Welcome to the United Nations
Displaying 1 - 12 of 23
Addressee: UN Agencies Funds and Programmes - UN System
Paragraph Number: 62
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum recommends that the United Nations system continue its advocacy work on indigenous connectivity in preparation for phase II of the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held in 2005, taking into account the Declaration of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society and the Programme of Action. The Forum supports and applauds the decision taken by the Summit to establish multi-stakeholder portals that allow communication between indigenous peoples at the national level.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Paragraph Number: 72
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum recommends that the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with multilateral and regional agencies and indigenous organizations, lead the mainstreaming of indigenous issues and concerns in poverty reduction strategies at the country level. In view of the decreasing support to pastoral and semi-nomadic groups in Africa, the Forum recommends that IFAD initiate programmes in support of these groups and submit its planned work programme to the Forum at its fourth session.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Paragraph Number: 20
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum recommends that the United Nations system consider the following recommendations:
(a) The United Nations system should fully explore the protection, use and promotion of indigenous (including traditional) knowledge and ensure synergies across the relevant bodies currently investigating the issues (specifically the World Intellectual Property Organization, UNESCO, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the World Health Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and others) and furthermore should invite the Forum to participate;
(b) UNESCO should continue to investigate indigenous pedagogy and its application to indigenous education in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and the Forum and other relevant bodies. The study should include the use of such strategies as boarding schools and both their negative and positive effects. To assist with this investigation into indigenous education, UNESCO is urged to facilitate regional conferences and a global forum on indigenous education to identify both barriers to educational equity and good practice;
(c) The Forum calls upon Governments and UNESCO to give more attention (by increasing their budgets) to developing quality indigenous education policies (with the participation of indigenous peoples) to achieve the Dakar objectives. “Education for all” is one of the fundamental objectives of the World Education Forum that should be achieved by 2015;
(d) The Forum encourages the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNESCO and other agencies to continue to support, in cooperation with indigenous peoples, intercultural and bilingual education programmes and to promote in particular the right of education for girls;
(e) The Forum should work with UNITAR to coordinate training for indigenous peoples within the United Nations system;
(f) UNESCO is requested to facilitate a world indigenous education conference, with appropriate United Nations partners (the Forum, UNESCO, UNITAR etc.), Member States and indigenous peoples. Furthermore, UNESCO should invite indigenous peoples and the Forum to participate in United Nations activities in the field of education. UNESCO has recently completed and distributed a publication on best practices for indigenous peoples education and this should be promoted throughout the international community;
(g) UNICEF advocates bilingual and cross-cultural education for indigenous peoples and conducts schools for girls and women’s literacy programmes in Latin America, and this initiative should be further encouraged and expanded;
(h) The Forum recommends that relevant agencies and Governments, on a regional basis, should provide technical services and the political and moral support needed for the creation, recognition and functioning of future international indigenous universities;
(i) Taking into account the importance of UNESCO national commissions, the Forum recommends that the Economic and Social Council and Governments facilitate the participation of indigenous peoples in the regional commissions with the incorporation of indigenous representation;
(j) The Forum, to underscore the crucial role of language skills to sustainable development and in celebration of the United Nations Year on Education for Sustainable Development (2005), recommends that the secretariat of the Forum, together with the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF and UNESCO, explore the possibility of organizing a regional workshop in Asia or Africa on the theme “Indigenous children and language education”, to discuss policies, programmes and practical experiences with bilingual education to strengthen additive learning through the use of mother tongue and the “indigenization” of curricula in formal schooling, among members of the Forum, United Nations agencies, Governments (especially departments of education), indigenous and tribal representatives and indigenous education experts.
