Opening Session of the 21st Working Group on the Indigenous Population

During the opening of the 21st Session of the Working Group on the Indigenous Population (held at the United Nations, Geneva, July 21st-25th, 2003), and through its morning session, the Agenda has been approved. The theme of the 21st session is "Indigenous people and globalisation".

M. Ramcharan, High Commissioner of the Sub-Commission started the session on the 21st of July, 2003 by emphasizing the fundamental principles that will serve as the basis of the debate for the upcoming session days. In accordance with the spirit of the Human Rights Declaration, he asserted the necessity to protect the fundamental rights of the indigenous people, who represent the "poorest among the poor." In order to fulfill this goal, justice needs to be brought to the victims of abuse as well as their perpetrators, "new biotechnological threats" (GMOs,…) must be recognized, and the promotion of tolerance and the quest for the respect of human dignity must take place.

Founded twenty years ago, this working group has been trying to settle a "normalization process" that would contribute to the dialogue between communities and governments. Involved in realizing this goal, the Permanent Forum (founded in 2002) will have the difficult task of assessing the results of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. As Mr. Ramcharan recalled, the Volunteer Fund (which is part of the Permanent Forum) contributed more than eighty representatives to attend the meeting of the sub-commission this year.

In light of this contribution, the Assembly is one of the most important organizations dealing with indigenous people rights and liberties issues.

According to the protocol, M. Miguel Alfonso Martinez was elected by consensus as president of the sub-commission. Afterwards, the provisional agenda adopted two alterations. The first one is the introduction of an addenda under the title "Other Matters" (pt 6E) concerning the threat on the micro-sates of the Polynesian Islands (such as Tuvalu) that are endangered by the effects of global warming. In the second alteration of the agenda, the bureau has decided to include the proposition made by Mr. El Hadji Guissé (a suggestion to raise the concerns about the equity of justice for indigenous populations) in the discussions.

Closing this first session, the President invited the indigenous representatives to hand in their lectures for the following days in order to improve the interactivity of the debates.

By : John Clapot Auran and Jérome Gygax
Contribution for translation: Paula Bula

BACK