NGO Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

Provisional agenda

Here is a provisional agenda and documentation for the eighth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

1. Election of officers.
2. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work.
3. Follow-up to the recommendations of the Permanent Forum on:
   1. Economic and social development;
   2. Indigenous women;
   3. Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
4. Human rights:
   1. Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
   2. Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and other special rapporteurs.
5. Half-day discussion on the Arctic.
6. Comprehensive dialogue with six United Nations agencies and funds.
7. Future work of the Permanent Forum, including issues of the Economic and Social Council and emerging issues.
   Draft agenda for the ninth session of the Permanent Forum.
8. Adoption of the report of the Permanent Forum on its eighth session.

 

For additional information, please visit the website of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues website

Frequently asked questions on NGO participation:

Accreditation and Pre-registration

The Permanent Forum is not a United Nations Conference. It does not fall under regular substantive and technical commissions of ECOSOC, such as the Commission for Social Development, the Commission on Human Rights or the Commission on the Status of Women. It is not a special session of the General Assembly acting as the follow-up to a United Nations conference. It is an organ made of experts whose main responsibility is to advise ECOSOC on issues relating to the situation of indigenous populations. Taking into account the special nature of the Forum, the diversity of its participation and the breath of its mandate described in resolution 2000/22, previous sessions were open to NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC, organizations of indigenous people and academic institutions.

Participation

During the previous sessions the Permanent Forum, representatives of NGOs and organizations of indigenous populations made presentations. Most of the organizations that addressed the Forum do not enjoy consultative status. In other words, all participants registered to attend the session may make oral presentations, depending on availability of time.

Submission of written statements

Excerpt form ECOSOC resolution 1996/31

36. Written statements relevant to the work of the commissions or other subsidiary organs may be submitted by organizations in general consultative status and special consultative status on subjects for which these organizations have a special competence. Such statements shall be circulated by the Secretary-General to members of the commission or other subsidiary organs, except those statements that have become obsolete, for example, those dealing with matters already disposed of and those that have already been circulated in some other form to members of the commission or other subsidiary organs.

37. The following conditions shall be observed regarding the submission and circulation of such written statements:

(a) The written statement shall be submitted in one of the official languages;

(b) It shall be submitted in sufficient time for appropriate consultation to take place between the Secretary-General and the organization before circulation;

(c) The organization shall give due consideration to any comments that the Secretary-General may make in the course of such consultation before transmitting the statement in final form;

(d) A written statement submitted by an organization in general consultative status will be circulated in full if it does not exceed 2,000 words. Where a statement is in excess of 2,000 words, the organization shall submit a summary, which will be circulated, or shall supply sufficient copies of the full text in the working languages for distribution. A statement will also be circulated in full, however, upon the specific request of the commission or other subsidiary organs;

(e) A written statement submitted by an organization in special consultative status will be circulated in full if it does not exceed 1,500 words. Where a statement is in excess of 1,500 words, the organization shall submit a summary, which will be circulated, or shall supply sufficient copies of the full text in the working languages for distribution. A statement will also be circulated in full, however, upon the specific request of the commission or other subsidiary organs;

(f) The Secretary-General, in consultation with the chairman of the relevant commission or other subsidiary organ, or the commission or other subsidiary organ itself, may invite organizations on the Roster to submit written statements. The provisions in subparagraphs (a), (b), (c) and (e) above shall apply to such statements;

(g) A written statement or summary, as the case may be, will be circulated by the Secretary-General in the working languages and, upon the request of a member of the commission or other subsidiary organ, in any of the official languages.

Resources

Handbook for Participants at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

The handbook is available in English, Spanish, French and Russian.

Interview with Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum

This interview with Broddi Sigurdarson of SPFII was conducted in New York City in late October 2008. It was a feature in The Message Stick, a quarterly newsletter that highlights the efforts and activities of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). View PDF on UNPFII's site

 

Lodging

Accommodation in New York city

The following list of accommodations in New York city (most of them at moderate prices) has been updated as of January, 2009.

We strongly suggest that you make reservations well in advance at all the following hotels and hostels. All rates shown are current, but double check with the hotel/hostel when you make your reservation as the rates shown may have changed at the discretion of the individual hotel/hostel. Rates given do not reflect taxes or other surcharges unless otherwise noted.

Midtown Manhattan | Lower Manhattan | Uptown Manhattan