PRESS CONFERENCE ON CURRENT SESSION OF PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES

PRESS CONFERENCE ON CURRENT SESSION OF PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES

At the conclusion of its third session this afternoon, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was expected to provide recommendations to the United Nations system on its special theme of the year, indigenous women, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference today.

Briefing the press were Forum Chairperson Ole Henrik Magga, Vice-Chairperson Parshuram Tamang, and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz who was designated by the Asian Group to become a member of the Forum next year.

An advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, the Forum, which held its first session in 2002, brought together over 1,000 representatives from 300 indigenous groups worldwide for its current two-week session.  Also participating in the Forum’s work were 16 MemberStates and 13 United Nations agencies and intergovernmental organizations.

Based on discussions in its mandated areas of economic and social development, environment, health, human rights, culture and education, the Forum had produced recommendations on policy action on a broad range of issues related to the advancement of indigenous women, said the speakers.  The main areas of proposed action related to security and prevention of violence against indigenous women; their role in conflict resolution; education; information; participation in decision-making; and health, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive issues.

Women had clearly described the problems they faced, speakers added, and the draft recommendations clearly addressed those issues.  For example, it was recommended that the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other agencies seriously look into reports of violence against women and work out projects to stop that scourge.  The recommendations on education included a proposal to hold a workshop to look at the issue of bilingual education in Asia and Africa.  In general, it was necessary to make education systems less discriminatory and more sensitive to indigenous peoples’ needs. 

Ms. Tauli-Corpuz said that a recommendation directed at the World Health Organization (WHO) called on the agency to ensure that health services were appropriately designed to address the needs of indigenous women.  The experiences of native healers and traditional practices that were sensitive to indigenous women’s needs should also be taken into account.

Realizing that the most difficult part would be implementation, however, members of the Forum had also discussed its working methods, aiming to improve its interaction with other parts of the United Nations system, the speakers said.  The recommendations on that issue envisioned a realistic and appropriate shift in the methods of work, which could make a difference in the lives of indigenous peoples.  In particular, the Forum had produced recommendations, which would form the basis for improved interface with the rest of United Nations system, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  Next year, the Forum intended to restructure its work, bringing together various stakeholders to develop a dialogue on indigenous issues.

Also envisioned was follow-up on the special themes of the past two years, including children and youth.  Incorporated in the Forum’s work would be the Millennium Development Goals on poverty and education with special focus on indigenous peoples.  Speakers also pointed out that efforts were under way to bring more indigenous peoples to the Forum.  One of main challenges was that as a new organization in the United Nations system, the Forum was not well known.  Many United Nations agencies at country and regional levels were not even aware of its existence.  The Forum was recommending events at regional and local levels to raise awareness of its mandate and goals.

Asked what the Forum wanted to happen, in real terms, speakers said that it needed to present the case of indigenous women to the world, state the facts and give them a chance to participate in local communities.  States and governments were being asked to launch special programmes to educate women, provide them with services and establish legislation to protect women.  International agencies were also called on to focus on those problems.

“We know that many of these things have been said before”, Mr. Magga said.  The Forum did not invent the issues, but it was very important to address the priorities of indigenous women, which would be included in the Forum’s report.

Mr. Tamang added that the Forum had given emphasis to indigenous women’s aspirations, encouraging the United Nations to formulate policies to address them.  Indigenous peoples’ needs should be mainstreamed in the United Nations system, and the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council needed to take action on relevant issues.

Responding to another question, Mr. Magga said that one of the recommendations on indigenous women asked the Commission on Human Rights to appoint a rapporteur to designate a study on genocidal practices against indigenous peoples, including forced sterilization of indigenous women and girls, and the use of indigenous communities as subjects of nuclear testing or storage of nuclear waste.  The reason for that proposal was real maltreatment in many countries, which needed to be reported.

On funding, Mr. Magga said that, indeed, there was only limited funding for six posts within the Forum’s secretariat and for the sessions themselves.  In addition, modest voluntary funding was provided, the largest by the Government of Denmark in the amount of some $140,000.  On the other hand, even if the Forum lacked funds, its function were to provide recommendations and coordinate work within the United Nations –- to be “the watchdog” of the system, reminding United Nations agencies and governments of the needs of the indigenous peoples.  Reports from United Nations agencies on measures initiated to address the needs of indigenous peoples could become a measure of the Forum’s success.

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