Background information on the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Updated May 2007
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) established the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in July 2000, on the recommendation of the Commission on Human Rights.
Read the ECOSOC resolution on the Establishment of a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (E/2000/INF/2/ADD.2)
Mandate:
The Permanent Forum is an advisory body to ECOSOC with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues relating to economic and social development, human rights, the environment, culture, education and health. The Permanent Forum is:
· Providing expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to ECOSOC, as well as to programmes, funds and agencies of the United Nations, through ECOSOC and other UN bodies
· Raising awareness and promoting the integration and coordination of activities related to indigenous issues within the UN system
· Preparing and disseminating information on indigenous issues
Members:
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is made up of 16 members acting in an individual capacity as independent experts on indigenous issues. Eight of the members are nominated by governments and eight by the President of ECOSOC, on the basis of broad consultation with indigenous groups. The current members of the Permanent Forum are:
Mr. Aguiar De Almeida (Brazil)
Mr. Hassan Id Balkassm (Morocco)
Mr. Yuri Alexandrovich Boychenko (Russian Federation)
Mr. William Ralph Joey Langeveldt (South Africa)
Ms. Merike Kokajev (Estonia)
Mr. Wilton Littlechild (Canada)
Ms. Otilia Lux de Coti (Guatemala)
Mr. Aqquluk Lynge (Greenland)
Ms. Muzangi Mbella Liliane (Congo)
Ms. Ida Nicolaisen (Denmark)
Ms. Nina Pacari Vega (Ecuador)
Ms. Qin Xiaomei (China)
Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga (Russia)
Mr. Parshuram Tamang (Nepal)
Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpuz (Philippines)
Mr. Michael Dodson
New members appointed:
From January 2008 a new term will start (January 1 2008-December 31 2010). The Preseident of ECOSOC has appointed the following 8 members, who have all been nominated by indigenous peoples' organizations:
Mr. Hassan Id Balkassm (Morocco),
Ms. Margaret Lokawua (Uganda),
Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines),
Mr. Lars-Anders Baer (Sweden),
Ms. Elisa Canqui Mollo (Bolivia),
Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga (Russian Federation),
Ms. Tonya Gonella Frischner (United States of America) and
Mr. Michael Dodson (Australia).
Government nominated members were also recently elected by the ECOSOC for the 2008-2010 term. These newly elected members are:
Ms Xiaomei Qin (China)
Ms Paimaneh Hasteh (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Mr. Carlos Mamani Condori (Bolivia)
Mr. Bartolomé Clavero Salvador (Spain)
Mr. Carsten Smith (Norway)
Ms Liliane Muzangi Mbela (DRC)
Mr Simeon Adewale Adekanye (Nigeria)
Mr A A Nikiforov (Russian Federation)
Participation:
One of the fundamental demands of indigenous peoples in relation to establishing the Permanent Forum was the principle of full participation on the part of indigenous organisations and communities in the Permanent Forum’s debate. Organisations of indigenous peoples are therefore allowed to participate as observers in the meetings of the Permanent Forum, in accordance with the procedures that are applied in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations which is open to all indigenous peoples’ organisations, regardless of their consultative status with ECOSOC. States, UN bodies and organs, inter-governmental organisations and NGOs that have consultative status with the ECOSOC may also participate as observers.
More information:
You can find more in-depth information about the Permanent Forum in the following IWGIA publications:
Indigenous Affairs 3/2004 – The UN Decade: Expectations and Realities
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples (Lola García-Alix 2003)
Indigenous Affairs 1/2002 - International Processes
You can also click on http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/indileaflet6.doc where you will find the United Nations Guide for Indigenous Peoples “Leaflet No. 6 : The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues”.
Information about the Permanent Forum is also available in OHCHR's Fact Sheet No. 9: The Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which can be found at: http://www.ohchr.org/english/about/publications/docs/fs9.htm
Or you can visit the Permanent Forum's website at: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/index.html |
