of, emerging indigenous Navajo Native American distance runners. This is accomplished by creating a network and support of training environments and activities to produce world-class Navajo distance stars. We believe corporations, running centers, and established distance running events would feel such pride in their involvement. NNER will constantly seek overall support in the form of grants which will supplement funding for general operations, as well as grants for identification and support of additional athletes, promotion of athletes, and/or sponsor recruitment assistance.
The Need
The Navajo Nation is the largest North American tribe with over 11 million acres and almost 400,000 members. Ten of the smallest states can easily fit within the Nation Nation's boundaries. There is a great need to assist potential world-class bound Navajo runners. Our volunteer driven nonprofit organization believes an emerging elite Navajo runner in the 21st century, who has gained significant status as a track and distance runner, has faced far different hurdles than their counterparts. For most of the Navajo youth, the concept of standing out individually can be at odds with their culture, which promotes commitment to family and community. At the college athletics level, individual achievement is encouraged and rewarded. This sometimes aggressive and individualistic view can hinder their desire to train for a berth on America's Olympic team. Only 5-7% of the U.S. Olympic T Committee's revenues go directly to athletes who have already garnered elite status for training expenses.
The time is NOW to bridge that gap between major U.S. distance running events, major corporations, and athlete development organizations and the emerging indigenous Navajo Native American runner so NNER can supplement and support them by identifying such runners in order to establish the needs of identification and training.
Making a Difference
Nideiltihi Navajo Elite Runners, Inc. is seeking partnerships for the long-term development of elite indigenous Navajo Native American distance athletes, so they can compete successfully in both domestic and international competitions, including major championship events which lead to the Olympic Trials in distance events. This partnership will build upon the recent successes of Navajo distance running, while maintaining a collective commitment towards developing athletes through the next Olympiad of 2012 and beyond.
The recent successes of some Navajo long distance these athletes can emerge. While the window of opportunity to further develop Navajo long distance running athletes opens NOW, we must take steps to encourage more developing athletes into the program who have shown the most potential for developing distance stars. Get Involved!
There are five levels of Giving Opportunities, ranging from the Honorable Mention level of $25 to $50 to the Platinum Level of more than $10,000. Other levels include Gold ($1,001 to $10,000), Silver ($501 to $1,000), and Bronze ($51 to $100). Benefits are awarded depending upon the donation amount, and range from website recognition with links, logos, pictures, and testimonials to receiving unique posters, sweatshirts and t-shirts with the Navajo Running Prayer in English and Navajo.
Other ways to make a difference include:
Learn about the thousand year history of running among indigenous Native Americans in Peter Nabokov's excellent book: Indian Running: Native American History and Tradition.
Running Strong for American Indian Youth: Improving Self-Esteem and the Future for Native Youth.
Use the Search Function at the Top to Find More Articles, Fellowships, Conferences, Indigenous Issues, Book Reviews, and Resources
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
May 13 - 19, 2008: Five Key Indigenous People's Issues
Five Important Indigenous People's Issues for the Week of May 13 - May 19, 2008
Indigenous Peoples Fellowship Program with the United Nations
The English speaking component of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme began in 1997, as an initiative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) developed in the context of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004).
The English speaking component of the programme generally runs for four months from May to September. The Fellows are based at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland. The programme is an inter-active process, which consists of briefings on several topics (i.e. OHCHR’s work, the UN system and mechanisms) individual and group assignments. Fellows also have the opportunity to receive training sessions with other UN agencies, including ILO, WIPO, UNESCO and UNITAR.
At the end of the Programme, each Fellow should have a general knowledge on the United Nations system, international human rights instruments and mechanisms, in particular those relevant to indigenous peoples and be capable of giving training sessions within their communities/organizations on the knowledge acquired. Find out more about the fellowship here.
Young Australian Aborigines Hope to Fix an Unhealthy Imbalance
AS A teenager in Darwin, Ryen Biggle hadn't heard of a single Aboriginal student going to university, let alone studying medicine. But he is now part of a small group of indigenous students at Melbourne University's medical school. "It's pretty daunting," Mr Biggle, 18, says. "No one on my mother's side of the family ever went to uni."
"But she always told me if I worked hard enough then uni could be an option, and I should always believe I could make it. It was a dream of mine."
It was particularly challenging because there are only 125 indigenous medical practitioners in the country. On a per capita basis there should be almost 1000.
The University of Melbourne's Professor Ian Anderson, one of the first Aboriginal Australians to get a medical degree, says urgent action to encourage indigenous people into medical schools is a vital step in the Government's aim of closing the indigenous health gap by 2030. Read the rest of the interview here.
Indigenous Peoples of Guyana Are Fighting to Have Their Rights to Land Recognized
A landmark case in the High Court of Guyana is about to unfold in the wake of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Akawaio and Arekuna peoples of the Upper Mazaruni district. Of interest one should note that the lawsuit was filed in 1998, proceedings of which began in November, 2007.
One feels very strongly about the circumstances which prompted these aggrieved people to file a lawsuit and which, though historic in Guyana, is not alone in our global village. We are not alone and that is of tremendous importance to us Amerindians who live in this part of the world.
Certain pronouncements that point to us Amerindians as a people wanting to “create a state within a state” are immature, pre-emptive and should be ignored. Read the rest of the story here.
New Zealand Involved in Illegal Trade in North Africa - Impacting Indigenous People
On May 25, a Turkish owned ship called the Cake is due at Lyttleton harbour, and similar port records show the same ship is due in Napier between 3-5 June. On both occasions, the Cake will be unloading a cargo of phosphates that originated in the Western Sahara region of North Africa. This is a highly dubious trade, in seeming violation of the UN Charter.
This is because Western Sahara has been under military occupation by Morocco since 1975, against the wishes of the indigenous Saharawi people and of their UN recognized political representatives, the Polisario Front.
The Saharawi have not taken the theft of their country lightly. For 16 years from 1975 onwards, the Polisario Front waged a highly successful guerrilla war against the dual invading forces of Morocco and Mauritania, eventually forcing the latter out of the territory. The UN finally brokered a ceasefire in 1991, on terms that it would hold a referendum that would offer the option of full independence. Read the rest here.
Maritime Indigenous People's Human Rights Group Seeks Answers from Goldcorp
On Tuesday afternoon, May 20th Brian O’Neill, a Halifax member of the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network, will publicly challenge the policies of Goldcorp, one of the world’s largest gold mining companies, at its Annual General Meeting in Toronto. O’Neill represents the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network, a human rights and solidarity organization with committees and individuals active in all three Maritime provinces.
He has just returned from over a month in Guatemala, where he interviewed people and conducted research related to the strong opposition of Mayan communities to Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine in San Marcos, Guatemala. Concerns include inadequate consultation with indigenous communities who have been directly affected, threats to safety and security, and the environmental impacts of the mine’s operations, as well as issues of community compensation and land rights. Read the rest of the story here.
Last weeks Five Key Indigenous People's Issues can be found here.
