Small Island Developing States Conference: Last Day to Register

Dear colleagues,

The Third Conference on Small Island Developing States, taking place between 1-4 September in Apia, Samoa, is rapidly approaching.

Preceding the meeting, four Pre-Conference Forums will take place in select locations in Apia from 28-31 August 2014. The Pre-Conference Forums will be held outside of the UN security perimeter and therefore don’t require accreditation to the SIDS Conference. Further information on these activities is available on the SIDS website: www.sids2014.org/index.php?menu=1567

Participation in the Major Groups and other Stakeholders Forum, which will take place on Thursday, 28 (evening) and Friday, 29 August 2014, is subject to registration. Today is the last day to register - if you are planning on attending, you must fill out this form. More information on the Forum can be found here.

We would also like to use this opportunity to remind representatives of organizations that are accredited with the United Nations and plan to attend the official Conference to register here. Conference registration for Major Groups and other stakeholders’ representatives will close on Monday, 4 August 2014.

Warm regards,
Ms. Martina Muller
Major Groups Program
Communications & Outreach - UN DESA/DSD

Annual United Nations Indigenous Peoples Forum begins

Some of the Caribbean Indigenous representatives at the United Nations Permanent Forum in 2013. From left Damon Corrie (Lokono), R. Mukaro Borrero (Taino), Tai AnaYuisa Pelli (Taino), Hatuey Corrie (Lokono)

United Nations (UCTP Taino News) - Over 2000 representatives of Indigenous Peoples have registered and are expected to attend the 12^th session of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The Forum opened on 20 May and will close on May 2012. Some of the themes to be discussed include culture, education and health, as well as youth, Indigenous Peoples of Africa and international financial institutions. The session opened with a welcome blessing by Todadaho Sid Hill, a traditional Chief of the Onondaga Nation, part of the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy. 

A message from the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was delivered by  Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. The message stressed that “We must have a better understanding of the views and values of indigenous peoples by engaging them in decision-making and providing a platform for issues affecting their lives and livelihoods.”

The Forum also elected a new chairperson, Paul Kanyinke Sena, who will facilitate the two-week session. A Maasai from Kenya, Sena stated in his opening address that  Indigenous concepts of health and healing includes not only access without discrimination to social and health services, but also includes connections with family, land and language, as well as access to traditional plants, animals and minerals. 

Other opening remarks were presented by the Vice-President of the UN General Assembly, Abulkalam Abdul Momen and the President of the UN Economic, Social and Economic Council (ECOSOC), Néstor Osorio.

Among the diverse participants of this year’s session representatives of Caribbean Indigenous Peoples such as the Lokono Arawak, Carib, and Taino are in attendance. The United Confederation of Taino People, for example, has accredited a number of delegates from throughout the Caribbean region including Borikén (Puerto Rico), Barbados, and Guyana. 

Along with the various discussions and debates taking place during the week, a number of side-events on related-issues will take place in and around United Nations Headquarters. 

 UCTP Taino News 05.21.2013

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