UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues

Fifth Session, May 15 - 26 May, 2006

Agenda Item 4, Human Rights

Addendum: Oral statement and Additional Recommendation submitted by the representatives of the Global Caucus of Indigenous Peoples regarding the work of the new United Nations Human Rights Council

 

Thank you.   Madam Chair and other members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 5^th session. 

 

As representatives of Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world, we have considered information which has been provided during the first week of the 5^th Session of the Permanent Forum regarding the established, pending and potential changes resulting from the restructuring of the UN and the replacement of the UN Commission on Human Rights by the new Human Rights Council.

 

We reiterate that we see the creation of the Human Rights Council as an opportunity to improve, strengthen and streamline the way that the United Nations considers and addresses the human rights of Indigenous Peoples.  We also agree that the broad participation of Indigenous Peoples through the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations has provided invaluable input and opportunity for increased understanding and capacity among states, UN experts and Indigenous Peoples which has resulted in many important steps forward in this field.

 

As Indigenous Peoples we want to lend our support to the new Council in order to assist the members of the Council, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and other mechanisms established by the Council to carry out their important mandates regarding the human rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

 

This could be effectively achieved in keeping with its mandate and methods of work as outlined in General Assembly Resolution 60/251 of April 3, 2006.  These include a peer  review process as well as instructions to “assume, review, and where necessary, improve and rationalize all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the Commission on Human Rights in order to maintain a system of special procedures, expert advise and a complaint procedure”.   

 

We have therefore decided to add an additional recommendation to the proposals we have already provided to the Permanent Forum 5^th session in the consensus statement of the caucus preparatory session, as a complementary contribution which develops and expands upon  the recommendations made in that document.  The Global Caucus of Indigenous Peoples attending the 5^th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues therefore calls upon the Permanent Forum to recommend to the Human Rights Council the following:

 

 

1)      The UN Human Rights Council establish in its first year a Permanent Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights made up of two experts from state members of the Council, two Special Rapporteurs and two Indigenous expert members nominated by Indigenous Peoples and selected in a process to be determined by the Council.  All of these experts could rotate among the regions in a 2 – 3 year cycle.

2)      The Global Caucus of Indigenous Peoples reaffirms our support for the work of the Special Rapporteurs as well as the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, and we reiterate the importance of their roles in upholding the human rights of indigenous peoples.

3)      The work of the Permanent Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights would be coordinated by the Human Rights Council in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights in accordance with the instructions of the Council.

4)      The Permanent Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights would meet one to three times per year for a period of 5 days in coordination with meetings of the Council and would be organized to provide effective participation and input from states, Indigenous Peoples, UN Special Rapporteurs and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to address a range of human rights issues and concerns.

5)      Its role would be to:

a.       facilitate the exchange of information and updates among participants 

b.      develop a work plan for the Council to carry out its organization of work regarding its agenda item focusing on the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including recommendations for effective input by organizations with ECOSOC Consultative status, the Special Rapporteurs and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 

c.       facilitate communications between the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and other Special Rapporteurs regarding human rights issues of concern to Indigenous Peoples 

d.      provide information to the Human Rights Council, OHCHR and its Special Rapporteurs regarding developing situations

e.       recommend and, when appropriate, assist the Human Rights Council and the OHCHR to organize expert seminars to address and elaborate key relevant themes and areas of concern regarding  Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights

f.        Assist the OHCHR in its technical cooperation activities

g.       Other tasks to be assigned         

 

6)      Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Permanent Expert Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights will be on the same basis as participation in the Working Group on Indigenous Population and the UN  Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

 

We greatly appreciate the inclusion of these additional, and in our view very timely and important recommendations, to be included in this year’s Permanent Forum report.

 

Thank you, for all our relations.