2017 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

In 2017, HLPF took place from 10–19 July at the UNHQ in New York under the theme “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”.

The goals under review in 2017 were: Goal 1 (End poverty), Goal 2 (Zero-hunger), Goal three (Good Health and well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure) and Goal 14 (Life below Water), as well as every year Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Further, 44 countries participated in the Voluntary National Reviews, including many countries with indigenous peoples. See the full list of countries here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf

A delegation of around 20 indigenous representatives were attending the HLPF and provided inputs to the discussion from the perspective of indigenous peoples.

Various side-events related to indigenous peoples’ rights and the 2030 Agenda were organised and an Indigenous Media Zone covered the first day of the high level/ministerial segment of the HLPF on 17 July.

Activities related to indigenous issues during the High Level Political Forum 2017

  • SIDE EVENT on 12th July 6.15 to 7.30 PM in Conference Room B:
    • Side Event on “Overcoming Poverty – Indigenous Concepts of Well-being and Development” with Ms. Tarcila Rivera Zea (UNPFII), Mr. Selim Jahan (Human Development Report Office, UNDP), Mr. Inge Herman Rydland (Special Representative from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway) and Ole Kaunga Johnson (Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation in Kenya). The side event was organised by the Indigenous Peoples’ Major Group, the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (SPFII/DSPD/DESA) and the International Indigenous Women’s Forum – and co-sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and UN Women.
    • See the Flyer for the event here: Side Event Flyer_Overcoming Poverty_Indigenous Concepts of Well-being and Development_12 July 2017.
    • See a short Summary of the event here: Summary of Side Event_Indigenous Peoples 2017
  • PRESS CONFERENCE on 13th of July:
    • The 2030 Agenda: Progress for Indigenous Peoples? (UN Department of Public Information). Watch it HERE
  • INDIGENOUS VOICES AT HLPF on 17th of July 9 AM to 6 PM:
    • Indigenous Voices at the High Level Political Forum. Indigenous representatives and community media covered the HLPF 2017 through their own perspectives, voices and languages in this one-day space with panels, interviews and story telling with the indigenous representatives at the HLPF. The programme is available here: Programme_Indigenous Voices at the HLPF_2017_July 14 – and if you missed the interviews, they can still be seen on www.facebook.com/unpfii/ or through this page.

UNPFII’s substantive inputs to HLPF 2017

As a subsidiary body to the Economic and Social Council, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues provided substantive inputs to the thematic reviews of the High Level Political Forum 2017, highlighting what is needed to ensure that indigenous peoples are not left behind in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The substantive inputs can be found in all UN languages here.

The substantive inputs are also available on the Sustainable Development Online Review platform here.

On the main page of the HLPF (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf), the different progress reports and synthesis reports informing the HLPF 2017 are available.

The “Synthesis of voluntary submissions by functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council and other intergovernmental bodies and forums” makes several points related to indigenous peoples, including the importance of reviewing legislation from the perspective of human rights of indigenous peoples and of ensuring effective engagement of indigenous peoples’ as active stakeholders in implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. The report also draws attention to the special situation of indigenous women, the customary rights and laws of indigenous peoples and local communities to access, use, govern and manage lands and natural resources and the negative effect of business enterprises that have adverse impacts on indigenous peoples.

The UNPFII substantive inputs were submitted to the President of ECOSOC on the 28 April 2017. Unfortunately, the substantive inputs were not integrated in the synthesis report, but they can be read in their entirety through the online review platform (see link above).