UN Chronicle | A Celebration of the Role of Indigenous Populations at the United Nations

A Celebration of the Role of Indigenous Populations at the United Nations
By Consuelo Remmert for the Chronicle

Web Article

The UN Deputy-Secretary General Louise Fréchette, herself a Canadian, spoke of the United Nations' commitment to the world's indigenous peoples at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards Ceremony in Ottawa, Canada, on March 28 2003.

Ms. Fréchette celebrated the rich contributions by aboriginal people around the world to humanity and commemorated their diverse histories, heritages, and backgrounds. She also congratulated the winners of the Award on their role in the promotion of change.

The Forum is "a platform, in the house of all nations, where the voices [of indigenous peoples] can be heard; where their identities can be affirmed; where their unique knowledge can be showcased; where they can come together, with each other and all of humanity, to work for a better world," Ms. Fréchette said. The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards are a special project of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, established in 1985 by Mohawk conductor and composer John Kim Bell. The Canadian foundation helps aboriginal students achieve their academic and professional goals, it grants individual scholarships and organizes annual career fairs for aboriginal students.

Several individuals have been named recipients of the Award for their contributions to the improvement of life conditions of Aboriginal populations. This year's recipients included engineers, authors, athletes, and even a young aspiring astronaut.

In July 2000, the Economic and Social Council established the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the first major body of the United Nations to represent directly the interests of indigenous populations. Ms. Fréchette officially inaugurated the Forum in May 2002. It consists of 16 independent experts on indigenous issues. The President of the Council appoints eight indigenous members; governments and the Council elect the other eight members. They serve for three years with the possibility of re-election for an additional term. The selection of members is based on fair representation, the diversity and geographical distribution of indigenous peoples, transparency, and equal opportunity for all indigenous peoples.

Links

International Decade of the World's Indigenous People 1995 - 2004

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