Having participated in the creation of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations (1982) and of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2002), gva4HR members closely monitored the establishment by the Human Rights Council in 2007 of its Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP).
Under this project, gva4HR prepared a specific course for indigenous partners and conducted a broad range of In Region Courses, especially in the Himalaya region. To support the advocacy of indigenous representatives, gva4HR also convened since 2014 an annual Expert Seminar during the (annual) EMRIP session. The delegations of Guatemala, Mexico, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands co-sponsor these events. Several gva4HR trainers also taught at the annual OHCHR trainings for indigenous fellows from all regions.
The Expert Seminar of March 2014 was to prepare the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, which took place in September 2014 in New York. Thereafter, gva4HR supported indigenous coalitions in their campaign to obtain the strengthening of EMRIP, and their demand for a special consultative status at the UN.
Theme of the second Expert Seminar (11 July 2016) was the strengthening of the mandate of the EMRIP. The third Seminar (14 July 2017) focused on the new (and broader) mandate given by the Human Rights Council to EMRIP and the implementation of the UN Declaration. Theme of the fourth Expert Seminar (13 July 2018) was the rule of free, prior and informed consent. The Seminar of 19 July 2019 dealt with the first country engagement of EMRIP (Missions in Finland, Mexico, New Zealand), Indigenous women in power; Indigenous peoples’ rights in the context of borders, migration and displacement), and Recognition, reparations and reconciliation.
Because of the Covid pandemic, in 2020, EMRIP’s July session and OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Programme were cancelled. In April 2020, the first calendar of UN meetings didn’t include even a mention of the EMRIP session. gva4HR called upon OHCHR to fix an alternative date. Ultimately, the 13th session of EMRIP was included in the UN calendar for the end of November. Meeting on-line only, EMRIP’s converted its 13th session into four consecutive regional virtual sessions, followed by a synthesis meeting for EMRIP members and Secretariat only. As it did not make sense to hold an Expert Seminar in the absence of indigenous representatives, gva4HR replaced it by a Geneva Briefing online, focusing on the UN Forums on Business and Human Rights, and on Minorities, and on EMRIP, whose virtual sessions were all monitored by our trainees.
| 6th gva4HR Expert Seminar on Indigenous peoples’ Rights (GSS-37) (hybrid, 15 July 2021) |
Theme of our sixth Expert Seminar on indigenous peoples’ rights was ‘The right to self-determination: the study of EMRIP and perspectives’. The event was co-sponsored by the delegations of Guatemala, Finland, Mexico and Norway and opened by Nicolas Zoller, coordinator or gva4HR project. 27 persons attended.
The first speaker was Prof. Jonathan Crossen(Centre for Sami Studies, the Arctic University of Norway)who presented his assessment of Indigenous Peoples’ Achievement at international level. Adrien-Claude Zoller spoke on the principle of free, prior and informed consent, and on the right to self-determination for indigenous peoples.
Suhas Chakma (Director AITPN, New-Dehli and & gva4HR Executive Council member) explained the obstacles to the right to self-determination for indigenous peoples in Asia. And Wensislaus Fatubun (West-Papua, Indonesia, gva4HR Member) presented the current debate in Indonesia on the Autonomy Status and Self-Determination for the Papuan.
In the discussion, several participants supported the demand of indigenous peoples to obtain a special status at the UN, and comments were made on the current negotiations on this issue. The speakers also commented on the notion of the right to )internal and external self-determination). Prof. Bertrand Ramcharan, former High Commissioner ad interim, concluded this conversation with a synthesis and general comments on the perspectives for indigenous peoples in the UN.