CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 6^th session

 Preparatory Meeting for the North America region

April 21^st and 22^nd, 2007

University of Minnesota Law School Human Rights Center

229 19th Avenue So., Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, Room 65

PROVISIONAL MEETING AGENDA

SATURDAY APRIL 21st 

1.      Opening Invocation

2.      Welcomes from hosts. Minneapolis Indian community and UM Law School Human Rights Center representatives   

3.      Brief introductions, all participants

4.      Selection of Rapporteur(s) and Chair for meeting

5.      Approval and/or additions to the agenda

6.      Introduction by Willie Littlechild, North America Indigenous expert member, UN Permanent Forum on Human Rights:

·        Brief overview, history and mandate of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

·        Agenda for 6^th session, May 2007

7.      Reports from recent U.N. Expert Seminars relevant to the themes of UNPFII6:

·        UN Seminar on Treaties, Agreements and Constructive Arrangements and Treaty  Summit, November 2006, Alberta Canada: Willie Littlechild. Bill Means and Ron Lameman

·        2nd Global Consultation and development of “Cultural Indicators for Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Food, Food Security and Food Sovereignty”,   September 2006, Bilwi Nicaragua:  Ron Lameman and Andrea Carmen

·        International Expert Workshop on Indicators Relevant for Indigenous Peoples,  the CBD and the MDGs, Banaue, Philippines, March 2007

·        Update on the UN Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

·        CERD recommendations re: Canada, March 2007

·        UN Human Rights Council, structure and mandates developments  

·        Other reports, updates and General discussion

Lunch  (may include screening of work-in-progress video “Discussions on the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples"

8.  Discussion and development of positions and regional statements addressing key  themes on the Provisional agenda for the sixth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 14 to 25 May 2007 in New York, in particular:

v     Agenda item 3. Special theme: territories, lands and natural resources (Note: this was the theme that was recommended by our NA regional preparatory session last year and was accepted, and was presented as a priority for North America, emphasizing the Treaty rights perspective on a wide range of issues)

v     Agenda item 4. Implementation of recommendations on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum and on the Millennium Development Goals:
(a) Economic and social development;
(b) Environment;
(c) Health;
(d) Education;
(e) Culture;
(f) Human rights;
(g) Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

v     Agenda item 5. Human rights: dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people.

v     Agenda Item 7. Half-day discussion on urban indigenous peoples and migration.

v     Agenda Item 8. Ongoing priorities and themes, and follow-up: Data collection and disaggregation (2004).

v     Agenda Item 9. Future work of the Permanent Forum including emerging issues.

v     Agenda Item 10. Draft agenda for the seventh session of the Permanent Forum.  Note: one recommendation is that the proposed theme for UNPFII7 in 2008 would be “Indigenous Peoples and Development” which could cover a wide range of issues

EVENING PROGRAM: Community Event, Minneapolis Indian Center 7– 10 PM

  Dinner and Transportation arranged

SUNDAY APRIL 22^nd

1.  Recap of previous day’s discussions and conclusions: Chair and Rapporteur (s)

2.  Continuation of previous day’s discussion, provisional recommendations and statements on issues

Lunch

3.  Finalization of regional statement(s) and recommendations for UNPFII6

4.  Next steps and timeline, including participation in UNPFII and side events

6.  Closing and thank you’s

.