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| In 1923, Haudenosaunee Chief Deskaheh travelled to Geneva to speak to the League of Nations and defend the right of his people to live under their own laws, on the own land and under their own faith. Even though he was not allowed to speak and returned home in 1924, his vision nourished the generations that followed. Photo/Centre d'Iconographie Genevoise, Collections BPU, Switzerland | The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues celebrated the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on 8 August at UN Headquarters in New York. The event was organized in cooperation with the UN Department of Public Information and the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. In his address at the commemoration, Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised "the existence, diversity and achievements of the world's indigenous people". The International Day, officially observed on 9 August, is part of the International Decade (1995-2004), set up by the General Assembly in 1993.
Ole Henrik Magga, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum, noted the "substantial progress" that has been made towards initiating the integration of indigenous issues within the United Nations system since the Forum's first session in May 2002. The Secretary-General also highlighted the positive development of the Permanent Forum, stating that it "has given indigenous peoples a home at the United Nations". The Forum seeks to work more closely with UN agencies, funds and programmes, in order to accelerate the implementation of national policies in regards to the integration of indigenous people.
The ceremony was held against the background of a cultural world heritage photographic exhibition entitled "Our Past, Our Future", by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The display showed images of indigenous people, illustrating the importance of cultural issues affecting their communities. The agency plays a crucial role in implementing the theme of the International Decade, "Partnership in Action", whose goals are to strengthen international cooperation, in order to solve problems faced by indigenous people in areas such as human rights, development, the environment, education and health. UNESCO highlights the role of civil society in education and ensures the engagement and participation of civil society in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of strategies for educational development.
The Permanent Forum is the voice of up to 500 million indigenous people in more than 70 countries around the world, representing over 5,000 languages and cultures on every continent. Its creation in 2000 as an advisory body of the UN Economic and Social Council, made it possible for indigenous communities from across the world to speak for themselves in a new way and present their views as full-fledged members of a United Nations body. Sixteen independent experts, who function in their personal capacities, represent members of the Forum elected every three years. The Forum's three main responsibilities consist of preparing and disseminating information, as well as discussing indigenous issues within the Council's mandate, including economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights; providing expert advice and recommendations to the Council, as well as to UN programmes, funds and agencies; and raising awareness about indigenous issues and helping to integrate and coordinate activities within the UN system.
The indigenous people's close dependency on the environment for physical and spiritual reasons has engaged many indigenous peoples in a fight to remain on their lands and retain their right to their natural resources. Large-scale development projects are the main culprits for that cultural genocide, particularly in the Amazon. The problems do not stem from a lack of laws and enforcement, but rather from the fact that communities are seldom consulted and involved in decision processes. For these reasons, the Permanent Forum has called for renewed efforts to ensure the protection of the indigenous peoples' human rights. The Forum recently held its second meeting at UN Headquarters, from 12 to 23 May 2003, with its theme on "Indigenous Children and Youth", highlighting the indigenous children's role in ensuring the survival, growth and prosperity of their people. The theme of the Forum's meeting was developed in close collaboration with the UN Children's Fund in 2003.
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