The Indigenous World 2024: UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is an expert body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with a mandate to provide advice on Indigenous issues to ECOSOC and, through this, to the UN agencies, funds and programmes; to raise awareness of Indigenous Peoples’ issues; promote the integration and coordination of activities relating to Indigenous Peoples’ issues within the UN system; and promote respect for and full application of the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and follow up on its effectiveness.[1]
Established in 2000, the UNPFII is composed of 16 independent experts who serve a three-year term in a personal capacity.[2] They may be re-elected or re-appointed for one additional term. Eight of the members are nominated by governments and elected by the ECOSOC, based on the five regional groupings used by the UN, while eight are nominated directly by Indigenous Peoples’ organizations and appointed by the ECOSOC President, one for each of the seven socio-cultural regions that broadly represent the world’s Indigenous Peoples, with one seat rotating between Asia, Africa, and Central and South America and the Caribbean.
The UNPFII has a mandate to discuss Indigenous Peoples’ issues relating to the following thematic areas: culture, economic and social development, education, environment, health and human rights.[3] The UNPFII meets each year for 10 working days.[4] The annual sessions provide an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples from around the world to have direct dialogue with forum members (details of members can be found online),[5] Member States, the UN system, including human rights and other expert bodies, as well as academics and NGOs. The UNPFII prepares a report on the session containing recommendations and draft decisions, which is submitted to ECOSOC.[6]
International Expert Group Meeting on Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy
At its 2023 session, the UNPFII recommended “Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy” as the theme of the Expert Group Meeting that was to take place from 23-25 January 2024 at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).[7]
The overall objective of the meeting was to mobilize action to better integrate the distinct needs and priorities of Indigenous Peoples based on their diverse views of poverty, well-being, and sustainable development in the 2030 Agenda.[8]
Despite recognizing the key role of Indigenous Peoples in achieving sustainable development, they often find themselves on the frontline of the negative effects of climate change, which is destroying their communities, cultures and means of subsistence. Additionally, the forum noted how Indigenous Peoples are frequently negatively affected by “climate change solutions” such as the green economy, which have at times led to violations of their rights through mineral extraction, the building of hydroelectric dams and other large-scale infrastructure without their free, prior and informed consent.[9]
Furthermore, to meet the challenge of creating more sustainable and climate-sensitive development pathways, incorporating the vision, concepts and practices of Indigenous Peoples should be a requirement for the implementation of any green economy process.
During the three-day meeting, experts discussed the following themes: Indigenous Peoples’ relationship with the environment; factors that enable or obstruct the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the green economy; case studies on the positive and negative effects of green entrepreneurship and green enterprise on Indigenous Peoples and their communities; human rights and corporate responsibility in the shift to a green economy.[10]
The aim of the discussions was to develop strategic guidance and action-oriented recommendations for Member States, intergovernmental organizations, private companies, the UN system and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations to ensure the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the transition towards a more sustainable economy.
The meeting was attended by Indigenous experts, UNPFII Members, UN entities, academics, NGOs and Indigenous Peoples. A report of the expert group meeting will be presented at the 2024 UNPFII session in April 2024.[11]
22nd session of the UNPFII
The 22nd session of the UNPFII took place from 17-28 April 2023 at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s theme was “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach”.
The session report highlighted Indigenous Peoples’ views of health as an equilibrium of all that exists. The health of the land and the health of Indigenous Peoples are synonymous, nurtured through balanced relationships with the physical, spiritual, and social environments. Indigenous Peoples are affected by the legacy of forced evictions and relocations owing to the establishment by colonial powers of military bases and installations on their traditional lands and territories. The forum recommended that colonial Member States, past and present, ensure remedy and reparations for the affected Indigenous Peoples.[12]
The UNPFII urged Member States and UN entities, in particular the World Health Organization (WHO), to recognize that Indigenous views of human and planetary health must be key to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and emphasized the central need to stabilize and regenerate the biosphere as essential for protecting humanity. The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the right to health and development, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples must be seen as interconnected and essential to an integrated planetary health governance framework.[13]
The forum again urged Member States to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are afforded full and effective participation in all planning and policy development to address climate change. Indigenous-led climate change policies incorporate the vital knowledge of Indigenous Peoples for land management and stewardship of natural resources while protecting health, equity, justice and sustainability.[14] Principles of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) must be followed in the development of all climate change policies and actions.
In addition to the special theme, the forum discussed the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-2032), Indigenous women and girls, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.[15] The forum commended the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages (2022-2032) for developing the Global Action Plan of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
The forum also stressed how discrimination and violence disproportionately affect Indigenous women and girls worldwide and are intersectional based on factors including sex, gender, Indigenous origin, status or identity, race, ethnicity, disability, age, language, socioeconomic status, HIV/AIDS status and other factors. General recommendation No. 39 reflects and recognizes the fact that Indigenous women and girls are inextricably linked to their peoples, lands, territories, natural resources and culture.[16] Their leadership is critical to the realization of their rights and must be respected and upheld by Member States at all times.
The Permanent Forum decided on the special theme of “Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination in the context of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous youth” for their session in 2024.
