1 May 2015: The 14th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) discussed follow-up to the September 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), and highlighted indigenous issues in the post-2015 development agenda. It also included discussions of hunger, land rights, and human rights mechanisms and indicators.

PFII 14 took place at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 20 April-1 May 2015.

In a panel discussion on the post-2015 development agenda, speakers noted that indigenous peoples expressed concerns about: the need for disaggregated data; rights to lands, territories and resources; free, prior and informed consent (FPIC); special measures for health and other issues; access to justice and redress mechanisms; and participation in decision-making in relevant bodies. They called for the distinct identities and rights of indigenous peoples to be recognized in the post-2015 development agenda.

On implementation of the WCIP outcome, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) reported that the Inter-Agency Support Group for Indigenous Issues has begun developing a draft System-Wide Action Plan, and a questionnaire has been disseminated inviting feedback from UN Member States and indigenous peoples on: using and improving existing UN mechanisms to achieve the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); enhancing a coherent system-wide approach; and enabling the participation of indigenous peoples at the UN. Responses to the questionnaire will feed into the UN Secretary-General’s forthcoming report to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on WCIP implementation.

In a panel discussion on food, hunger, disease and land rights, speakers drew links between degradation of ecosystems, loss of lands and decline in the abundance of traditional food sources with malnutrition, disease and the loss of traditional livelihoods and lifestyles. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) advocated improving smallholder agriculture and supporting institutions that enable the poor to access markets, while the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighted the need to ensure land tenure, noting that much of poor rural people’s income depends on common property resources.

PFII 14 devoted half a day to discussion of an optional protocol to UNDRIP, including the possibility of a complaints procedure. Dialogues took place with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz, and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples. Speakers discussed the limitations of current human rights mechanisms, with some suggesting that current arrangements, such as the UN Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review (UPR) process, have not been fully utilized with regard to indigenous issues. Participants called on States to show political will to enforce the commitments of UNDRIP and the WCIP outcome.

Discussions also took place on: indigenous youth, self-harm and suicide; indigenous human development and the use of human rights indicators; and the participation of indigenous women at the UN and Beijing+20.

PFII 14 concluded with the approval of three draft decisions to be forwarded to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for adoption, on: agreement to hold a three-day expert group meeting (EGM) on the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages; the agenda for the next PFII session; and dates for the next session: 9-20 May 2016.

Nine draft reports containing proposals and recommendations also were forwarded to ECOSOC, including: a call for the UN General Assembly to consider establishing a procedure to guarantee indigenous peoples’ participation in its 17th session; a recommendation to the World Health Organization (WHO) to address self-harm and suicide among indigenous children and young people; and a recommendation to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to focus on the vulnerability of indigenous peoples in the Pacific region, in view of the effects of climate change. [PFII 14 Website] [Organization of Work] [UN Report of Post-2015 and Food Discussions] [Draft Decisions] [UN Report of PFII Human Rights Discussions] [UN Report on Conclusion of PFII 14]