Welcome to the United Nations
The fifteenth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9 to 20 May 2016. UNPFII15 was devoted to the theme “Indigenous peoples: conflict, peace and resolution.” Since its establishment in the year 2000, the Permanent Forum has expressed major concern over the persistence of various conflict situations affecting indigenous peoples around the world.
To prevent and resolve such conflicts, and build lasting peace, the Permanent Forum has urged dialogue and consensus-building, guided by the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, makes direct reference to indigenous peoples’ rights to land and self-determination – the two issues at the heart of most conflicts affecting indigenous peoples
The Permanent Forum has called on States to collaborate with indigenous peoples in designing and implementing early warning systems to prevent conflict and ensure peace, security and good governance on indigenous peoples’ lands and territories. The Forum has also urged States to actively support and promote processes of dialogue and consensus-building, guided by the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It has further called on States to ensure that indigenous peoples can participate and provide first-hand information about abuses in conflict and post-conflict situations, including to ensure that they can freely document and report violations without risk of reprisal.
For more information, please visit un.org/indigenous
