Subject: WGPF: Chairman/rapporteur's perception.
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 14:28:40 +0100
21 february 2000
ELEMENTS FOR A PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES
Chairman/rapporteur's perception.
1. Mandate, membership and placement in the UN-system.
There shall be established a Forum on Indigenous Issues as a subsidiary body of the
ECOSOC.
The Forum shall be an advisory body with the mandate to discuss all indigenous issues.
The Forum shall furthermore:
a) provide tecnical/expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the parent
body, as well as to programs and agencies within the united Nations.
b) provide coordination within the United Nations' system of activities related to
indigenous issues.
c) prepare and disseminate information on indigenous issues.
Other proposals for a mandate are contained in CRP 1,3 and 5.
The Forum shall consist of 18/26 members equally divided between Governments and
Indigenous representatives
The membership of the forum should reflet equitable geographical distribution and give due
respect to gender balance.
The Forum shall be established as an expert body with the members serving in their
personal capacity.
It had also been proposed that the forum should be established as a functional commission
of ECOSOC. The existing functional commissions are, however, intergovernmental bodies.
2. Selection of members
The governmental experts shall be elected by ECOSOC for a period of three years with the
possibility of reappointment for one further period. Another option is appointment of
members by the Chairperson of ECOSOC ot by the Secretary-General, after consultations.
Concerning the selection of indigenous members, reference is made to a proposal contained
in CRP 5, submitted by the government of Spain. This issue needs, howevee, further
discussion.
3. Participation of observers.
All indigenous representatives/organisations should be able to participate as observers in
the meetings of the Forum.
Participation of organisations of indigenous people not in consultative status with EOSOC,
should be in accordance with the procedures established for the WGIP, until such time as
the Forum establishes its own procedures for participation.
UN Memeber states, specialized agencies and non-indigenous NGOs with consultative status
can participate in the meetings of the Forum as observer.
The Forum can invite experts to participate in its metings.
4. Meetings.
The Forum should hold an annual session of 10 working days. Further discussion is needed
on the cuestion of intersessional activities.
The Forum shall normally meet at the Heaquarters of the United Nations or at the United
Nations Office in Geneva.
5. Secretariat.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff, including
indigenous experts, and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the
Forum.
The Forum shall be financed within the resources of the regular budget of the Untied
Nations
Voluntary contributions could be sought to assist the programs and operations of the
Forum.
6. Rules of procedure/decision-making.
The Forum shall adopt its own rules of procedure with should be in conformity with those
of its parent body, ECOSOC. The rules should, i.a. enable the Forum to meet in closed
sessions when a majotity of its members so decide.
The Forum should. to the greatest extent possible, operate on the basis of consensus.
The Forum also take decisions by voting, by:
Option 1: either two-thirds majority
Option 2: by majority of both the government and indigenous members.
7 Review clause.
Five years after its establishment, there shall be a review of the functioning of the
Forum in light of the experience gained.