Global Protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: United Nations Issues Call for Human, Health, and Environmental Safeguards at Annual Forum
New York, 17 April 2023 – The 22nd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the largest international annual gathering of Indigenous Peoples, begins today at the UN Headquarters in New York and will run until 28 April 2023. The priority theme for this year’s session is “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach”. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this year, the Forum serves as an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“The UN Charter begins with ‘We the Peoples’. However, at the United Nations, not all peoples have the same status to converse on global issues. Thanks to the enormous efforts of the Indigenous Peoples of the world, today we have the Permanent Forum as the primary platform where Indigenous Peoples can exchange ideas and discuss with States and UN entities”, said Mr. Dario Jose Mejía Montalvo, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum.
“The Forum provides an opportunity to listen to the perspectives of those who have been marginalized, but who have always provided solutions to the enormous challenges facing humanity and our survival on the planet”, he added.
Indigenous Peoples are among the first to face the direct adverse consequences of climate change, due to their dependence upon, and close relationship with the environment and its resources. There are an estimated 370 million Indigenous Peoples whose livelihoods are affected by climate change worldwide. The global pandemic proved that Indigenous Peoples are often disproportionately affected by epidemics and other crises, with Indigenous women and girls particularly negatively affected due to their gender, ethnicity and scarce economic resources. As States continue to work to respond to the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that they also focus on tackling the root causes of social and health inequalities of Indigenous Peoples through Indigenous determinants of health.
Over 1,000 participants are expected to attend the UNPFII which opened this morning in the General Assembly Hall, with a ceremonial welcome by Chief of the Onondaga Nation, Tadodaho Sid Hill.
“I welcome your focus this year on the intersection of human and planetary health, the climate crisis, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. I salute Indigenous movements across the world – often led by women and young people – for spearheading efforts to protect nature and to preserve biodiversity,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as he addressed the opening of the Forum. “For thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples have pioneered sustainable land management and climate adaption.”
“As guardians of 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity, you hold traditional proficiency in how to adapt, mitigate and reduce climate risks,” Csaba Kőrösi, 77th President of the General Assembly, told the opening of the Forum. “By following your guidance, we can be much better positioned to fulfil the SDGs. I invite you to enrich our understanding and bolster our quest for transformative solutions.”
Other high-level speakers delivering statements included the President of the Economic and Social Council, Lachezara Stoeva, Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Dario Jose Mejia Montalvo, and Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua. The President of Colombia Gustavo Petro, and the United States Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, also addressed the Opening Ceremony.
The Permanent Forum will discuss issues relating to the priority theme, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and hold meetings with the Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples, and the Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
All sessions can be viewed live on UN Web TV, and interpretation in all six official UN languages will be available.
Cultural Event
On the evening of 18 April, a cultural event for accredited Forum participants will take place at the Shed on 545 West 30th Street, in collaboration with UN DESA. Participants will be able to visit the exhibition The Yanomami Struggle, an exhibit presented by Fondation Cartier which is dedicated to the collaboration and friendship between artist and activist Claudia Andujar and the Yanomami people, one of the largest Indigenous groups living in Amazonia, Brazil. The event includes a series of cultural performances and a closing set by Indigenous DJ Eric Terena.
Background
Indigenous Peoples make up less than 6 per cent of the world’s population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They live across some 90 countries, represent 5,000 different cultures and speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 6,700 languages.
Indigenous Peoples have historically been custodians of the environment and protectors of biodiversity, and have time-tested solutions to offer to the challenge of climate change facing us all. Nearly 70 million depend on forests for their livelihoods, and many more are farmers, hunter gatherers or pastoralists. These communities thrive by living in harmony with their surroundings. Research shows that where Indigenous Peoples have control of the land, forests and biodiversity flourish.
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2000. The Forum provides expert advice and recommendations on Indigenous issues to the UN System through ECOSOC; raises awareness and promotes the integration and coordination of relevant activities within the UN System; and disseminates information on Indigenous issues.
The Permanent Forum is comprised of 16 independent experts, functioning in their personal capacity. ECOSOC appoints the members, eight of whom are nominated by Governments and eight by Indigenous Peoples’ organizations from different regions of the world. The Forum has gained increasing recognition and impact as the global platform for dialogue, cooperation and concrete action on Indigenous Peoples, with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the fundamental framework.
For media queries please contact:
Martin Samaan, United Nations Department of Global Communications, samaanm@un.org
Gemma Kentish, Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN DESA, gemma.kentish@un.org
For more information, please visit UNPFII 2023.
