Meeting prep: UNPFII 12

Twelfth Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
20-31 May 2013 (UN Headquarters, New York)

This session is marking a review year. The Forum will follow-up on its recommendations regarding health, education and culture; will hold a half-day discussion on the African region; will hold its comprehensive dialogue with UN agencies and funds, as well as with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; will discuss the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; and will address issues related to the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The meeting will address a number of reports of relevance to TK, including: the report of the International Expert Group Meeting on “indigenous youth: identity, challenges and hope”; the report of the Inter-Agency Support Group Meeting on Indigenous Peoples; a study on resilience, traditional knowledge and capacity building for pastoralist communities in Africa; a study on engaging indigenous peoples more inclusively in the process of disaster risk reduction by respecting their linguistic and cultural practices; a consolidated report on extractive industries and their impact on indigenous peoples; and a study on how the knowledge, history and contemporary social circumstances of indigenous peoples are embedded in educational curricula. Visit the meeting’s website … View the meeting’s documents … Visit the meeting’s PaperSmart page …

 

This week in review … ECOSOC appoints new PFII members

Members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2014-2016
PFII release, 6 May 2013

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK: The President of the Economic and Social Council announced the appointment of eight Members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for the term 2014-2016 who had been nominated by indigenous peoples’ organizations. Previously, the Council had elected seven members nominated by governments. One member remains to be elected by the Council from the Asia-Pacific region. Their term begins on 1 January 2014 and lasts until 31 December 2016. The appointed members nominated by indigenous organizations include: Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine; Dalee Sambo Dorough; Joan Carling; Raja Devasish Roy; Kara-Kys Arakchaa; Maria Eugenia Choque Quispe; Edward John; and Valmaine Toki. The government-nominated members include: Joseph Goko Mutangah; Gervais Nzoa; Mohammad Hassani Nejad Pirkouhi; Oliver Loode; Aisa Mukabenova; Alvaro Esteban Pop Ac; and Megan Davis. Read the PFII release … Read the ECOSOC release …

 

This week in review … Internship position available at the PFII Secretariat

Internship Position Available at SPFII
PFII announcement, 6 March 2013

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK: An internship position (JO #27340) is available at the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for the spring and summer sessions. Applications should be sent via the UN Internship Programme webpage by 19 March 2013. Read the announcement …

 

Meeting prep: UNPFII-12

Twelfth session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
20-31 May 2013 (UN Headquarters, New York)

Online pre-registration for UNPFII-12 is now open, until 1 May 2013. The meeting’s agenda includes: follow-up on UNPFII recommendations with regard to health, education and culture; half-day discussion on the African region; discussion on the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples; UNDRIP implementation; dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; a comprehensive dialogue with UN agencies and funds; and future work. Visit the meeting’s webpage …

 

Resource: UNDRIP for indigenous adolescents

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for indigenous adolescents
Cindy Blackstock, in collaboration with UNICEF, the PFII Secretariat and the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, 2012

This adolescent-friendly version of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples aims to make indigenous adolescents knowledgeable on issues important to them and to support their active participation in decision-making processes to secure their rights. It provides background information on the international indigenous rights movement and the importance of the Declaration, and summarizes its articles to highlight their essence. Download the publication [pdf] …

 

Meeting prep: UNPFII expert meeting on indigenous youth

International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Youth: Identity, challenges and hope: Articles 14, 17, 21 and 25 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
29-31 January 2013 (UN Headquarters, New York)

This expert group meeting is intended to: analyze enshrined human rights within international standards and policies and how these could be more responsive to advancing the rights of indigenous youth; promote an opportunity to exchange information and analysis on the examples of social and economic conditions of indigenous youth, including in the areas of education, employment, vocational training, housing, sanitation, health and social security, among others; and identify options and further plans to build the necessary conditions for developing strategies to protect economic and social rights of indigenous youth, including empowering, strengthening indigenous youth organizations, and other capacity enhancement programs for indigenous youth. The final report and recommendations of the meeting will be submitted to UNPFII-12. Visit the meeting’s website … Download the meeting’s concept note [pdf] …

 

Announcement: Nomination of UNPFII members

Nomination of members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
UNPFII, 18 January 2013

The current membership of the Permanent Forum is due to expire at the end of 2013. Nominations are requested for the three-year period from January 2014 until December 2016. Eight indigenous nominated members should be from the seven socio-cultural regions, namely: Africa; Asia; Central and South America and the Caribbean; the Arctic; Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia; North America; and the Pacific. Asia will have an extra member for the term 2014-2016. Nominations should be made following an inclusive consultation process amongst indigenous organizations. Current members who have served the maximum of two terms (6 years) as Permanent Forum members cannot be nominated for a further term. The nominations need to be accompanied by a recent curriculum vitae of the nominees for consideration, as well as information about the nominating organizations. The deadline for nominations is 1 February 2013. Read the UNPFII announcement … Further information …

 

Resource: Special edition of PFII’s Message Stick

The Message Stick
Newsletter of the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Special edition, December 2012

This special edition of Message Stick contains an end-of-the-year message from the UNPFII Chair Grand Chief Edward John, a recent meeting in Guatemala of the three UN mechanisms on indigenous peoples in preparation for the World Conference on Indigenous Issues to be held in 2014, some of the upcoming international events in 2013 concerning indigenous peoples, and the message of an indigenous young leader and filmmaker from the Western Amazon in Brazil. Download the Message Stick [pdf] …