Minerva, Fall 2011 - Citizens for Global Solutions

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While indigenous peoples have only beenat the UN headquarters for a decade, BanKi-moon aspires for their philosophy toguide governments for the future: “Fromthe forests to the oceans, from the mountainsto the deserts, around our world youare guardians of nature. We need you tohelp influence the decisions we maketoday on energy and the environment —decisions which will affect generations tocome.”An important improvement in the UNPermanent Forum on Indigenous Issuesis the secretariat that serves the 16 members.In the inaugural session, there wereno permanent positions. The Office of theHigh Commissioner for Human RightsIndigenous Peoples Unit and the UnitedNations Development Program in Asiaassumed responsibilities. Interestinglyenough, the UNDP staff member whodrafted the initial report from notes ofNGOs and staff a decade ago is now thedirector of the PFII secretariat – ChandraRoy, a Chittagong Hills Tract advocate.Roy also maintains excellent relationshipswith the previous director, Elsa Stamatapouli,who masterfully mainstreamed indigenouspeoples into the United Nationsheadquarters under the Department ofEconomic and Social Affairs (DESA)advising the UN Economic and SocialCouncil (ECOSOC). The secretariat hasbeen able to bring in many talented indigenouspeoples — from John Scott, now atthe Convention on Biological Diversity inMontreal, in the beginning, to the currentcore of Miriam Masaquiza of Ecuadorand Sonia Smallacombe of Australia. Thesecretariat works throughout the year sothat the two-week program propels indigenousrights forward.The list of expert members of the UN PFIIelected and empowered by indigenouscommunities has always read like a globalall-star assembly, with the 8 members representingsome of the original participantsin the UN since 1977. In the most recentelection, even governments nominatedemerging and elder indigenous statesmento serve in the 16-member body. For thetenth session, there were many new expertselected, with 14 of 16 starting theirfirst term bringing energy from their grassrootscommunities as academics, advocatesand activists with lifetimes of experiencein liberation of indigenous peoplesaround the planet. The spirit of the newmembers is exemplified by Chief Ed Johnin his statement about even amending thetitle of the annual meeting: “I’m tired ofbeing an issue, we are peoples with theright of self-determination.” The expertsare seen as a clean slate, combining thenext generation of professionals with anexperienced group that accomplished thedifficult task of drafting the articles of theUN DRIP and also advocated creation ofthe three UN bodies for indigenous peoplesover the decades.The tenth session continued the traditionof launching new opportunities for indigenouspeoples to overcome obstacles ofcolonization during the centuries. Oneexisting UN specialized agency, InternationalFood and Agriculture Development,announced its creation of an annual forumfor indigenous peoples to promote ruraldevelopment and reduce poverty. The inauguralsession will take place in 2013,based on the model of an earlier forum forfarmers. The mandate of the IFAD forumis overcoming poverty by building on respectfor identity and community-drivendevelopment rooted in indigenous values.IFAD promises that it will not duplicatethe PFII, but will focus on assisting ruralpeople to realize their economic, socialand cultural rights.New initiatives from coalitions of UNspecialized agencies, programs and fundsalso announced new ideas at the PFII.The tenth session witnessed one of themost innovative ones, bringing togethermembers of the EMRIP and PFII alongwith the special rapporteur in partnershipwith agencies dealing directly withindigenous peoples. An entirely new jointinitiative, the UN Indigenous Peoples’Partnership (UNIPP) was launched in thelobby of UNICEF. UNIPP is focusing ondemocratic governance, human rights,and equality, bringing together ILO, OH-CHR and UNDP to focus on joint countryprograms to guarantee indigenous rightsbased on principles of trust and equality,incorporating the UN Declaration on theRights of Indigenous Peoples and ILOConvention 169 as the normative frameworkfor any actions by the UNIPP.28 • Minerva #39 • November 2011There is also a sincere effort of the PFIIto reach out beyond international institutionsto regional human rights and financialmechanisms. In the past, the AsianDevelopment Bank and the InterAmericanDevelopment Bank have made presentations.At the tenth session, the humanrights mechanisms of the Americasand Africa were the focus. The presidentof the InterAmerican Commission on HumanRights (IACHR) and the chairpersonof the African Commission on Human andPeoples’ Rights Working Group on IndigenousPopulation/Communities (WGIP)both addressed the forum, providing historicalperspectives to the regional bodiesrelating to indigenous rights and sharingdevelopments in specific cases and studiesrelating to human rights of indigenouspeoples. The current president of the IA-CHR is also tasked with a role as specialrapporteur on indigenous peoples in theregional bodies of the Americas.Dinah Shelton, president of the IACHR,spoke about the social exclusion and structuralracism evident in states and contributingto the detriment of their wellbeingand development. She also highlightedimportant cases recognizing collectiverights to land upheld in the regional humanrights commission and court.Musa Ngay Bitaye, commissioner andchairperson of the African commissionWGIP, called for greater cooperationamong the various indigenous initiatives,requesting “a closer collaboration in thepromotion and protection of the rights ofindigenous peoples on the African continent.The collaboration we seek is the institutionalizationof linkages in our activities,programs and country missions andthe sharing of information, so as to buildthe required synergy for the better promotionof the rights of indigenous peoples.”The role of UN Special Rapporteur on theRights of Indigenous Peoples has been animportant institution for the UN PFII. Thefirst rapporteur, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, andthen James Anaya, the current rapporteur,undertook to address the annual assemblyand also to confer with the former WorkingGroup on Indigenous Peoples and thecurrent Expert Mechanism on the Rightsof Indigenous Peoples to coordinate ef-
