http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf

UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/SRIPeoplesIndex.aspx

INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S FUND - http://www.internationalfunders.org/documents/IndigenousWomensFund-FIMI.pdf

INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S FORUM – FIMI - http://www.fimi-iiwf.org/

Website Offers Translation in Spanish, English & French.

FIMI’s mission is to bring together indigenous women leaders and human rights activists from different parts of the world to coordinate agendas, capacity-build, and to develop leadership roles. FIMI encourages indigenous women's participation in international decision-making processes by ensuring the consistent and serious inclusion of indigenous women’s perspectives in all discussions regarding human rights.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/social/celebrate-indigenous-peoples-day.html

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – August 9

Celebrating the World’s Indigenous Peoples – Indigenous Women

Every year on 9 August, the international community comes together to celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, paying tribute to indigenous communities around the globe. Living across 90 countries, indigenous peoples make up less than five per cent of the world’s population, represent some 5,000 different cultures and speak a majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages. The annual celebration dates back to December 1994 when the UN General Assembly decided to hold yearly observances.

This year’s commemoration will be dedicated to the Tenth Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) and will take place on Wednesday, 9 August at UN Headquarters in New York.

The Declaration itself was adopted on 13 September 2007 by the General Assembly and it represented a culmination of tireless efforts by indigenous peoples and States, among others, to design an international human rights instrument that recognized both the individual and the collective rights of indigenous peoples.

From then on, the Declaration has become a major milestone to ensure the respect of indigenous peoples’ rights around the world. It has also provided guidance to States and other stakeholders on how to effectively respect and promote those rights. For indigenous peoples, the Declaration has made it clear that they are in fact right holders and can assert each of the provisions outlined in the Declaration, according to already existing human rights standards.

Despite major progress in implementing the Declaration over the last decade at the international, regional and local levels, and the creation of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, reports that there is a continuing gap between formal recognition of indigenous peoples and implementation of policies on the ground.

Further political will, along with technical capacity and financial commitment, are all necessary to realize the Declaration. In the same way, the UN System, through the System-Wide Action Plan on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, needs to enhance coordination among UN entities to ensure a coherent approach.

Below are some steps to continue advancing the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples, considering that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach to applying the Declaration, and keeping in mind that a primary aspect of implementing it is to work together with indigenous peoples at the national, regional and local levels.

Steps to advance the rights of indigenous peoples

• Constitutional reforms that recognize the identity and rights of indigenous peoples.

• Revisit and develop new policies and strategies. Especially by governments, the private sector, UN agencies and intergovernmental organizations.

• Promote capacity building and partnerships with judicial systems, parliamentarians and national human rights institutions in order to set precedent in legislation and jurisprudence.

• Allow indigenous peoples to participate in all decision-making processes that affects them.

• Include indigenous peoples in National Development Plans, in particular indigenous women.

• Urge States to implement recommendations made by the UN specialized mechanisms on indigenous peoples (UNPFII, EMRIP and SR).

• Last but not least, urge the UN System and its agencies to enhance their coordination to advance the rights of indigenous peoples, working together under the System-Wide Action Plan.

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http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - 9 August

Indigenous Wayuu children in the village of Pessuapa, Colombia. UN Photo/Gill Fickling

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world's estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.

Indigenous peoples have sought recognition of their identities, way of life and their right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources for years, yet throughout history their rights have always been violated. Indigenous peoples today, are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

2017 Theme: 10th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Ten years ago, on 13 September 2007, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a major milestone with respect to the cooperation and solidarity between indigenous peoples and Member States.

The Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It embodies global consensus on the rights of indigenous peoples and establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for their survival, dignity and well-being. It elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms, as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

Over the last decade, the implementation of the Declaration has achieved some major successes in at the national, regional and international levels. Despite the achievements, there continues to be a gap between the formal recognition of indigenous peoples and the implementation of policies on the ground.

Извор: WUNRN – 09.08.2017