Discussion: Indigenous Peoples & Inequalities in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Dear colleague,

Indigenous people were absent from the Millennium Declaration and have remained so throughout the Millennium Development Goals processes: according to the UN System Task Team report on the post-2015 agenda, the MDGs have not reached the poorest and most marginalized people. To ensure that inequalities are addressed in the post-2015 agenda, the Global Thematic Consultation on Addressing Inequalities (co-led by UNICEF and UN Women) is holding a series of online, moderated discussions to gather views from a broad range of stakeholders on what the post-2015 development agenda should look like.  In this context, we would like to invite you to join an online discussion on inequalities and indigenous peoples, co-moderated by the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII) and experts from Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations.

The discussion is taking place from 27 November to 14 December. To participate, please post your response in the discussion forum at www.worldwewant2015.org/node/284745. You are invited to register to the consultation here. The site is available in English, French and Spanish. You are invited to post your comments in any of the sixty languages supported by Google Translate.  If you are unable to access the site, please email your response to: inequalities@worldwewant2015.org.  

The discussion is co-moderated by Myrna Cunningham Kain, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and Nilla Bernardi, Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII). They will be joined by experts from Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations beginning with:

Roberto Borrero, Chair, NGO Committee on the UN International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples

Jennifer Koinante, Director, SIIWA, Kenya

To kick off the global conversation, we invite you to reflect on the following questions, among others:

1. What are the most important forms of inequalities faced by indigenous peoples? - including discussion of where and among whom these challenges occur, their severity, the evidence about them, etc.

 2. What are the major structural factors at the root of these inequalities, within and among different societies?
 3. What kinds of policies, strategies or interventions have been most successful in addressing the various inequalities experienced by indigenous peoples? And under which conditions/in which situations have particular policies, strategies or interventions had the greatest, lasting impact? (Contributors may wish to cite examples or give references to these “successes”).
 4. Based on experience, what are the most important recommendations that could be proposed in the Post-2015 Development Agenda for making a lasting and transformative impact on the different forms of inequalities faced by indigenous peoples?
 5. What actions and initiatives could be taken by different stakeholders, including civil society and indigenous peoples organizations, to bring about lasting improvements in these inequalities? And how should those who face inequalities themselves be enabled to participate in the implementation phase of the new Development Framework?
The recommendations emerging from your contributions will be incorporated into a report on ‘Addressing Inequalities in the Post-2015 Development Agenda’, to be presented at a high-level meeting in February 2013 in Copenhagen. The report will also be transmitted to the High-level Panel on Post-2015, appointed by the UN Secretary-General.

The consultation aims to be as broad and open as possible, in order to enable a multitude of voices to be heard from academia, media, indigenous peoples’ organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society, private sector, governments and the UN System.  We look forward to hearing from you on how to realize the Future We Want for All.

Warm regards,
Myrna Cunningham Kain, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Nilla Bernardi, Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII)Contact: inequalities@worldwewant2015.org
Discussion website: www.worldwewant2015.org/node/284745

Fellowship – Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2013

1) Venue of Fellowship: Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS). Address: 1889 F Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006, United States of America
2) Modality: On-site
3) Deadline to present applications: December 15, 2012
4) Start and End Dates: February 1, to June 30, 2013
5) Length of the Fellowship: 5 months
6) Objective: To provide an opportunity for young lawyers from OAS Member States to understand and apply the mechanisms of protection of the inter-American system of human rights in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights. The Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the IACHR was created in 1990 in order to strengthen, promote and systematize the IACHR’s actions in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights in the Americas.
7) Program: To assist with tasks of the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Inter-American Commission, under the supervision of its human rights specialists during the period of the fellowship and, at the end of the fellowship, present to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR a detailed report on activities carried out by the fellow.
8) Requirements:

• Be a citizen of an OAS Member State; 
• Be member of an indigenous community of the Americas;
• Spanish language proficiency (knowledge of other official OAS languages is desirable);
• Have graduated in law from an officially recognized university (attach copy of the law degree and grades obtained);
• Have received law degree after January 1, 2005;
• Have a demonstrable professional interest in the legal field of human rights, specifically in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights; and;
• Present a paper of up to five pages, not edited by another person, on a human rights issue of interest to the candidate in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights.

