UNPO representative, Miss Sofia Mårn, has arrived in New York to attend the Seventh Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).  Miss Mårn will be accompanying representatives for the Ahwazi, Batwa, Chin, Cordillera, Hmong, Iranian Kurdistan, Khmer Krom, Ogoni,  Sindh, and Uyghur peoples who will be present with over 3,000 other delegates from all over the world to discuss issues affecting indigenous peoples.

The UNPFII was established by a United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) resolution in 2000 and first met in 2002, in New York.  Since then, ten day sessions have been held each year, with additional expert groups and workshops convened on particular topics.  The Secretariat of the UNPFII also provides an internship programme to interested students.

This year, the Forum has been given a theme of “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods:  the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges” in recognition of the growing threat to life and livelihood as a result of rising sea levels, deforestation, and the new focus on biofuels as a alternative to dwindling and insecure hydrocarbon resources.  The Pacific region has been identified as one of the regions most under threat and will feature as part of a half-day discussion on Wednesday 23 April 2008. 

With 2008 being designated as a UN International Year of Languages the UNPFII will also lay emphasis on language rights, the need to protect indigenous languages from extinction, and ways of promoting indigenous languages.  Under review will be the report of the international expert group on indigenous languages.

Before the close of the UNPFII on 2 May 2008, the Forum will also address concerns over the condition of indigenous peoples living within urban areas, the effects of migration on indigenous groups and indigenous children and youth.  The last two days of the Forum are scheduled to discuss the agenda for the Eighth UNPFII which is likely to be held in May 2009.

This year’s UNPFII also will be the first for the newly nominated members to the Forum.  Sixteen members are nominated to sit for a term of three years, with the current term having begun on 1 January 2008.  Of the sixteen members, eight are government sponsored, and eight are selected from a nomination put forward by indigenous groups.  The members are:

Mr. Simeon Adewale Adekanye (Nigeria)

Mr. Lars-Anders Baer (Sweden)

Ms. Elisa Canqui Mollo (Bolivia)

Mr. Bartolomé Clavero Salvador (Spain)

Mr. Michael Dodson (Australia)

Ms. Tonya Gonella Frichner (USA)

Ms. Paimaneh Hasteh (Islamic Republic of Iran)

Mr. Hassan Id Balkassm (Morocco)

Ms. Margaret Lokawua (Uganda)

Mr. Carlos Mamani Condori (Bolivia)

Ms. Liliane Muzangi Mbela (DR of Congo)

Mr. A A Nikiforov (Russian Federation)

Mr. Carsten Smith (Norway)

Mr. Pavel Sulyandziga (Russian Federation)

Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz (Philippines)

Ms Xiaomei Qin (China)