Briefing on UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations
organized by OHCHR

The briefing was co-presented by Ms. Eulalia Ortado, representing the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous People, Ms. Miriam Anne Frank , representing the Human Right Fund, and Ms. Brigitte Vonäsch, representing the Swiss Fund.

Eulalia Ortado gave a short history of the UN Voluntary Fund and described its purpose, which consists of assisting representatives of indigenous communities and organizations in the deliberation of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations and the open-ended inter-session Working Group of the Commission of the Human Rights, as well as in attending the sessions of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous as observers.

After this introduction, Ms. Ortado insisted on the application forms for funds and on the established criteria used to attribute travel grants. She recommended that indigenous organisations or communities be careful about the next dead-line (1 October 2003). She also suggested that new indigenous organisations or communities should contact organisations that already posses the required ECOSOC status.

Ms. Miriam Anne Frank explained that the Human Right Fund is an independent fund. This fund works like a supplementary fund. The indigenous organisations or communities should send letters eight weeks before applying. Since the next draft declaration meeting is in September, the letter must be sent before the 1 August 2003.

Ms. Brigitte Vonäsch explained that the application for the Swiss fund could be done by e-mail or fax. Indigenous organisations or communities should include a self-description which explain the function of its participants. The request for funds, which only pertains to living costs and not travel costs, should be done one month before the meeting.

During the discussion that followed, participants from New-Zealand (Maori), India and a representative of IPACC, claimed that in the past number of years funds had be given to " non-authentic " indigenous people. Ms. Eulalia Ortado replied that these allegations were not supported by any evidence, but that she is ready to collaborate on this issue.

Another point discussed by participants from Sudan, the Republic of Center Africa and the Congo (pigmy) was the difficulty with learning about the funds and their circulation. For example, the pigmies do not have Internet connection. Due to this fact, all information circulated on the World Wide Web is unavailable to them. In response, Ms. Ortado explained that the dissemination of the information pertaining to the funds just started and it is only possible if the process is taken step-by-step.

The participant from Peru also suggested that the funds are monopolised by European organisations and that some organisations are just created for short periods of time and then disappear. A list should therefore be created in order to ameliorate this issue. Eulalia Ortado responded that there is a difference between intention and reality and that it is ultimately the responsibility of the organisations to be authentic in such matters.

In summary, the important issue to realize at this moment is that indigenous organisations and communities can now request funds from a variety of sources.

By : Rapahël Contel

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For more information :
Ms. Eulalia Ortado (eortado-rosich@ohchr.org),
Ms. Miriam Anne Frank (iga@iwgia.org),
Ms. Brigitte Vonäsch (biv@diplanet.ch).

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