Area of Work: Education, Traditional Knowledge
Addressee: UN Agencies Funds and Programmes - UN System
Paragraph Number: 67
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum is fully aware of the close links between conflict and poverty. Conflicts cause poverty and reverse development. The Forum invites those United Nations agencies, funds and programmes working in areas of conflict to consider the special needs of indigenous peoples in their work.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Addressee: Member States
Paragraph Number: 19
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
Member States should consider the adoption and full implementation of comprehensive national indigenous education policies based on the following goals:
Participation:
a) Establishing effective arrangements for the participation of indigenous parents and community members in decisions regarding the planning, delivery and evaluation of education services for their children, young people and other community members;
b) Increasing the number of indigenous people employed as educational administrators, teachers, coaches, officials, curriculum advisers, teacher’s assistants, home-school liaison officers and other education workers, including community members engaged in teaching indigenous culture, history and contemporary society, and indigenous languages;
c) Developing arrangements for the provision of independent advice from indigenous communities regarding educational decisions at all levels;
d) Achieving the participation of indigenous children, young people and adults in education for a period similar to that of other students;
Access:
e) Ensuring that indigenous children, young people and adults have access to all levels of education (including adult education) on a basis comparable to that available to other citizens;
Attainment:
f) Enabling indigenous students to attain skills and graduation rates up to the same standard as other students throughout the compulsory and non-compulsory schooling years;
g) Developing teaching forms and curricula based on mother tongue (additive learning) in primary and secondary education (should be mandatory in order to achieve goal (f) above);
h) Developing curricula for both primary and secondary education which reflect the insights and usefulness of indigenous knowledge systems and are sensitive to indigenous values. Curricula should:
i) Incorporate indigenous histories, traditional knowledge and spiritual values;
ii) Integrate indigenous oral traditions, myths and writings, acknowledging these as unique parts of world heritage;
Indigenous languages, proficiency in the national language, literacy and numeracy :
i) Developing programmes based on the child’s mother tongue (first language) as a foundation for learning and aiming at the maintenance and continued use of indigenous languages;
j) Enabling the attainment of proficiency in the commonly used national language and at least one international language, and numeracy competencies by all indigenous students, including indigenous adults, giving particular attention to indigenous women based on the framework of the United Nations Decade of Literacy;
Capacity-building:
k) Providing community education services which will enable indigenous peoples to develop the skills to manage the development of their communities;
l) Providing education and training services to develop the skills of indigenous people to participate in educational decision-making;
Appreciation, understanding and respect for indigenous cultures:
m) Enabling all students, both indigenous and non-indigenous, at all levels of education, to have an appreciation and understanding of and respect for traditional and contemporary indigenous histories, cultures and identities;
Anti-racism strategies:
n) Promoting anti-racism education, including strategies to empower young people to deal with racism in the compulsory schooling curriculum;
Cultural, social and economic development in education:
o) Indigenous peoples should be resourced and supported to establish their own education systems, including schools, should they so choose. Also, traditional indigenous education and its structures should be respected and supported;
Education for indigenous peoples in custody or detention:
p) Given the overrepresentation of indigenous youth and adults in detention, the Forum urges States to consider culturally relevant and appropriate education for indigenous peoples in detention centres;
q) The Forum asks that education plans, programmes and policies be implemented especially for indigenous girls, boys and women.
Area of Work: Education
Paragraph Number: 61
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum requests international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank and other regional organizations, to design special programmes for indigenous women to provide them with access to capital and microfinance programmes, taking into account the traditional mechanisms of each community.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Addressee: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Paragraph Number: 71
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum recommends that UNDP continue its work on supporting local-level initiatives, such as the equator initiative, the community water initiative, the community-based initiative and the assisting communities together project.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Addressee: SPFII, ILO, OHCHR
Paragraph Number: 108
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum, recognizing the need for complementarity and coordination of indigenous training and education within the United Nations system, recommends that training and education partners within the United Nations system, in particular the ILO, the Office and other relevant agencies, hold discussions in order to develop a coordinated approach and a common electronic gateway to all education and training opportunities for indigenous peoples within the international system. As the United Nations body for coordination regarding indigenous issues, the Forum will construct the web site of the Forum available for such a gateway.
Area of Work: Education
Addressee: ECOSOC
Paragraph Number: 66
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum invites the Economic and Social Council and the regional commissions to present reports on the economic situation, scenarios and impacts of free-trade policies, especially the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, with emphasis on indigenous peoples.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Addressee: Member States, UN systems, and IPO
Paragraph Number: 18
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum makes the recommendations set out below to United Nations Member States, the United Nations system and indigenous peoples organizations.
Area of Work: Education
Addressee: UNIFEM, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA
Paragraph Number: 60
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum urges all relevant United Nations entities, especially UNDP, UNIFEM, UNICEF and UNFPA, to:
(a) Develop methodologies and strategies to research the underlying causes of the "feminization" and "indigenization" of poverty and to develop programmes, which effectively address these underlying causes of marginalization;
(b) Perform systematic needs assessments for indigenous women based on the information provided by indigenous women’s groups and NGOs;
(c) Involve local, indigenous women in a decision-making capacity in all aspects of the programme cycle.The Forum recommends that all relevant United Nations entities research the needs of indigenous women and the causes of "indigenization" of poverty.The Forum recommends that all relevant United Nations entities research the needs of indigenous women and the causes of "indigenization" of poverty.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
Addressee: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Paragraph Number: 70
Session: 3 (2004)
Full Text:
The Forum reaffirms the UNDP focus on implementing its policy of working with indigenous peoples at the country level, and urges UNDP to continue its work to develop a policy on land tenure rights with the participation of indigenous peoples.
Area of Work: Economic and Social Development
