United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)

Periodic discussion are going on at the United Nations regarding the rights of Indigenous people around the world. Most all Indigenous people around the world are facing similar threats to their cultural, spiritual and social existence from States and coorporate interests. International laws and agreements exist or are being proposed that will force nation states to legally protect the human rights of indigenous people. Below are some documents that outline the positions of both First Nations and Canada:

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People - Nov. 2006

Canada’s Position on the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People - June 2006

Link to UNPFII

Link to BC First Nations Summit

Indigenous Peoples’ Center for Documentation, Research and Information (doCip)

http://www.docip.org/anglais/welcome.html

doCip is a Swiss NGO linking Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations. It is a non-profit organization established in 1978 at the request of Indigenous Representatives to the United Nations.

doCip is a service organisation supporting indigenous representatives whilst working within the UN system.

doCip is based on the principle of respect for the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples: it only acts when asked by indigenous representatives themselves and offers an exclusively technical support.

doCip consists of an Executive Committee and a multilingual team of different cultural backgrounds, most of whom are volunteers. Working languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and whenever possible Russian.

doCip is funded by the European Community (European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the State of Geneva, the City of Geneva and Rights and Democracy.

The Priorities of doCip

1. To constitute a liaison centre between the international organisations and indigenous organisations through the collection, classification and dissemination of the documentation of international and indigenous organisations.
2. To fulfil the role of a welcoming office offering advice (practical as well as specialised).
3. To provide a Geneva based office where Indigenous Representatives may work during the different meetings and conferences in the Geneva area.
4. To organise training courses for indigenous people which allow them to improve their knowledge of the international legal instruments concerning indigenous affairs.
5. To promote relationships between Indigenous Peoples themselves.
6. To collect and disseminate the views and opinions of Indigenous Peoples concerning the Rio Conference and the other international conventions (Biodiversity, Climate, Forests).
7. To distribute an Information Newsletter about the meetings of international organisations which allows Indigenous Representatives to keep up to date.
8. To identify international legal instruments useful to Indigenous Peoples.

The documentation centre includes:

1. The statements of indigenous and government representatives as well as experts studies, reports, and other instruments of the following bodies:
* Working Group on Indigenous Peoples (since its establishment in 1982)
* Sub-Commission for the Protection of Minorities
* Commission on Human Rights
* Working Group of the Commission on the Draft Declaration (established in 1995)
2. A general collection of indigenous documents and of those relating to indigenous issues.
3. A collection of periodicals.
4. A collection of working documents (guide books, manuals, lists of reference, etc.) and of books dealing with indigenous issues.

The documents are recorded and indexed under INMAGIC Plus.

We have adopted the HURIDOCS Standard Format for the registration and the exchange of bibliographical information about Human Rights.

The Services

doCip establishes bibliographies on indigenous themes, sends catalogues or photocopies of articles and indexes, and catalogues new documents dealing with indigenous affairs.

The services are offered free of charge to all indigenous organisations and to NGOs from the South concerned with the indigenous struggle.

For universities and scholar institutions we request a participation in the costs involved:

* Students: on personal presentation SF. 0.10, on written request, SF. 0.20 p. page.
* Others: on personal presentation SF 0.20, on written request, SF. 0.30 p. page.

The Update/Informativo

The Update/Informativo publishes summaries of the main UN meetings concerning Indigenous Peoples. It also provides information about the future events in the different international organisations so that the indigenous organisations may prepare themselves for these events. It also provides information about publications of potential interest to Indigenous Peoples. The Update / Informativo is published in English, Spanish, French and (whenever possible ) in Russian.

The Technical Secretariats

Every year in July and in October/November the UN Working Groups on Indigenous Peoples take place in Geneva with the participation of two hundred indigenous representatives. doCip volunteers translate their documents and their informal discussions and facilitate their contacts with UN officers, NGOs of the North and the press and - together with other organisations - take care of the provision of communal lodgings, among many other services.

If you belong to an indigenous organisation and do not yet know doCip , please write to us: we will send you documentation and our periodical Update free of charge. We are always grateful to receive documents produced by indigenous organisations.

If you live close to Geneva, please come to help us either throughout the year or during the technical secretariats!

If you do not have any spare time you may also become a doCip member by paying an annual fee of Swiss Francs 30.- and thus you will support our activities and receive our Update.

The Indigenous Peoples share their culture, their vision of the world and their experience of centuries of struggle for survival. Their social values, based on the reciprocity and solidarity between generations, are essential for a future respectful of life.