Categories Events, Global, ICCA on the international level, Indigenous people’s rights and human rights, North America and the Caribbean, Secondary Events, United States

15th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

First published on 05/30/2016, and last updated on 03/09/2017

15th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Theme: ICCAs and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Human Rights
Meeting dates: 9-20 May 2016
Location: New York City, USA

Consortium activities:
Key Policy Outcomes:
  • Launch of the UN System-wide Action Plan on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  • Forum invited states to evaluate compliance with UNDRIP on the occasion of its 10-year anniversary, and requested the UN Security Council to take up issues related to Indigenous women
  • Recommendations included to: hold an international expert group meeting on the role of PFII and other indigenous-specific mechanisms in the implementation of UNDRIP; proclaim an International Year of Indigenous Languages by 2020; establish a UN voluntary fund for enhancing participation by Indigenous youth in UN processes; and ensure that Indigenous peoples’ spiritual and cultural sites are protected
  • A key message was the need to combat pervasive violations against indigenous human rights defenders, including criminalisation, persecution, violence, imprisonment and killing
More Information:
Contribution to overall strategy: Under the draft strategy on “ICCAs & Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Human Rights”, the above activities contributed to the objectives of: (1) facilitating more direct participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in advocacy and communication about rights and responsibilities; (2) better understanding obstacles to and opportunities for improved enforcement of human rights standards at the local level; and (3) recognising Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights in all conservation activities
Direct financial implications for the Consortium: None – self-funded by Consortium members