This pānui provides an outline of the consultation process regarding the participation of indigenous peoples in the meetings of the United Nations bodies on issues affecting them.
Published: Friday, 28 April 2017 | Rāmere, 28 Paengawhāwhā, 2017
The World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, Members States is committed to consider ways to enable the participation of indigenous peoples in meetings of relevant United Nations bodies on issues affecting them.
Following up on this commitment, the General Assembly through a resolution requested to the President of the 70th session of the General Assembly:
(i) to conduct consultations with Member States, indigenous peoples, and existing relevant UN mechanisms on the possible measures to enable the participation of indigenous peoples at the UN;
(ii) to prepare a compilation of the views presented during the consultations, including good practices within the UN regarding indigenous peoples’ participation, which will form the basis for a draft text to be finalized and adopted by the General Assembly during its seventy-first session.
The President of the 70th session of the General Assembly appointed two Advisors from Member States and two Advisors from indigenous peoples:
H.E. Mr. Kai Sauer, Permanent Representative of Finland
H.E. Mrs. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Representative of Ghana,
Dr. Claire Winfield Ngamihi Charters of the Pacific Region
Dr. James Anaya of the North America Region
On 8 July 2016, the President of the 70th General Assembly circulated the compilation of the views expressed during the consultations, including concrete recommendations on the way forward, which were subsequently issued document A/70/990.
On 28 September 2016, the President of the 71st Session of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, reconfirmed the appointment of the Advisors to assist him with the consultation process.
Following the briefing of the PGA’s Advisers on the process of the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN on 3 October 2016, the following indicative roadmap and approach to the consultation process was elaborated, taking into account the views of Member States and Indigenous Peoples representatives:
14 and 15 December 2016
30 January to 1 February 2017
27 and 28 February 2017
The weeks of the Permanent Forum:
Wednesday 26th April 2017 from 3-6 PM in Conference Room 4 (CR4) and;
Wednesday 3rd May 2017 from 10 AM-1 PM in Conference Room 4 (CR4).
After these discussions a draft resolution would be finalized and adopted by the General Assembly as set out in General Assembly resolution A/RES70/232.
For further information on the consultation process, please refer to this link.