9) Required documents: The following documents are required in order to be considered for the fellowship:

• Letter of interest
• Completed Fellowship Application (LINK)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Curriculum vitae
• Copy of law degree and grades obtained
• Written paper of up to five pages

10) Benefits:

• The IACHR provides a monthly stipend of US$3,000.00 for the period covered by the fellowship, that is US$15,000.00 total for 5 months. With the stipend provided, the fellow is responsible for obtaining health insurance coverage of his/her choosing for the duration of the fellowship, and should provide proof of coverage to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR.
• Round-trip economy class air transportation from the participant’s country of residence to Washington, D.C. Terminal and transfer expenses are not covered.
• The IACHR will award a certificate of participation in the Fellowship Program to the fellows who satisfactorily complete the entire period of the fellowship.

11) Responsibilities of the selected candidates:

• Once an applicant has been selected, he/she should formally accept the fellowship in writing, confirming with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights his/her availability to complete the fellowship during the specified time period. Once accepted, the IACHR will proceed with the necessary arrangements for purchase of round-trip economy air transportation between the candidate’s country of origin/residence and Washington, D.C.
• In the event a candidate accepts a fellowship but cannot complete it, for whatever reason, he/she must immediately inform the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights so that the course of action may be decided.
• It is the responsibility of each selected candidate to request and obtain the necessary visa to enter the United States, and/or transit visa (if applicable) in a timely manner. The IACHR will not incur in any expense related to the processing of immigration or visa documents. The IACHR will provide the candidate a document certifying his/her selection as an official fellow of the IACHR so that he/she may request the corresponding visa, which is the sole responsibility of the selected candidate. In addition, the OAS will send a diplomatic note to the Embassy or Consulate where the selected candidate will be requesting his/her visa, certifying the fellow’s selection.
• It is the responsibility of the selected candidate to arrive in a timely manner so that he/she will be present for the commencement of the fellowship on the date established by the IACHR.
• If the selected candidate declines the fellowship after the flight ticket has been purchased, or does not travel on the established dates or changes routes, the candidate shall reimburse the IACHR the cost of the flight ticket or any additional costs incurred. The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the IACHR, such as extra costs for accommodation during the candidate’s travel to and from Washington, D.C.
• If the candidate resigns, cancels or terminates the fellowship after the program has begun without providing sufficient reason and evidence to the IACHR for doing so, he/she will fully reimburse the IACHR for all costs incurred on his/her behalf.

12) Presentation of candidates:
The application and other required documents indicated in sections 8 and 9 must be submitted to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR prior to the closing date of the application period, by email, fax or mail:

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
1889 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C., 20006 U.S.A.

cidhoea@oas.org

Telephone: 202-458-6002 Fax: 202-458-3992 

Download this document in pdf format

WIPO INDIGENOUS FELLOWSHIP

Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Folklore/Traditional Cultural Expressions

Geneva, September 4, 2012

WIPO INDIGENOUS FELLOWSHIP

One year Fellowship (2013), renewable for one further year (2014)

^NEW CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Applications for the WIPO Indigenous Fellowship are now open.  Interested candidates are kindly requested to submit their expressions of interest no later than October 26, 2012.

For additional information on the application procedure and requirements, please visit our website under “News”.

For further information…
For general requests for information about WIPO’s program activities concerning intellectual property and traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions/folklore and genetic resources and related issues, please fill out this form.

