Official side-event: UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2024

A United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) Side-Event.

Theme of the 23rd session: 

 "Enhancing Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination in the context of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: emphasizing the voices of Indigenous youth”

Date: 18 April 2024
Time: 13:15 - 14:30
Location: Conference Room 5, UNHQ, New York

Co-organized by: The Indigenous Navigator Consortium - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Tebtebba, Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), Danish Institute for Human Rights, and the Indigenous Peoples Major Group on the SDG.

Background:

In the context of the twenty-third session of the UNPFII, this event will explore the multifaceted aspects of self-determination for Indigenous Peoples. Focusing on autonomy, customary law, and Indigenous institutions, the event recognizes these elements as foundational to the realization of self-determination as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It aims to highlight the dynamic ways in which Indigenous communities globally are asserting their rights and shaping their futures.

Objective:

The objective of the side event is to provide a platform for exploring the effective realization of self-determination through the exercise of autonomy, respect for customary law, and the strengthening Indigenous institutions. It will include a presentation of the Indigenous Navigator data on monitoring the self-determination, highlighting experiences from Indigenous Peoples’ representatives from four socio-cultural regions    South America, Africa and Asia. It aims to share successful models, address challenges, and explore strategies for enhancing the recognition of Indigenous communities’ self-determination and self-government according to their values and traditions.

Expected Outcomes:

This event aims to foster a deeper understanding of the various dimensions of self-determination and to identify practical steps and policies that support Indigenous autonomy, customary law, and institutions. It also seeks to strengthen international cooperation and solidarity among Indigenous Peoples.