forts. SR Anaya has elevated the profilewith individual appointments made byconcerned communities, living up to themandate to check on specific situationswith procedures for urgent action andeven on-site visits.It is also important that, by way of theannual PFII, indigenous peoples can organizemeetings to prepare for upcomingimportant international conferences andworld summits. The tenth session wassignificant for three world conferences:the 20th commemoration of the Rio earthsummit on environment and development;the 10th commemoration of the Durbansummit on racism; and the 2014 WorldConference on Indigenous Peoples.Land is Life played a pivotal role at theYakoana preparatory meeting for the RioEarth Summit. Marcos Terena was theonly indigenous person able to address theglobal assembly (a five-minute presentation).Terena was present in New York tospeak at a side event and gather supportfor the June 2012 summit. Land is Lifealso held discussions with Indigenous EnvironmentalNetwork and Tebtebba leadershipto coordinate the upcoming globalgathering along with the regional preparatorycommittee sessions that shape thefinal declaration and program of action.The World Conference on IndigenousPeoples is already getting attention eventhough it is years away. Indigenous peoplesmet with ambassadors of states andsenior staff to ensure that the right of free,prior and informed consent will be includedin the process. They want to draftthe agenda and be genuine partners, frompreparing the modalities to molding thefine points in the final document.Another valuable initiative built on traditionof one of the ally associations isthe Quaker House Dinners. Within walkingdistance of the UN in New York andGeneva, the Quakers’ mission serves as aneutral space to host PFII members, indigenousguests, and governments for informalmealtime conversation on importantissues facing indigenous peoples inthe international arena. The tenth sessionof the PFII continued this useful activityat the Quaker House, bringing people togetherto discuss initial ideas for the WorldConference on Indigenous Peoples.There is also regular networking and strategizingon initiatives relating to climatechange and the annual UN FrameworkConvention on Climate Change summits,with weekend workshops bringing expertstogether to train indigenous peoplesin the latest developments and to respondto challenges to protection of land rights.Another tradition initially brought togethermembers of the Unrepresented Nationsand Peoples Organization (UNPO), hostedby the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federationin Philadelphia, to share commoncultures respecting the earth. This hasdeveloped into an annual Youth Conferencewith a specific theme — under Democracy,Liberty and Human Rights — atthe National Constitution Center, with avisit to the Liberty Bell. At the tenth session,Orren Lyons, traditional leader ofthe Haudenosaunee, gave the keynoteaddress, sharing the values of indigenouspeoples enshrined in constitutions suchas those of the US and Canada — thevery countries that had rejected the UNDeclaration on the Rights of IndigenousPeoples. Lyons spoke on “Deconstructingthe Doctrine of Discovery & Origins ofthe US Constitution”. Already there areplans for the next Philadelphia summit tofocus on the official theme, allowing for itto shape the final report of the 11th PFII.The side events are an essential componentof the PFII. There has been a trend ofreducing the number of sessions becauseof UN reconstruction. However, indigenouspeoples still meet wherever andwherever possible in New York, predominantlyin the UN headquarters, the UNChurch Center, neighboring friendly statemissions, and also local NGO offices.One of the most important annual sideevents is a commemoration of the lifeof Ingrid Washinawatok, with The FlyingEagle Woman Fund, recognizing thework of indigenous women. The annualdinner and discussion is a celebration ofthe spirit of solidarity among sisters andtheir supporting circle of humanity to realizehuman rights. This year a group ofwomen who did work in Colombia whereIngrid was murdered shared their currentprojects to improve the lives of indigenouswomen. Nobel Laureate RigobertaMenchu Tum is often in attendance, alongwith many of the pioneers of internationalindigenous initiatives for peace.One of the recent additions to the traditionalside events is an annual march andrally for specific indigenous peoples instruggle with an oppressive state or corporation.Last year the focus was the BelMonte Dam in Brazil. At the tenth session,a rally spearheaded by membersof Land is Life focused on human rightsof indigenous peoples in Southeast Asia,Former PFII Chair Vicki Tauli Corpuz advising new Chair Myrna Cunningham29 • Minerva #39 • November 2011
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