CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 5^th session

 Preparatory Meeting for the North America region

April 29 and 30, 2006

University of Minnesota Law School Human Rights Center

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

PROVISIONAL MEETING AGENDA

SATURDAY APRIL 29 

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 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 5^th session, May 2006

·         report on the decisions and discussions from the Inter-Sessional Meeting in Nuuk Greenland (February 2006)

7.       Report from the recent U.N. Expert Seminar on Indigenous Peoples’ Permanent Sovereignty Over Natural Resources and Their Relationship to Land, and the specific recommendations regarding the current and future work of the Permanent Forum;  Rapporteur Andrea Carmen

8.       General Discussion: Agenda and focus for PF 5, Millennium Development Goals 3 to 6, and other issues and concerns to be addressed at PF5.

Lunch

9.       General Discussion: The UN Restructuring and reform: Updates, observations and impacts of recent changes in the U.N. Human Rights System.

·         Recommendations for strengthening the role and increasing the effectiveness of the Permanent Forum in light of the impacts of the current “U.N. reform”

·         Views on current status and next steps for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the possible role and responsibility of the Permanent Forum

10. General Discussion: Development of regional statement(s) and/or recommendations on these and other issues for PF5

·         Selection of a drafting committee (as needed)

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

Dinner and Transportation arranged

SUNDAY APRIL 30

1.       Update:  Work of the United Nations Permanent Forum for development of Indicators of Well being

·         Report from the Ottawa Expert Seminar in March and future plans

2.       Update by Maskwachis representative: U.N. Expert Seminar on Treaties, Agreements and Other Constructive Arrangement in Treaty 6 Territory, Alberta, Canada, September, 2006; general discussion on international/UN work on Treaty rights.

3.       Update: CERD decision on Western Shoshone case: Carrie Dann  

4.       Additional repots and updates: International work of Indigenous Peoples and issues of concern to the North America region (participants)

Lunch

5.      Organizing the North America region special side event for the 5^th PF session

6.      Finalization of regional statement(s) and recommendations for PF 5

7.      Closing and thank you’s