UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
History
The proposal to create a Permanent Forum focused on Indigenous Issues was officially introduced at the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in 1993. Its establishment then became one of the central objectives of the programme of activities for the First International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 - 2004). Subsequently, two UN workshops were held to discuss the possibility of a permanent forum.
The first workshop took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995 (for the report see E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.4/1995/7) and the second in Santiago de Chile in 1997. A review conducted by the Secretary General supported the creation of a permanent forum. In February 1999, an ad hoc working group of the Commission on Human Rights met in Geneva to elaborate proposals for the forum.
A second ad hoc working group met the following year, in February 2000, to finalize a proposal for the Commission on Human Rights. At its fifty-sixth session, the Commission on Human Rights decided to recommend to the Economic and Social Council that it set up a permanent forum on Indigenous issues.
On July 28, 2000, the Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution establishing the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
Mandate*
The UNPFII is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. According to its mandate, the Permanent Forum will:
Provide expert advice and recommendations on Indigenous issues to the Council, as well as to programmes, funds and agencies of the United Nations, through the Council.
Raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of activities related to indigenous issues within the UN system. Prepare and disseminate information on indigenous issues.
The Permanent Forum holds annual two-week sessions, generally in May.
The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, and until now the yearly sessions took place in New York.
Participants
The indigenous peoples, the States, the bodies and organizations of the United Nations, the intergovernmental organizations and the nongovernmental organizations with advisory statute at the ECOSOC are invited to take part.
Experts
The Permanent Forum is composed of sixteen experts.
Eight members are nominated by governments and elected by the Economic and Social Council; and eight are nominated by the President of the Council after consultation in due form with the governments, which in their turn will have examined the candidatures of the interested with the organizations of the indigenous peoples.
The sixteen members will serve in their personal capacities as independent experts on indigenous issues. They will be appointed for a period of three years with the possibility of re-election or reappointment for another 3-year period. Decisions will be made by consensus of the sixteen members.
Here the list of the members of the Permanent Forum, whose exercise will expire at the end of 2010:
Indigenous Experts
Mr. Hassan Id BALKASSM (Amazigh, Morocco) - African Group
Ms. Margaret Lokawua, (Uganda) - African Group
Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, (Philippines) - Asian Group
Mr. Lars Anders BAER (Saami, Sweden ) - Western Europe
Ms. Elisa CANQUI MOLLO (Aymará, Bolivia) - Latin America
Mr. Pavel SULYANDZIGA (Udege, Russian Federation) - Eastern European States
Ms. Tonya GONNELLA FRICHNER (Onondaga Nation, USA) - North America
Mr. Michael DODSON (Yawuru, Australia) - Pacific
State nominated experts
Mr. Simeon ADEWALE ADEKANYE (Nigeria) - African Group
Mr. Bartolomé CLAVERO SALVADOR (Spain) - Western Europe
Ms. Liliane MUZANGI MBELA (Democratic Republic of the Congo) - African Group
Ms. Paimaneh HASTEH (Islamic Republic of Iran) - Asian Group
Mr. Carlos MAMANI CONDORI (Bolivia) - Latin America
Mr. A NIKIFOROV (Russian Federation) - Eastern European States
Mr. Carsten SMITH (Norway) - Western Europe
Ms. Xiaomei QIN (Peoples Republic of China) - Asian Group