Report: Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

James Anaya, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has released his report that he has submitted to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Mr. Anaya will be presenting this during the upcoming HRC 21st session, September 10-28, 2012, in Geneva. Please visit link to download full report. 

http://unsr.jamesanaya.org/docs/annual/2012_hrc_annual_report_en.pdf

Submission of views on the Draft Voluntary Guidelines

From: Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

To: CBD National Focal Points and SBSTTA Focal Points; other Governments; relevant organizations

Subject: Submission of views on the Draft Voluntary Guidelines for the consideration of Biodiversity in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) in Marine and Coastal Areas

Thematic area: Marine and Coastal Biodiversity 

Ref.: SCBD/STTM/DC/JL/JG/79813

NOTIFICATION

No. 2012-069

Madam/Sir,

You will recall that, pursuant to paragraph 50 of decision X/29, the Executive Secretary facilitated the development of voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and strategic environmental assessments (SEAs) in marine and coastal areas, building upon the existing voluntary guidelines endorsed through decision VIII/28.

Drafts of the voluntary guidelines, together with background information, were circulated to Parties, other Governments and organizations for technical peer review through notification 2011-212, issued on 7 November 2011. The comments from the technical peer-review are reflected in the draft voluntary guidelines (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/7/Add.1) and the background document (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/16) prepared for the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), at its 16th meeting, held in Montreal, 30 April to 5 May 2012.

At this meeting, SBSTTA prepared a recommendation to the Conference of the Parties on this matter and also requested the Executive Secretary to refine the voluntary guidelines for the consideration of biodiversity in environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments in marine and coastal areas in light of views submitted by Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations by 30 June 2012.

In this context, I am pleased to invite you to send your views on the draft voluntary guidelines contained in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/7/Add.1 (available at the following link: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=SBSTTA-16) to the CBD Secretariat by email, as a word document attachment to secretariat@cbd.int, at your earliest convenience, but no later than 30 June 2012.

The text of this notification is also available on the CBD website at: http://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2012/ntf-2012-069-marine-en.pdf

Please accept, Madam/Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias

Executive Secretary

Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity

United Nations Environment Programme

413 Saint-Jacques Street, Suite 800

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

H2Y 1N9

11th Indigenous Peoples Forum Opens at United Nations

Delegates of the United Confederation of Taino People on the first day of the 2012 session. From left to right: Damon G. Corrie, Vanessa Inarunikia Pastrana, Taino AnaYuisa Pellicier, and Roberto Mukaro Borrero.

 

United Nations, NY (UCTP Taíno News) – The 11th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened on Monday at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Almost two-thousand representatives of Indigenous Peoples, non-governmental organizations, and academia have per-registered to attend the two-week session. The special theme for the year is the “The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the right to redress for past conquests.” 

Read the full article:
http://www.uctp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=741&Itemid=2

Registration Process - Eleventh Session of the UNPFII

Dear Friends,

Please find enclosed the Arrangements for Participation for your information.

United Nations grounds pass
A blue laminated plastic badge that has a photo of the bearer on it. By itself, it does not give access to the North Lawn Building. It must be used with a secondary access pass.

Secondary access pass
A laminated coloured cardboard non-photo pass that is only valid when it is accompanied by a valid United Nations grounds pass. During the Eleventh Session, they will be issued at the time of registration to give access to the North Lawn Building. This pass can be used for the duration of the session.

During on-site registration, one secondary access pass will be given to each organization to be shared amongst its delegates. These passes will be given out, as long as supplies last, at a table marked “secondary access passes” in the lobby of the General Assembly Building.

Only ONE secondary access pass will be given per organization for the duration of the session. Please take special care not to lose your secondary access pass.

Special event tag (SET)
This is for access to side events in the North Lawn Building.  A coloured cardboard ticket with the date, time and location of the room of the side event (usually held during lunchtime and the evening) will be distributed.  The SETs will be distributed each morning at the SPFII table in the Visitors' Lobby starting at approximately 9:00 AM for that day's events by the event organizers.

Registration Hours
We will be open for on-site registration on Sunday 6 May. In order to Register, you must have already pre-registered online and be approved.

