Since the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, various United Nations bodies have decided to take action to implement key decisions of the Conference:

1. Actions to combat violence against indigenous women. The Human Rights Council, the largest intergovernmental human rights body in the UN, held two panels in 2016 on the issue of violence against indigenous women and girls. In June, the Council held a panel on violence against indigenous women and girls and in July, the Council adopted its annual resolution to accelerate efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls with a special focus on indigenous women and girls. On September 20, the Council held another panel on violence against indigenous women and girls resulting in a set of recommendations on concrete measures to address the causes and consequences of violence against indigenous women. The Commission on the Status of Women, the global policymaking body to promote gender quality and empowerment of women, also decided to consider the issue of violence against indigenous women during its focus area on empowerment of indigenous women on March 15, 2017.
2. An implementing and monitoring body for the UN Declaration. The Human Rights Council convened a two-day expert workshop April 4-5, 2016, to review the mandate of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to propose recommendations for how the body can “more effectively promote respect for the UN Declaration, including by better assisting member states to monitor, evaluate, and improve achievement of the ends of the Declaration,” in keeping with the call of the World Conference Outcome Document. The report from the workshop is available here. The Center, with several supporting indigenous nations and organizations, submitted written comments to inform the report, along with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s written comments. The resolution strengthening the Expert Mechanism was adopted on September 30, 2016, and includes authority for the body to issue reports to the Council, to provide technical assistance to states regarding their laws and policies, and to engage in facilitating dialogue with states and indigenous peoples in order to address challenges to achieving the objectives of the Declaration. Membership has been increased to seven and meeting days to ten. The resolution is available here.
3. Participation of indigenous governments in the UN. Participation of indigenous governments in the UN. Past Presidents of the General Assembly have held a series of consultations with indigenous peoples and member states to determine how to enable the participation of indigenous peoples' representatives and institutions (governments) at the UN. The Center, with supporting indigenous nations and organizations, submitted written comments to inform an electronic and in-person consultations. Based on such inputs, the advisers to the President published a compilation of views and addendum called the “elements for discussion” which were the subject of consultations from December, 2016-May, 2017. Intergovernmental negotiations among member states took place from May-August 2017, but failed to reach consensus. As a result, a compromise resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 8, 2017, extending the consultative phase and any substantive decision on the matter until the General Assembly's 75th session in 2020-2021. More information and relevant documents regarding the consultation process is available here.

ILRC Joint Written Statement 8-18-2017
ILRC Supplemental Submission_5-13-16
ILRC Statement I on objective of the process 5-18-16
ILRC Statement II on purpose of consultations and terminology 5-18-16
ILRC Comments on Third Compilation 6-28-16
Indian Law Comments_6-30-16
ILRC Supplemental Submission_1-27-16

Actions to Follow-up Decisions of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

Download the full details of our proposals to implement decisions of the World Conference:
Actions to combat violence against indigenous women.pdf
An Implementing and monitoring body for the UN Declaration.pdf
Participation of indigenous governments in the UN.pdf
 

Apr. 10, 2017|The President of the 71st session of the General Assembly announced next steps to finalize the process to enable the participation of indigenous peoples' representative institutions at the UN.
 

Oct. 3, 2016 | The President of the 71st session of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, in response to Resolution A/RES/69/2, conducted an informal launch briefing on the next steps to enable the participation of indigenous peoples' representatives and institutions (governments) at the United Nations. The PGA reconfirmed the appointment of H.E. Mr. Kai Sauer, Permanent Representative of Finland; H.E. Ms. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Representative of Ghana; Dr. James Anaya; and Dr. Claire Winfield Ngamihi Charters as advisors to the process. The Advisors laid out the schedule of consultative meetings as follows:

• December 14 - 15, 2016
• January 30– February 1, 2017
• February 27-28, 2017
• April 26, 2017
• May 3. 2017

December 14-15, 2016 | Tribes Seek New Status at the United Nations

July 11, 2016 | Center Asks UN Body to Uphold World Conference Decisions

June 13-July 1, 2016 | Center calls on UN Human Rights Council to take action to end violence against indigenous women

March 14-24, 2016 | At the 60th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, New York, NY

Sept. 14-Oct. 2, 2015 | At the September 2015 30th Session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland

July 20-24, 2015 | At the 9th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Geneva, Switzerland

July 22, 2015 | At the Economic and Social Council, New York, NY
On July 22, Center Attorney Leonardo Crippa addressed the Economic and Social Council on behalf of the Indian Law Resource Center, the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund, and the Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians, supporting the report and calling for, among other things, the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in reforming the mandate and structure of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and for developing new rules for indigenous governments to participate in the UN. The Economic and Social Council took note of the Secretary-General’s report and the report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

June 15-July 3, 2015 | At the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland

April 20-May 1, 2015 | At the 14th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, New York, NY
Tribal leaders introduced a statement to the Permanent Forum on April 20, 2015, with proposals for follow-up work on the World Conference, including important details and recommendations for creating an effective implementing and monitoring body for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, new rules for the participation of indigenous peoples’ governments in the UN, and UN action to combat violence against indigenous women. The statement also urges that indigenous governments have the opportunity to review, respond, and comment on the Secretary-General’s report and recommendations before it is submitted to the Economic and Social Council in July. The statement, though never offered to the Forum due to time limitations, was shared widely and was successfully filed with the Secretariat on behalf of 90 indigenous nations and 23 organizations in the Americas.
Read Full Statement

March 9-20, 2015 | At the 59th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, New York, NY