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  CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

“WORKING FOR THE RIGHTS AND RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES"
   
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 Indigenous Peoples Caucus
Commission on Human Rights
Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights
Working Group on Indigenous Populations, 19th Session
21-27 July 2001


The Honourable Mrs. Mary Robinson
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
Palais des Nations
CH-1211 Geneve 10

  26 July 2001  
Dear Mrs. Robinson,                                 

The Indigenous Caucus assembled at the 19th Session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights expresses its gratitude for your efforts to ensure human rights not only worldwide, but in particular for Indigenous Peoples.

As you are aware, the Indigenous Peoples Caucus is gathered to discuss development; however, issues of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues have continued to surface and predominate in all discussions.

Therefore, this letter is to inform you that the issues of the Permanent Forum and Working Group on Indigenous Populations have become the center of discussion.  We have come to rely on the transparency and open dialogue with the Working Group.  We respectfully request that the process of implementing the resolution creating the Permanent Forum, especially processes of selecting the Indigenous and state experts and the establishment of the secretariat, be carried out with the maximum possible transparency and consultation with Indigenous Peoples.  It has become increasingly apparent in our discussions that the open dialogue afforded by the Working Group is necessary for the discussion of our issues.  Additionally, the Indigenous Caucus firmly believes that we need the Working Group on Indigenous Populations to continue after the establishment of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.  We would appreciate your perspective on these matters.

Please find attached for your reference our evolving resolutions issued by the Indigenous Peoples Caucuses assembled at the Working Group on the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, 26 November 2000; at the Indigenous Peoples Millennium Conference in Panama City, 7-11 May 2001; and in New York City, 16-18 May 2001.

Respectfully,


Tomas Alarcon
Co-Chair, Indigenous Peoples Caucus

Frank E. Guivarra
Co-Chair, Indigenous Peoples Caucus

c.c. Mr. Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary General

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