May 2009, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues meets for 10 days each year, at UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution that established the Forum (E/2000/22), the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that the Forum may decide.
It is a high-level advisory body that deals with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights.
In addition to these six areas, each session has thematically focused on a specific issue. During the Forum's first six sessions, a specific theme was discussed each year. Since the sixth session, the forum has decided on a bi-annual working method of one year of policy discussion and the second year dealing with implementation. Thus, themes for for forum sessions will change every two years.
Provisional agenda and documentation for the eighth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
1. Election of officers.
2. Adoption of the agenda and organization of work.
3. Follow-up to the recommendations of the Permanent Forum on:
(a) Economic and social development;
(b) Indigenous women;
(c) Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
4. Human rights:
(a) Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples;
(b) Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and other
special rapporteurs.
5. Half-day discussion on the Arctic.
6. Comprehensive dialogue with six United Nations agencies and funds.
7. Future work of the Permanent Forum, including issues of the Economic
and Social Council and emerging issues.
8. Draft agenda for the ninth session of the Permanent Forum.
9. Adoption of the report of the Permanent Forum on its eighth session.