Registration will take place in the Lobby at the UN Visitors' Entrance (General Assembly Building). Entrance is at First Avenue and 45th Street. Once you pass through the white security tent please proceed to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues registration desk.  There will be 3 separate lines/queues depending upon your status:

1) NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC--You will be able to use your existing UN grounds pass but will be required to obtain the secondary access pass to gain access to the conference room.
2) New IPOs and Academics--Upon registration you will sign/make corrections to your grounds pass form that you filled out online and take it to the security desk to get your grounds pass printed.
3) 2011 Participating IPOs and Academics--If you attended last year's session, your grounds pass will be waiting for you in this line when you register.

Immediately after registering your designated representative will proceed to the line/queue for to receive the SECONDARY PASS that is to be shared among all members of your organization.  This pass will be valid for the entire duration of the session and if lost or forgotten it cannot be replaced.

Registration times are as follows:
 
Sunday 6 May          12.00p.m. to 5:00p.m.
Monday 7 May          8.00 a.m. to 3:45p.m.
Tuesday 8 May          9.00a.m. to 3:45p.m.
Wednesday 9 May to 18 May        9:30a.m. to 3:45p.m.
Closed every day from 12.30 to 2:00 p.m.

The Registration Desk will be closed every day from 12:30 to 2:00p.m. for lunch-break. Accordingly, no ground-pass will be issued during the lunch-break. Exceptionally, registration may be conducted during lunch-break if a large number of people are still in line.

Make sure to bring the confirmation letter that you receive after pre-registering as well as a photo identification document to get a UN ground-pass. It should be noted that for security reasons, only official documents (passports, state-issued driver’s license and similar documents), are accepted. No other documents will be accepted.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at ngo@un.org or indigenous_un@un.org.
 
Thank you very much for your support.

Sincerely yours,

Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII)
Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD)
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/session-eleventh.html

Fund for Gender Equality

The Fund for Gender Equality has announced the Call for Proposals for the second phase of its 2011–2012 grantmaking cycle. Proposals will be accepted for innovative programmes to help women achieve political and economic empowerment. The Fund will award multi-year grants ranging from USD 200,000 to USD 1 million.

The Fund is currently inviting proposals from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. The online application database will be open from 12 to 23 March 2012 and grants will be announced in October 2012.

You will find the key documents (Call for Proposals, Concept Note, List of Eligible Countries) at the following link: http://www.unwomen.org/how-we-work/fund-for-gender-equality/application-guidelines/

OAS Meeting of Negotiations

The Department of International Law of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States presents its compliments and takes this opportunity to invite you to participate at the Fourteenth Meeting of Negotiations in the Quest for Points of Consensus, pursuant to operative paragraph 3 of General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 2574 (XLI-O/11).

The Meeting of Negotiations will take place in Washington D.C. Individuals selected are required to be in Washington D.C. between April 16-20, 2012.

Due to time constrains and in order to ensure the effective participation of the representatives of the indigenous peoples, the Department of International Law has established as the deadline for application to participate in the Meeting of Negotiations, Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time).


In accordance with CP/RES. 951 (1691/09), which regulates “the Specific Fund to Support the Elaboration of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples," indigenous communities or organizations should submit all the documents requested.

The application should be prepared by both parties, the organization and the candidate as there are requirements for both of them. Kindly note that it is the organization’s responsibility to comply with the requirements, which are filling the electronic application and submitting two documents within the deadlines established by the OAS.

The OAS will not be responsible for applications that are either incomplete or extemporaneous (such applications will be rejected).

The required documents should be sent to the Department of International Law by e-mail: dil@oas.org by Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time).

