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Vicky Tauli-Corpuz talks about her visit to Paraguay in her capacity as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She discusses the process and the preparation of these visits, highlighting the need for autonomy and security for the people she talks with. 

It is an opportunity to meet with Indigenous communities, civil society organisations, government ministers and the private sector and encourage dialogue across society.  

Dalee Sambo discusses the exchange between the Brazilian government's representative and representatives of Brazil’s Indigenous tribes at the UNPFII 2015. Violations of Land Rights continue in Brazil, including the criminalization of Indigenous Peoples who are trying to defend their rights to land.  

John Scott highlights the importance of using processes established by Indigenous communities when gaining free, prior and informed consent for activities which will take place on their lands. He also talks about the importance of including traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples at the UN Permanent Forum.  

Escucha a un resumen de la primera semana del Foro Permanente para las Cuestiones Indígenas de la ONU. 

Alexey Tsykarev is disappointed with the outcome document and expected that it would be on the same level at least, as the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Alexey Tsykarev talks about the negotiations leading to the Outcome Document and how 3 months was not long enough and they should have been at least a year long. 

Alexey Tsykarev discusses the situation in Russia for Indigenous Peoples. Even though Russia abstained from voting for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, many of the articles in the Declaration exist in Russian legislation, however, the implementation at the federal, regional and local level is still a problem. 

Mililani Trask frankly states that there is not much work which can be done in the 2 days of discussions which make up the WCIP. She is not surprised by the lack of funding and the limitations on which issues can be discussed, but describes the resulting meeting as a betrayal because the WCIP was meant to bring people together to discuss many issues facing Indigenous Peoples and address how to move forward.  

The Outcome document will be open to interpretation and its success will depend on how individual states interpret the document and whether this is in line with Indigenous Peoples and civil society groups.  

Mililani Trask talks about the importance of cross-cultural support between Indigenous groups and how Indigenous women have been key to bringing this about. 

Indigenous Hawaiian leader Mililani Trask speaks about Indigenous women leaders and matriarchal societies.

Les Malazer, the Indigenous Co-advisor to the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in September 2015 discusses the preparation in the run up to the WCIP.   

Over 400 Indigenous Peoples came together in Alta, Norway to draft a document which was given to the United Nations. This document was heavily relied on in the negotiations and formed the basis of the outcome document from the WCIP.

“Nothing about us without us.” Les Malazer talks about how this meeting clearly demonstrated that Indigenous groups can work well with States. Although, he was disappointed with the fact that the drafting of the document continued into the States-only process. 

Les Malazer describes how the outcome document from the WCIP sets out actions to be taken by the United Nations and Member States, always with the involvement and the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples. He encourages Indigenous groups to see how they can engage with States using this document.

Les Malazer discusses the situation in Canada and how they need to adjust by supporting the principle of free, prior and informed consent. 

Les Malazer discusses the process for deciding items and actions to be included in the outcome document from the WCIP. 

The adoption of the declaration by the General Assembly was done smoothly, and it was well attended by Member States and Indigenous groups. 

In terms of the next steps for Indigenous Peoples, Les Malazer highlights that the outcome document contains many actions which are easy to look at and discuss how they might be implemented.

The declaration is not a legally binding document but rather a commitment in good faith from Member States of the UN. Les Malazer thinks this is the highest level of commitment Indigenous Peoples will be able to gain from States.  

“Key doors are now open but it has to be Indigenous Peoples who walk through those doors.”

Mililani Trask frankly states that there is not much work which can be done in the 2 days of discussions which make up the WCIP. She is not surprised by the lack of funding and the limitations on which issues can be discussed, but describes the resulting meeting as a betrayal because the WCIP was meant to bring people together to discuss many issues facing Indigenous Peoples and address how to move forward.