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Addressee: Member States, IPOs, UN system/UN agencies
Full Text
The Permanent Forum calls for the cooperation of all States, indigenous peoples, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations in its task of ensuring that the Declaration reaches indigenous peoples in their communities by appropriate dissemination of the text in indigenous peoples’ own languages.
Responses
Ongoing. Several initiatives are in place to translate and disseminate the Declaration.
The Government of Mexico reports: 24. A first step towards the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the dissemination of its content. Accordingly, a campaign is under way to disseminate the substantive articles of the Declaration through the CDI System of Indigenous Culture Radio Stations and the publication of a pocket edition. Similarly, there is the translation into indigenous languages that CDI is having done in coordination with INALI and the offices in Mexico of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Information Centre and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 25. At the end of 2008 the translations into Maya and Nahuatl had been published, and they will be distributed in 2009. The completed translations in the process of being published are in Tzeltal, Chol, Mazahua, Huasteca Nahuatl, Northern Chinantec, Isthmus Zapotec and Western Huasteca Nahuatl. In 2009, 20 translations into the most widely spoken and written indigenous languages are expected to be completed. 26. In the context of international cooperation between CDI and UNDP, there are plans to combine the distribution of the translations of the Declaration into indigenous languages with seminars on indigenous rights aimed at the indigenous peoples and communities of Mexico. 27. It is seen as important to ensure, through regional expert meetings, follow up on the results of the international expert group meeting on the role of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in the implementation of article 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
OHCHR reports: 8. The OHCHR field presences have been active in promoting the Declaration, organizing or participating in events related to the celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, translating the Declaration into national or indigenous languages, and developing tools to promote greater awareness of the existing standards to advance the rights of indigenous peoples. For example, the Subregional Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, located in Yaoundé, organized jointly with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Cameroon, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), a media event to raise awareness about the human rights situation of indigenous communities in the region and promote the role of the Declaration in advancing their rights, with a specific focus on the right of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples. With a view to promoting a better understanding of existing international standards related to indigenous peoples, the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean has developed a comparative review of the Declaration and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (No. 169) of ILO.
DPI reports: Information centres in regions/countries with large indigenous populations are generally more engaged in activities and outreach on indigenous issues. Activities conducted by the Department’s field offices primarily involved the translation into non-official languages and dissemination of information materials, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. For example, for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, the message of the Secretary-General was translated into Azerbaijani, Kirundi, Turkish, Greek, Portuguese and other European languages. The UN Information Centre in Mexico City is currently involved in a project to translate and disseminate the Declaration into indigenous languages, and UNIC Rio produced a Portuguese version of the Declaration, as well as a “Frequently Asked Questions” fact sheet about the Declaration in 2008. Other activities for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in 2008 included an exhibition in Brazzaville, Congo, a press conference with UN and indigenous representatives in Bogota, Colombia, and the development of a special webpage by the UN Information Centre in Lima, Peru.
WFP reports: In October 2008, WFP was part of an inter-agency group of Regional Directors that prepared a seminar on the Declaration on Indigenous Rights for South American countries. The seminar assembled over 70 participants from various indigenous groups, human rights institutions and governments from 10 South American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela). The seminar offered these indigenous groups the opportunity to exchange their experiences, good practices and voice their recommendations for implementing the Declaration. The participants examined in detail the Declaration and its background, including the ILO Convention No. 69 on Indigenous and Tribal People. Participants identified key challenges and developed clear action points to implement the Declaration and realize the rights included therein. The indigenous participants recognized the Declaration as an international instrument. They urged Latin American Governments to diffuse information on Indigenous Peoples’ rights, initiate the process of collaboration and dialogue with Indigenous People and develop public policy to implement the relevant international instruments.
WFP will be involved in numerous information-sharing meetings with representatives of Indigenous Peoples throughout 2009.
UNPFA reports: 61. UNFPA is committed to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and continues to support its implementation and dissemination to ensure that it reaches all sectors of society. In that regard, UNFPA offices in Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and Viet Nam have contributed to disseminating the text, including by supporting its publication and translation into indigenous peoples’ and ethnic minorities’ languages.
UNDP reports on dissemination and capacity building initiatives on the Declaration through the Regional Initiative on Indigenous Peoples in Asia. Furhtermore, UNDP-RIPP translated the Declaration into Bahasa indonesia, Khmer, Bengali and Thai. UNDP also reports on the trnaslation of the Declaration to Kichwa in Ecuador and its wide disseimination in both Spanish and Kichwa.
The UN system in Ecuador reports on several initiatives to disseminate the Declaration, including the publication and dissemination to indigenous organizations and leaders, and translation into 12 indigenous languages.
Final Report of UNPFII Session 7 (2008)
Area of Work
