Caribbean EPA with Europe to be Signed

Georgetown, May 16 (Prensa Latina) The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Commission (EC) and the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM) is to be signed in July 2008.

See full story at:
http://www.prensa-latinaenglish.com/article.asp?ID={01B1AC0C-6A4C-4C38-AA32-7C42E22B6159}&language=EN

Report of the Seventh Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

An advance unedited version of the report of the seventh session is available in English. Although the report is not a final official document, it does contain all of the amendments made by the rapporteur during the adoption of the report on Friday 2 May 2008. Thus, the report contains additional paragraphs and changes that were made since the L documents were issued. The advance unedited version will only be available in English. Other language versions will be ready when the official report is published.

Click here to download the report (pdf only) at
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/UNPFII_7session_report_advance.pdf

Fifth Summit of the Americas to take place in Trinidad & Tobago 2009

UCTP Taino News - In 2009, Trinidad and Tobago will be the first Caribbean, Small Island Developing State to host the Fifth Summit of the Americas. The Summits of the Americas are held every three to four years and bring together the 34 democratically elected Heads of State and Government in the Western Hemisphere to exchange ideas and opinions on the political, economic, social, and security challenges confronting the region.

From 1994, the Summits process has seen the implementation of several initiatives advancing improvements in healthcare, education, infrastructure and security, disaster mitigation and preparedness, environmental conservation, and democratic governance across the hemisphere - all for the benefit of the people of the Americas.

According to the Summit Secretariat “The goal of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in preparing for the Fifth Summit is to ensure that the focus remains on people - that it brings meaningful and tangible benefits to all the people of the Americas.”

Plans are already being discussed to host an “Indigenous Summit of the Americas” in conjunction with the Fifth Summit.

UCTPTN 05.15.2008

PFII: Agenda Item 8(b) The Second International Decade of the World's indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples Caucus of the Greater Caribbean

Kalinago Carib Nation (Dominica); Consejo General de Tainos Borincanos (Puerto Rico); Fundacion Social Luz Cosmica Fraternalista Taina (Dominican Republic); Eagle Clan Arawaks (Barbados and Guyana); United Confederation of Taino People (Regional)

Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
United Nations Headquarters, NY
Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Presented by Mildred Karaira Gandia (UCTP rep.)

Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates and Representatives of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we welcome this opportunity to address Agenda Item 8 (b) the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

We would like to begin by acknowledging the agencies and programs that have responded positively to our previous interventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNICEF. We look forward to continuing our work with them in the region especially in the area of capacity building.

Madame/Mr. Chair it is unfortunate that we have to report however that the majority of United Nations Specialized agencies are still not giving serious attention to the Caribbean island region and this practice is contrary to the goals of the Second Decade.

Indeed, the Second Decade’s Plan of Action contains a specific reference to Caribbean Indigenous Peoples, which can be found under Section 6 “Social and Economic Development”, item (b) Regional level, number 86.

The recommendation clearly states that “representatives of Caribbean indigenous peoples should be included in region-specific consultations and conferences in Latin America and the Caribbean, and on steering committees for planning and implementing the programme of activities for the Second International Decade. Serious consideration should also be given to organizing a special regional consultative session focusing on the unique situation of Caribbean indigenous peoples, which would take place in the Caribbean, hosted by a Member State and a local indigenous community.”

With this in mind, we recommend that:

1) The Permanent Forum organize a special regional consultative session focusing on the unique situation of Caribbean Indigenous Peoples.

2) Such a special regional consultative session be held on the island of Dominica and that its planning and implementation take place in collaboration with indigenous communities and organizations such as those represented within the Indigenous Peoples Caucus of the Greater Caribbean as well as with the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples. The session should aim to strengthen cooperation, coordination, and capacity building among Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean.

3) The Permanent Forum should ensure that any special regional consultative session held in the Caribbean or on Caribbean indigenous issues provide equal funding opportunities for participation and follow-up to indigenous peoples of non-self-governing territories in the region.

For example, indigenous peoples from Puerto Rico are continuously denied funding by the UN Voluntary Fund to participate in meetings, conferences, regional specific consultations, capacity building opportunities and conferences in the region or elsewhere. This practice is discriminatory and must end.

Madame/Mr. Chair, in closing we urge the Permanent Forum to invite the Inter-Agency Support Group, as well as CARICOM, the Rio Group, the Association of Caribbean States, and Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas to work in close collaboration with Caribbean Governments to effectively finance and implement these recommendations focusing on the Second Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Bo'matum (Thank you) for your attention.

Note: The Greater Caribbean should be defined here as an area of cooperation in recognition of common ancestral heritages and common geographic spaces shared by the Indigenous Peoples of the region.

PFII: Agenda Item 7, Half Day Discussion on Indigenous Languages

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS OF THE GREATER CARIBBEAN

Kalinago Carib Nation (Dominica); Consejo General de Tainos Borincanos (Puerto Rico); Fundacion Social Luz Cosmica Fraternalista Taina (Dominican Republic); Eagle Clan Arawaks (Barbados and Guyana); United Confederation of Taino People (Regional)

Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
24 April 2008, Item 7 Half-day discussion on indigenous languages

Presented by Mildred Karaira Gandia (UCTP)

Takahi (Greetings) Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates and Representatives of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we welcome this opportunity to address Agenda Item 7 Half-day discussion on indigenous languages.

The INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CAUCUS OF THE GREATER CARIBBEAN welcomes the Permanent Forum’s report of the international expert group meeting on indigenous languages. We support its recommendations to States, United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations, and indigenous peoples.

We are especially supportive of the recommendation that “UNESCO strengthen its working relationship with NGOs and civil society organizations so that language policies are implemented directly at the level of indigenous communities and seek government support where possible.”

With this in mind we recommend that the Permanent Forum urge UNESCO to continue this work with regional Caribbean indigenous organizations such as the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP) and the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples (COIP) to facilitate follow-up.

Honorable Chair, our Caucus would also like to support the recommendations submitted by the United Confederation of Taino People to the international expert group meeting on indigenous languages.

With this in mind, we recommend that the Permanent Forum urge the full and effective participation of Caribbean Indigenous Peoples in the design and organization of a world conference on linguistic diversity, indigenous languages, identity and education and that this initiative be facilitated in partnership with regional Caribbean indigenous organizations such as the UCTP and COIP.

Our Caucus also recommends that the Permanent Forum bring to the attention of the Expert Group and UNESCO the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which mention Indigenous Peoples specifically.

In relation to the WSIS, and “promoting empowerment of indigenous languages”, we also call attention to indigenous led initiatives such as the International Indigenous ICT Task Force (IITF) and its premier project the “International Indigenous Portal”.

Our Caucus fully supports this indigenous ICT initiative and we recommend that the Permanent Forum urge the Expert Group and UNESCO to invite the IITF to be a part of its future projects and related follow-up.

The Permanent Forum has been a staunch supporter of Indigenous Peoples engaging the Information Society and we urge this body to continue its work supporting the WSIS Declaration and Programme of Action.

In closing we say Bo’matum (thank you) for this opportunity.