Indigenous Youth Organizations’ Recommendations to the UNPFII 8th Session

Written by Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network

Saturday, 30 May 2009 07:50

New York- Indigenous Youth Organizations from Asia and the Pacific presented the following recommendations to the Eighth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).

Asia Pacific Indigenous Youth Network, an alliance of indigenous youth organizations in Asia and the Pacific presented the following recommendations to the Eighth Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on behalf of indigenous youths from the Asia Pacific region.

The recommendations focus on three key issues: youth participation, protection of civil rights and planning for the ninth session. Concerned with various issues, challenges and human rights violations faced by indigenous youths across the Asia Pacific region and beyond, the recommendation was prepared by youth representatives present at the eighth session of the UNPFII.

Participation: We would like to reiterate the following recommendations on indigenous youth participation.

1. The Permanent Forum should ensure the right of indigenous youth to participate in the forum regardless of their nationality, gender and political situation in their country.

2. More youth participation from under represented regions of the world including Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America should be encouraged.

3. We request the Permanent Forum to urge the government of the United States to issue United States visas for indigenous youths to attend future sessions of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues without any discrimination.

4. We request the Permanent Forum to urge the UN voluntary Fund and other UN agencies, funds and programs to increase the allocation of their funds for more youth participation in decision making process on issues that impact indigenous peoples and their capacity building.

5. We request the Permanent Forum to urge the Small Grants Program: Trust Fund for Second Decade to allocate more funds and resources for indigenous youth initiatives such as capacity building at the local, national and regional level.

6. We request the Permanent Forum to ensure indigenous youth participation in the decision making process on issues that impact indigenous youths.

Civil Rights:

1. We suggest the Forum to consider Self Determination and Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples as its special theme for future session in the light of human rights violations and the denial of right to self-determination occurring in many Asian countries.

2. We urge the Forum to prioritize the protection of right to information of indigenous youth.

3. We urge the Forum to prioritize the rights of indigenous youth and women for education and healthcare.

The Ninth Session:

1. For the upcoming ninth session, we urge UN agencies to assist indigenous youth caucus and indigenous youth organizations for pre- meeting of the youth delegates.

2. We request the Permanent Forum to assist and support the indigenous youth caucus to organize a training prior to the ninth session of the Permanent Forum on UN system and mechanism applicable to indigenous peoples, specifically to ensure more participation and interventions from indigenous youths to the Permanent Forum. At the training, we will include country updates on indigenous issues.

3. We will organize a cultural event and a side event for a dialogue between indigenous youth, elders and Permanent Forum members at the ninth session.

4. We strongly request the Permanent Forum to follow up, monitor and implement previous recommendations on children and youth.

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