United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
7th Session
UN Headquarters New York April 21 – May 2 2008
Theme: Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and
livelihoods: the stewardship role of Indigenous people and new
challenges
The largest group of Indigenous Australians, approximately forty
delegates attended the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues (UNFPII) in New York during late April to early May.
The Forum was held over two weeks and was attended by around 3000
Indigenous people from around the world, again the largest show of
people to a forum since it was established in 2000. This
years’ Permanent Forum theme related to climate change
focussing on the impacts as well as ways to lessen the impacts of
climate change, which is referred to as
‘mitigation’ and ways that people have to change the
way we live to prepare for the impacts of climate change, this is
called ‘adaptation’. Also discussed within this theme
was the role of Indigenous people globally as the people best
placed in this time of environmental change to care for their
traditional estates which is called ‘stewardship’ and
some of the challenges Indigenous people face in asserting their
interests and issues relating to climate change both here in
Australia and overseas.
My name is Jean Fenton and I attended the Permanent Forum on
behalf of NAILSMA and was invited and sponsored to attend by the
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and the
United Nations University – Institute of Advanced
Studies. HREOC invited a NAILSMA delegate to talk about some
of the work Aboriginal people and organisations in northern
Australia are doing to lessen the impacts of climate change to the
environment, as well as some of the opportunities arising from
providing environmental services for Aboriginal people. Some of the
opportunities relate to access and use of country, employment,
training, re-populating country, health, transferring knowledge and
others. I presented at a side event on the Western Arnhem
Land Fire Agreement (WALFA) model and the work that NAILSMA and our
partner organisations are doing to take the WALFA model to other
regions in northern Australia. Such as, western Cape York,
Queensland and Northern Territory Gulf country, Central Arnhem Land
and the North West Kimberley. For more information on the
current work of NAILSMA in relation to savanna burning and wildfire
mitigation please go to: www.nailsma.org.au and follow the
links.
So what is the UNPFII?
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body
to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The
Permanent Forum is charged to discuss Indigenous issues related to
economic and social development, culture, the environment,
education, health and human rights. ECOSOC is an arm of the United
Nations, who is charged with aiding international cooperation on
setting standards and problem solving in economic and social
issues. The UNFPII was established by the ECOSOC via resolution in
July 2000. This resolution laid the foundation whereby the
Permanent Forum is called upon to provide expert advice and
recommendations on Indigenous issues to the UN system through
ECOSOC. For More information on ECOSOC go to www.un.org/ecoso/
Who is the UNPFII?
The Permanent Forum is comprised of sixteen independent experts
who serve a term of three years as Members and may be re-elected or
re-appointed for one additional term. Governments nominate eight of
the Members and eight are nominated directly by Indigenous
organisations in their regions. The regions the UNPFII covers are
Africa; Asia; Central and South America and the Caribbean; the
Arctic; Central and Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central
Asia and Transcauscasia; North America; and the Pacific.
Professor Mick Dodson is currently the Indigenous Australian
representative on the Permanent Forum for more information about
the UNPFII please go to: www.un.org/esa/socdev/unfpii/
Being at the UNPFII
This was my first time to the UNPFII and I found the whole
experience of travelling to New York and going to the United
Nations, amazing. It was the biggest gathering of Indigenous
peoples I’ve ever seen and I felt truly honoured to be
attending. Being at the UN involved long days, which started
at 8:30am and finished at 6pm. Each morning the Australian
Indigenous delegates would meet to discuss the day’s program,
the drafting of interventions and reports and individual roles and
responsibilities. Straight after that meeting we’d meet
as the Pacific Indigenous Caucus to discuss joint statements and
positioning which included supporting interventions as part of the
Pacific. Though the working week consists of long days, the weekend
provided time to see New York, meet some of the locals, experience
the culture and network with others attending the Forum.
The Permanent Forum heard many stories from Indigenous peoples
already feeling the impacts of climate change such as the Inuit
people in the Artic who are finding it harder to live on their
traditional country due to rises in temperatures causing their
homelands to become inaccessible due to the melting of ice and
snow. Equally alarming were stories from the Pacific Island nations
where the rise in sea levels are causing their homelands to be
flooded by saltwater which is ruining their freshwater supplies and
gardens. Some Pacific Island nations are planning for a time when
there Islands will be completely covered by saltwater and they will
become refugees in someone else’s country.
Yes the Climate is Changing!
Scientists are working hard to understand some of the impacts of
climate change for the Northern Territory. Their report shows that
the average temperature has gone up by 1.2 degrees Celsius in the
Territory since 1910. Their scientific work shows that by
2030 yearly average temperatures across the Northern Territory
could increase by another 1 degree Celsius – 1.2 degrees
Celsius. Although it’s hard to predict exactly, these
small increases in temperature can lead to very major rises in the
number of big rains, storms or cyclones, fires and heatwaves.
Really hot weather may occur too; at the moment Darwin has 11 days
when it gets hotter than 35 degrees Celsius. Scientists say this
could go up to 44 days over 35 degrees by 2030, and up to 227 days
by 2070. Changes to rainfall remain uncertain for the Top End,
while decreases in rainfall are generally projected for Central
Australia. Increased intensity of tropical cyclones is
likely, flooding from storm surge is projected to increase, and
global sea level rise is projected to continue. For more
detailed information please go to: www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au.
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Also discussed broadly was the Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration was adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on the 13th of September 2007,
143 countries voted overwhelmingly to adopt the declaration, 11
countries abstained from voting and 4 countries cast votes not to
adopt it, these countries being Australia, New Zealand, United
States and Canada. The Declaration has been negotiated over
20 years and it’s adoption has been welcomed by the Chair of
UNPFII, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz who said “Through the adoption of the
Declaration . . .the United Nations marks a victory in its long
history towards developing and establishing international human
rights standards”. She went on to add that
“For the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the
Declaration will become the major foundation and reference in
implementing its mandate to advise members of the Economic and
Social Council and the UN agencies, programmes and funds on
indigenous peoples’ human rights and development . . .
Effective implementation of the Declaration will be the test of
commitment of States and the whole international community to
protect, respect and fulfill indigenous peoples collective and
individual human rights”.
Australia is yet to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples. At the Permanent Forum, Mr Bernie Yates –
Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and Indigenous Affairs stated 2“the government is also
undertaking detailed consultations with stakeholders on the
Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, recognising its
importance to Indigenous peoples globally”.
In a speech made by the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland on
10th June 2008 in relation to the UN Declaration on
Rights of Indigenous Peoples he stated that:
- We are also keen to engage in the international arena in
relation to indigenous Australians.
- The Rudd Government broadly supports the principles underlying
the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- My colleague, Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Families,
Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is working with
my Department to develop a statement, which sets out our position
on the Declaration. And she is undertaking consultations on how
best such a statement may be delivered.
- It is timely to consider this, and other international
instruments, this year - the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
To download a copy of the Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous People, as well as a NAILSMA report containing the
interventions and reports that went to the UNPFII please log on to
www.nailsma.org.au and
follow the links.
