PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS

PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS

At a Headquarters press conference today marking the International Day of the World's Indigenous People, Human Rights Officer and Secretary of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations, Julian Burger, welcomed the establishment last July of a new United Nations body that was expected to elevate the concerns of indigenous peoples within the United Nations hierarchy.

Mr. Burger was joined by Chief Ted Moses of the Grand Council of the Crees (Quebec, Canada); Marcial Arias, Kuna of Panama; and Henrik Hahn, representative of the Danish Government.  Information Officer Tim Wall, of the Development and Human Rights Section of the Department of Public Information (DPI), moderated the discussion.  The Spanish remarks were translated into English through an official interpreter.

Mr. Burger said that the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was a new United Nations body with a number of unique features.  It would comprise a membership of 16 independent experts -- eight indigenous experts and eight governmental experts -– and report at a high level to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).  Another unique feature was its very broad mandate, which was to deal not only with human rights issues but also with development, education, culture, health, and all other issues of interest to indigenous peoples around the world. 

The Forum's first session, which will be two weeks long, will be held in New York from 6 to 17 May 2002, he said.  Hopefully, all 16 members of the Forum would be chosen by the end of 2001.  He had also hoped that the very first meeting would become a major assembly of the world's indigenous peoples.  Their participation was completely open, in line with the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. 

Above all, he said, the Forum was a pioneering effort that had taken some four to five years to "take off".  The proposal had first been made at the

1994 World Conference on Human Rights, in Vienna, where the Government of Denmark had lent some major support.  Indeed, it had organized the first workshop on the subject, in Copenhagen in 1995.  The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had been asked to do the preparatory work, which was well under way.

Mr. Arias recalled that the participation of indigenous people and their organizations in United Nations activities had been quite difficult.  The initial setting up of the Forum had been the result of consensus among governments and indigenous organizations.  That had been an important achievement.  The outcome had not reflected the full aspirations of indigenous peoples, but they had understood that the Forum constituted the first step towards a higher level of participation within the United Nations. 

Throughout the Forum's functioning, no topic relating to indigenous peoples would be ignored, he asserted.  That was an overarching endeavour, which would enable indigenous peoples to participate in discussions and decisions about such topics as forestry and climate change.  Hopefully, the Forum's consideration of those topics would include elements such as culture and education, as reflected in

its mandate.  Initially, the Forum would be an opportunity to "open the doors" to the indigenous peoples.  Five years later, those people would hopefully be able to assess the mandate and its functioning.  Another major function of the Forum was informing indigenous peoples about related discussions at the United Nations. 

Chief Moses said that the call for the creation of the Permanent Forum had come from the indigenous peoples themselves, who had concluded that the United Nations was not addressing their interests or serving their needs.  In the summer of 1993, representatives addressed the plenary session of the World Conference on Human Rights, in Vienna, and called for the creation of a permanent body.  The Government of Denmark had supported those efforts.  The idea for a place for indigenous peoples in the United Nations, however, had earlier roots.

He recalled that the idea for the Forum had been promoted by a study carried out under the auspices of the Secretary-General, who supported the conclusion that indigenous peoples had been allowed only a very limited role within the United Nations.  Moreover, their interests had been seriously excluded in such areas as economic development and peacekeeping.  The bottom line was to make the United Nations more accessible to indigenous peoples.

"We must move beyond purely human rights issues," he added.  Issues such as those related to the environment, economic development, housing, food, children, and technology affected indigenous peoples.  It was true that indigenous peoples had become involved in the work of the United Nations because of the persistent gross violations of their human rights, but the new endeavour was about more than that.

One correspondent, noting that there were some 2,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) affiliated with ECOSOC, asked how the Forum would fit in and what greater stature it would have in comparison.

Mr. Burger said there were many NGOs that had consultative status with ECOSOC, but the new organ was not simply about recognizing indigenous peoples as having a particular status for participation in various United Nations meetings. It was about creating a new meeting place -- in effect, a new United Nations organ.  One of its unique features was that it would be open to all indigenous communities, whether or not those had pursued or been granted ECOSOC status. 

Asked if there would be a rapporteur, Mr. Burger said that the Commission on Human Rights had recently decided that there should be a Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people.  In June, the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced the appointment of Rodolfo Stavenhagen (Mexico) to the post.  Mr. Stavenhagen had already held some initial consultations with indigenous peoples and government representatives.

Another correspondent asked whether indigenous peoples would be adequately represented at the upcoming World Conference against Racism, and what their hopes were for the Conference.

Chief Moses said that, no, indigenous peoples would not be adequately represented.  They had had great difficulty accessing the Conference, as there were many rules that included a special accreditation.  Just trying "to get into

the room" where the so-called consultations were taking place had always been an uphill battle.  Such talks had consistently excluded indigenous peoples.  A big battle had always preceded their infrequent admission and the inclusion of their issues on the agenda or in the subsequent report.  The Forum would make that work easier and ensure awareness and integration of those issues.

Mr. Hahn, replying to a question about the issues, said that the main ones would relate to human rights and development.  His Government was very satisfied about the establishment of the Permanent Forum and its scheduled first session next year.  That body would eventually take up many of the issues raised by the indigenous peoples' organizations.  It was a crucial process and a very important moment for that issue.

In response to a related question, Mr. Burger said that nearly 700 people had registered for the commemoration today of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.  Some of those would be indigenous, hopefully from as many countries as possible. 

He added that his Office had been very aware of the lack of coverage by the media of the issues facing indigenous peoples.  For that reason, he had arranged to bring indigenous media to the World Conference against Racism, in order to hear their perspective.  He had also wanted their communities to have an opportunity to hear about decisions being taken in Durban.  The World Conference was a very important meeting, and indigenous peoples should be its beneficiaries. 

Mr. Arias said that discussions about the representation of indigenous peoples in the upcoming World Conference and the Permanent Forum had led to the formation of some 20 indigenous regional groups, which then adjusted downward to seven regional groupings.  There had not always been a representative geographical reality at all such meetings.  Among the difficulties in truly reflecting the needs and views of indigenous peoples at world conferences had been the problem of language.  The indigenous issue was new, and would have to reverse some patterns both in the United Nations and at the upcoming World Conference.  Landholding, for example, about which there had always been a racist attitude, should be discussed at the World Conference.

* *** *