Human Rights Mechanisms

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.

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.   

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

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

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 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.  

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. 

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 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. 

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.