The report of the 18th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2019) is now available in the six official United Nations languages.

The report was presented by the Chair of the Forum to the Economic and Social Council Management Meeting on 23 July 2019, UN Headquarters, New York.

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in collaboration with AFRIKAM Centre of the Istanbul Aydin University, organised a training workshop on the role of cooperatives in sustainable development with particular focus on its contribution to achieving the sustainable development goal target 3 - the provision of universal health care. The event took place at the Istanbul Aydin University from 21 – 23 May, attended by Co-operators and government officials from Turkey, Brazil, Fiji, Kenya, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Spain, Uganda, and Vietnam.

Violence, particularly sexual violence  perpetrated against  older women and men, physical attacks stemming from accusations of witchcraft and other deep-rooted cultural bias, discrimination and greed, often remain shrouded in the global discourse on Elder Abuse.

The fourth annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (STI Forum) took place on 14–15 May 2019 in UN Headquarters, New York. The theme of the STI Forum 2019 was “STI for ensuring inclusiveness and equality, with a special focus on SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, and 16“.

The official UN meetings coverage of the 18th Session of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues that took place from the 22 April to the 3 May are online.  Please find links to each article and videos of the sessions below.

Monday 22 April

Meetings Coverage: Indigenous People’s Traditional Knowledge Must Be Preserved, Valued Globally, Speakers Stress as Permanent Forum Opens Annual Session

The occurrence and duration of emergency crises have increased in the past years. Between 2005 and 2017 the number of crises receiving an international response grew from 16 to 30, and their average duration rose from 4 to 7 years.1 Emergency crises comprise human-made disasters like conflicts, and natural disasters such as hurricanes, storms or droughts. Natural and human-made disasters are often intertwined.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 61/106 of 13 December 2006. It came into force on 3 May 2008 upon the 20th ratification. Article 40 of the Convention stipulates that “The States Parties shall meet regularly in a Conference of States Parties in order to consider any matter with regard to the implementation of the present Convention.” Since 2008, ten sessions of the Conference of States Parties have been held at United Nations Headquarters, New York.

At the 12th plenary meeting of ECOSOC, held on 7 May, the Council elected the government-nominated Members to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for a 3-year term beginning 1 January 2020. The elected Members are the following:

"The UN Flagship Report on Disability and Development 2018 – Realizing the SDGs by, for and with persons with disabilities shows that people with disabilities are at a disadvantage regarding most Sustainable Development Goals, but also highlights the growing number of good practices that can create a more inclusive society in which they can live independently." UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on 3 December 2018