STATEMENT OF MR. OLE HENRIK MAGGA, CHAIRPERSON OF THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES, ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF UNICEF’S DIGEST ON THE INDIGENOUS CHILD

24 February 2004

I welcome the launch of UNICEF’s Digest entitled “Ensuring the Rights of Indigenous Children”, a publication that can be a very useful tool for policy makers and practitioners at the national and international level. It is a demonstration of UNICEF’s commitment to the millions of indigenous children who number high among the world’s poorest, most discriminated and most vulnerable.

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is a testimony of a new partnership between states and indigenous peoples and has opened new avenues for indigenous voices to be heard at the highest policy-making levels. Since its First Session in 2002 the Permanent Forum decided that indigenous children will be a major priority in its work for the years to come and devoted the special theme of its Second Session in 2003 to indigenous children, highlighting the urgent need for action to improve indigenous children’s lives. Indigenous Children was the first special theme designated as such by the Permanent Forum. The dedication last September of a special focus to indigenous children by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF’s Digest initiative have practically galvanized a new potential and are raising new hopes.

We congratulate the Innocenti Research Center of UNICEF for giving through the Digest a documented account of the grave problems facing indigenous children today, both in the South and in the North, for building solutions on a human rights approach and on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the most broadly ratified international human rights treaty. The Digest takes a holistic approach, demonstrating that it is not possible to consider the issues of indigenous children unless we consider children as part of their community. While it is gravely disconcerting to read in the Digest the many examples of extreme poverty, discrimination and other human rights violations faced by indigenous children, it is also encouraging to learn about innovative good practices and programmes that have made a difference in indigenous children’s lives. These show that change is indeed possible when the political will and the resources are available.

I would like to congratulate the Government of Spain for hosting the world launch of the Digest, a sign of its commitment to the cause of the world’s children and to encourage its continuing support for indigenous children. It is indeed one of the highest responsibilities of governments, the donor community and intergovernmental organizations, especially UNICEF, the private sector and civil society at large to gear their efforts towards promoting and assisting sustainable human development, with indigenous peoples’ full and meaningful participation, including women’s and children’s participation.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, during his official visit to various countries of South America in November last year conveyed a sense of profound urgency in solving the problems faced by indigenous children today, by delivering a specific address on indigenous children in Cuzco, Peru, a sacred site for indigenous peoples and calling on the world to listen to indigenous children’s voices and to act as their partners.

Indigenous peoples are not simply asking the world for assistance, but are also contributing to humanity and diversity with their knowledge and their rich cultures and languages that are part of our global heritage.

I was an indigenous child myself once – a long time ago. And in the last two years I have been visiting many parts of the world as the Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. I am encouraged by the progress indigenous peoples have made through our struggles, but the faces of indigenous reality I have witnessed around the world show that there is not one minute to lose. UNICEF’s Digest is a good step in the right direction of a process and as Chairman of the Permanent Forum I hope that we will be able to promote its use as an awareness raising working tool for policy makers. But the Permanent Forum and its constituency have the high expectation of a closer partnership for indigenous children with UNICEF and other intergovernmental agencies. I want to highlight the urgent need for cooperation to address four areas in particular:

--the threats to indigenous children’s security;

--the threats to their land;

--the threats to their language and culture; and

--the subjection of indigenous children to exploitation.

We must not let indigenous children down. They embody the will of indigenous peoples’ to survive and prosper into the future, with their dignity and human rights respected and their voices heard at all levels of national and international society.