October 2013: The World Conference of Indigenous Women, held in Lima, Peru, discussed ‘Progress and Challenges Regarding the Future We Want,’ concluding with a call for effective financing and implementation of international commitments on women, population and the post-2015 development agenda. The Conference took place from 28-30 October 2013, with over 300 representatives of indigenous women’s groups attending.

In the ‘Lima Declaration of the World Conference of Indigenous Women,’ participants call on the first World Conference of Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), which will convene as a high-level plenary of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2014, to prioritize the issues and concerns of indigenous women in all the themes, organizational arrangements and outcome documents, and to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous women, including elders and youth. They stress the need for sufficient financial resources and other support for implementation of international commitments within the frameworks and processes of ‘Beijing+20’ on women, ‘Cairo+20’ on population and development, and the post-2015 development agenda. They endorse the call of the global Indigenous Preparatory Conference on the WCIP that took place in Alta, Norway, in June 2013, to establish effective mechanisms to hold States accountable to their obligations on human rights.

In a video message, James Anaya, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, called on States and indigenous authorities to ensure that indigenous women can participate effectively and on a non-discriminatory basis in decision-making about extractive industries in their peoples’ territories, and can join in any benefits from natural resource development. He called for a holistic approach to addressing violence against indigenous women and girls, including advancing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The Conference received supported from the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Foundation on Indigenous Issues, UN Women, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), among others. [Lima Declaration] [James Anaya’s Message] [UNPFII Website] [IISD RS Sources]