Informal interactive hearing
Organizational arrangements for the
World Conference on Indigenous Peoples
17-18 June 2014
General Assembly Hall United
Nations, NY
Concept note
Background
1. The
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples[1]
(the Declaration), adopted by the General Assembly in 2007, is considered a
milestone in the recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples. It is the
result of an open and inclusive process of dialogue and negotiations among and
between member states and indigenous peoples. The General Assembly sought to
continue and build on this achievement by ‘deciding to organize a high level
plenary meeting … to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, to
be held in 2014[2].
This reflected the ongoing ‘concern’ of the General Assembly, ‘about the
extreme disadvantages that indigenous peoples have typically faced across a
range of social and economic indicators and about the impediments to their full
enjoyment of their rights’[3].
2. The General
Assembly adopted a modalities resolution[4] in
2012, which provides clear guidance for the organisation of the World
Conference. The resolution conferred on the 68th President of the General
Assembly the responsibility of organising the World Conference, and most
importantly, the preparation of a concise and action oriented outcome document[5].
The President of the General Assembly has been attentive to the provisions of
the modalities resolution and understands the importance of achieving consensus
among both member states and indigenous peoples on the outcome document.
3. To assist
his consultations and in the preparation of the outcome document, the President
of the General Assembly has appointed two Ambassadorial Advisers, the Permanent
Representatives of Costa Rica
and Slovenia and
two indigenous advisers, Dr. Mirna Cunningham and Mr. Lez
Malezer.
4. The
modalities resolution also requested that the President of the General Assembly
organize an informal interactive hearing, no later than June 2014, with
indigenous peoples’ organizations, academic institutions, national human rights
institutions, parliamentarians, civil society and non-governmental
organizations, to provide valuable input into the preparatory process for the
World Conference.
Objectives
5. The main
objective of the 17-18 June 2014 interactive dialogue is to further the open
and inclusive consultations among member states and indigenous peoples that
will inform the World Conference outcome document.
6. Following
the interactive dialogue, the President of the General Assembly will prepare a
zero draft and share it with member states and indigenous peoples for their
consideration. An additional consultation will be held in early July to enable
member states and representatives of indigenous peoples to share their views on
the zero draft.
7. On the basis
of these views, and with the assistance of the Advisers, a revised draft
document will serve as the basis for moving forward with further consultations.
Participation
8. A wide range
of representatives from indigenous peoples’ organizations, academic
institutions, national human rights institutions, parliamentarians, civil
society and non- governmental organizations, as well as UN agencies and
Departments are expected to attend the
informal hearing.
9. A
registration process has been organized by the NGO Branch of the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which will enable the aforementioned
representatives to pre-register for the hearing[6]. Registration will close at 12pm on Friday 13
June.
10. Member States
and Permanent Observers are encouraged to attend and participate in, as
appropriate, the informal interactive hearing.
Format
11. The President
of the General Assembly has proposed the following format for the one and a
half day (17-18 June) informal interactive hearing:
Day 1 17 June 2014
• An
Opening session with begin with a welcome prayer. Remarks for the President of
the General Assembly will follow. An
invitation has also been extended to Ms Soyata Maiga, a Commissioner on
African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights to speak at the opening session.
• Two
themed interactive discussions will feature on Day 1. H. E. Ambassador Andrej
Logar, Member State Adviser to the President of the General Assembly, will
moderate the first discussion and Mr. Les Malezer, Indigenous Adviser to the
President of the General Assembly will moderate the second discussion. Each
discussion will have two panellists, one expert presenter and one representative
from a member state. The moderator will open each session with a brief
presentation (5 mins) and introduce the panellists. The panellists will then
each make a short presentation (5-10 mins), which will be followed by an
interactive discussion, led by the moderator. The moderator will ensure
regional and gender balance from the floor. Participants will request the
opportunity to take the floor, during discussion. At the midway point in
discussion, the moderator will allow panellists the opportunity to reply to the issues raised and to
ask questions of participants to guide the remainder of the discussion. A
rapporteur will take notes of the session and the moderator will offer summary
remarks (5 minutes) to close the session.
• Day
1 will end with a closing session to allow time for member states and
representatives of indigenous people to make short statements (2-3 minutes) on
the conference outcome document or to address any issues arising from the day’s
discussion. This session will be
moderated by Mr. Les Malezer.
Day 2 18 June 2014 (morning only)
• Day
2 will commence with a final themed interactive discussion moderated by Dr Mirna
Cunningham, Indigenous adviser to the President of the General Assembly.
Working arrangements will be the same as discussions held on Day 1.
• Day
2 will end with a lengthy closing session to allow further time for member
states and representatives of indigenous people to make short statements (2-3
minutes) on the conference outcome document or to address any issues arising
from the day’s discussion. This final discussion will be moderated by H. E.
Ambassador Eduardo Ulibarri-Bilbao, Member State Adviser to the President of
the General Assembly.
Outcome
12. The President
of the General Assembly will develop a summary of the main outcomes of the
informal interactive hearing. This will help inform the development of a
zero-draft of the World Conference outcome document.
Issues to be
discussed
Interactive discussion 1 (1040 - 1300, 17 June 2014)
Topic: “Indigenous peoples’ lands, territories,
resources, oceans and waters”.
13. This
discussion will examine indigenous peoples’ right of self-determination and
permanent sovereignty over lands, territories, resources, oceans and waters. It
will consider how to establish effective mechanisms through agreements reached
between states and indigenous peoples to effectively implement these rights.
The following question will guide the interactive discussion:
1. What legal and
policy changes need to be made in order to promote and protect indigenous
peoples' rights to their lands, territories and resources?
Interactive discussion 2 (15.00 - 17.30, 17 June
2014)
Topic: “Implementation of the rights of Indigenous
Peoples”.
14. This
discussion will focus on how to ensure that regional, constitutional,
federal/national, provincial and local laws, policies and procedures comply
with the Declaration and other international human rights standards that uphold
the rights of indigenous peoples. It will also consider potential actions under
the United Nations system for the implementation of the rights of indigenous
peoples. The following questions will guide the discussion:
1. What needs
to be done to promote the implementation of the Declaration at the national and
local level?
2. What are
some concrete steps that the United Nations system can take to improve the way
it works with and for indigenous peoples?
Interactive discussion 3 (10.00 - 12.00, 18 June
2014)
Topic: “Indigenous priorities for sustainable
development”.
15. This
discussion will consider indigenous peoples’ priorities for sustainable
development, predicated on the full, equal and effective recognition of
indigenous rights to lands, territories, resources, oceans and waters, and the
connection between customs, belief systems, values, languages, cultures and
traditional knowledge. The following question will guide the discussion:
1. What are indigenous peoples priorities/visions for
sustainable development and how can these priorities/visions be included
in national development planning as well as the international post 2015
development agenda?
16. Cross cutting
themes for all of the discussions will include the rights of indigenous women,
the young, older people, and people with disabilities.
Media arrangements
17. Accredited
correspondents may cover the interactive hearing. The hearing will also be
broadcast through a live webcast, which will be publicly accessible at
http://webtv.un.org
Webpage
18. A web page
for the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples has been established on the
President of the General Assembly ’s website:
http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/68/events/wcip.shtml
19. This web page
contains links to important documents that may inform the World Conference
outcome document, as well as the event programme for the 17-18 June interactive
hearing.
20. An input form
has also been set up where interested parties can comment on the issues to be
discussed at the interactive hearing (Deadline 15 June): http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/68/events/wcip_inputs.asp