There are two mandatory documents:
- Candidate's Curriculum Vitae
- I.D., D.N.I. and/or passport (PHOTOCOPY)
The electronic application appears in the following link:
https://www.oas.org/surveys/TakeSurvey.aspx?PageNumber=1&SurveyID=l2K2578

Reminder: Call for submissions on indigenous peoples' languages and culture

Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Call for submissions on indigenous peoples' languages and culture

The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) is calling for submissions on the role of languages and culture in the protection and promotion of the rights and identity of indigenous peoples, its current mandated study in accordance with Human Rights Council Resolution 18/8 (September 2011), from:

• indigenous individuals and peoples and/or their representatives
• non-state actors including non-governmental organisations
• national human rights institutions
• any other relevant stakeholders

Submissions will need to be submitted by 17 February 2012 to be taken into account in the Expert Mechanism's study, a draft of which will be finalised in early April 2012 in preparation for the EMRIP's fifth session in July 2012. Please email submissions to Claire Charters at the following email address: ccharters@ohchr.org.

For more information, please see the website of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Pages/EMRIPIndex.aspx

UNPFII Eleventh Session // Undécima Sesión

Pre-registration to attend the 11th Session of the Permanent Forum is now OPEN, please visit our website at http://social.un.org/index/IndigenousPeoples/UNPFIISessions/Eleventh.aspx

El pre-registro para asistir a la sesión 11 del Foro Permanente, está ABIERTO, visite el sitio web en http://social.un.org/index/indigenouses/Portada/SesionesUNPFII/UndecimaSesion.aspx

International expert group meeting on combating violence against indigenous women and girls: article 22 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right

UN Headquarters, New York
18-20 January 2012

Venue: Conference Room 5--North Lawn Building

The meeting is attended by international indigenous experts whose findings are submitted to the eleventh session of the Permanent Forum in May 2012.

CONTACT:
Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Ms. Talei Cama
2 UN Plaza
Room DC2-1451B
New York, New York 10017

This Expert Group Meeting is being organized following a recommendation of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), approved by ECOSOC decision 2011/266, which authorized a three-day international expert group meeting on the theme "Combating violence against indigenous women and girls: article 22 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" and requested that the results of the meeting be reported to the Permanent Forum at its eleventh session, to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session and to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-sixth session in 2012. The meeting will discuss the way in which the UNPFII should address its mandate under Article 22 of the Declaration.

The EGM will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 18 to 20 January 2012 in conference room 5 in the North Lawn Building and will be held between 10 am – 1 pm and 3 pm – 6 pm each day. It will be attended by indigenous experts and UNPFII members as well as interested Member States, UN Agencies and Indigenous Peoples' Organizations. Due to the limited capacity of the room, invitations will be given out to indigenous peoples’ organizations on a first come, first serve basis. Please note that there is no SPFII funding available for this meeting. All observers are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and related arrangements.

For those confirmed participants requiring UN ground passes, when arriving at the United Nations, please enter the main Secretariat Building, located at 46th street and First Avenue through the visitor’s entrance. Please carry with you a valid government-issued photo ID document and the invitation letter to the meeting. Once you pass Security please look for the sign “Indigenous Issues”. Staff from the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will be there to assist you and deliver your UN pass to you on the mornings of Wednesday, 18 January and Thursday, 19 January from 9 am to 11 am. Please note, that in order to pick up your badge, you must arrive at the UN during this time period, as staff will not be there to assist you after these hours.

Documents

Submitted by the Secretariat of UNPFII:

Programme of Work (EN)

Concept Paper for Combatting Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls :Article 22 UNDRIP(EN)

*Submitted by Experts:

Paper submitted by Prof. Rauna Kuokkanen (EN)

Paper submitted by Ms Terri Henry (EN)

Paper submitted by Ms Mary Simat (EN)

Paper submitted by Ms Sangeeta Lama (EN)

Paper submitted by Ms Guadalupe Martinez Perez (ES)

Paper submitted by Ms Edwina Kotoisuva (EN)

*Submitted by UN Agencies and Indigenous Peoples' Organizations:

Paper submitted by Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) (EN)

Paper submitted by MDG Achievement Fund, UNFPA and International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI)--Joint Project (ES)

Paper submitted by Ms Andrea Carmen and Ms Viola Waghiyi (EN)

* The views and opinions expressed in these papers are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent official policy or positions of the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.