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
In 2023, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) organized a commemorative event on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, celebrated annually on 9 August, with the theme: “Indigenous youth as agents of change for self-determination”, discussing the topics of climate action and the green transition, mobilizing for justice and inter-generational connections.[17]
As part of the event, panel discussions and dialogues were held with invited speakers consisting of representatives of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous youth. Discussions centred on how Indigenous youth actively promote self-determination and they were presented as critical agents of change. While navigating two worlds in ever-changing societies, Indigenous youth continue to implement new technologies and develop new skill sets, contributing widely to sustainability and the maintenance of peace. It was highlighted how the meaningful engagement of Indigenous youth in the presented themes is crucial to enhancing self-determination within Indigenous communities. This requires the possibility of participating in decision-making processes and discussions on current issues such as the “green transition”, through which the lands, territories, resources, and rights of Indigenous People are often harmed.
Despite long-rooted discrimination, the new generation of Indigenous advocates have become involved in organizations working to revitalize and promote the cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples, and taken to social platforms in celebration of their cultures, languages, and knowledge systems. The online movement mobilizing people in urban, rural, and international areas aims to shift the narrative around Indigenous Peoples, raise awareness of issues, and build solidarity among others. The importance of the inter-generational sharing of knowledge and culture was emphasized, with Indigenous elders building bridges to new generations in shaping identities through family, community, and nature. Both collective and individual identity are often passed on through generations, with language, tradition, ceremonies, and arts not only attached to family ties but also crucial to the continuity of cultures.
Participants included Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, UN entities, Member States, civil society, relevant stakeholders and the general public.
System-wide Action Plan on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG) on Indigenous issues[18] consists of more than 40 UN entities and other international organizations and has the main task of implementing the System-Wide Action Plan (SWAP) on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The SWAP was officially launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2016 at the 15th Session of the UNPFII.[19] The Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch/Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (IPDB/SPFII) is the permanent co-chair of the IASG and plays a central role in implementing the SWAP. In 2023, UNESCO were Co-Chairs of the IASG.
In 2020, the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) signed a Call to Action to accelerate the work of the SWAP in order to ensure a coherent approach to achieving the aims of the UNDRIP.[20] In March 2022, UNESCO and UNDESA, on behalf of the IASG, presented a summary report and recommendations to the UN High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP). The HCLP fully agreed with the report and its recommendations, and specifically encouraged the IASG to pursue the development of an Indicator Framework for the SWAP. The IASG established a working group to produce a first draft in 2023.
This article was written by the Indigenous Peoples and Development Branch/Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
This article is part of the 38th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous man harvesting quinoa in Sunimarka, Peru. This photo was taken by Pablo Lasansky, and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2024 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2024 in full here
Notes and references
[1] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii.
[2] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “Current UNPFII Members.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii/current-unpfii-members.
[3] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UNPFII Mandated areas.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii/unpfii-mandated-areas.
[4] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UNPFII Twenty-Third Session: 15-26 April 2024.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii/23rd-session.
[5] UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. “Membership of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.” Accessed on 23 January 2023.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2/newmembers.html
[6] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “Studies and Reports by Members of the Permanent Forum.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii/studies-and-reports-by-members-of-the-permanent-forum.
[7] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “EGM: Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/events/egm-indigenous-peoples-in-a-greening-economy.
[8] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development. “The 17 Goals.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
[9] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Implementing free, prior and informed consent in the context of Indigenous Peoples.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=E%2FC.19%2F2023%2F6&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop&LangRequested=False
[10] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “International Expert Group Meeting on the theme ‘Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy’.” 23-25 January 2024, Boulder, Colorado, USA. Concept Note. Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/Concept-Note_EGM_2024%20Boulder%20CO.pdf.
[11] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. EGM: Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/events/egm-indigenous-peoples-in-a-greening-economy
[12] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Recommendations Database”. Paragraph 357, Session #22 (2023). Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://unpfii.desa.un.org/recommendations/member-states-colonial-states.
[13] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf.
[14] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Recommendations Database.” Paragraph 44, Session 22 (2023). Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://unpfii.desa.un.org/recommendations/member-states-330.
[15] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/international-decade-of-indigenous-languages-2022-2032; UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “Indigenous Women.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/indigenous-women.
[16] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “General Recommendation No. 39 (2022) on the rights of Indigenous women and Girls.” Accessed on 25 January 2024. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-recommendation-no39-2022-rights-indigeneous.
[17] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “International Day of The World’s Indigenous Peoples 2023.” Accessed on 24 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/events/international-day-of-the-worlds-indigenous-peoples-2023.
[18] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. ”Inter-Agency Support Group (IASG).” Accessed on 26 February 2023. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/about-us/inter-agency-support-group.html
[19] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “System-wide action plan (SWAP).” Accessed on 23 January 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/system-wide-action-plan-swap
[20] UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Indigenous Peoples. “Building an Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Future with Indigenous Peoples: A Call to Action.” Accessed on 25 January, 2024. https://social.desa.un.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/CEB-Call-to-Action-Indigenous-2020-WEB%20%281%29_0.pdf.
Tags: Youth, Global governance, Climate, International Processes
