Commitments need to be concrete for Second indigenous Decade.

REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, senior United Nations officials and members of nongovernmental organizations gathered at UN Headquarters in New York on 15 May 2006 for the opening ceremony of the fifth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which also launched the Programme of Action of the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People.

Building on the achievements of the First Decade (1995-2004), which placed the spotlight on the needs of indigenous peoples, the Second Decade seeks to further strengthen global cooperation for the achievement of the goals of indigenous peoples in the areas of culture, education, health, human rights, the environment and social and economic development. Initiatives include action-oriented programmes and specific projects, increased technical assistance and relevant standard-setting activities. The end of the Second Decade, in 2015, also coincides with the year benchmarked for the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which represent a set of internationally agreed-upon objectives, ranging from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, all by the target date of 2015.

In a video message to the Forum, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that the Programme of Action "seeks to help indigenous people build better lives through full participation and partnerships. It aims to enable them to win respect for their identities, their languages and their cultures". He added: "I call on all States to work with indigenous peoples to translate the Programme into reality on the ground. Let us aim to make it mean something positive--a change for the better--in the life of every indigenous person, wherever he or she may live."

The Action Programme was meant to give practical effect to the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document for the benefit of all indigenous peoples. Member States had reaffirmed their commitment to preserve and maintain the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous communities, and had recognized that their sustainable development was crucial in the fight against hunger and poverty. They also pledged to keep advancing the human rights of indigenous peoples and to present for adoption as soon as possible a United Nations declaration on those rights.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Jose Antonio Ocampo, Coordinator of the Second Decade, said that he would insist on creating synergies of achieving the MDGs and the overarching goals of the Second Decade. The international community was making progress, he added, but to reach all these goals it was necessary to translate international commitments into concrete programmes and projects. He urged stakeholders to implement specific programmes for the Decade and contribute to the trust fund for indigenous issues. He said he was looking forward to building a meaningful partnership to promote the well-being and dignity of indigenous peoples.

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The Chairperson of the Permanent Forum, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, said that the creation of a set of legal standards at the international level would ensure respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples. Noting that the work on the draft declaration had finally wrapped up after 11 years of work, she hoped that it would be part of the agenda of the first session of the newly established Human Rights Council and would be adopted by the General Assembly before the end of 2006. Also featured during the opening ceremony were performances by indigenous dancers, singers and musicians from the United States, the Russian Federation, Norway and Australia, among others.

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was established by the Economic and Social Council in July 2000 to provide expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the United Nations system, raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of relevant activities within the UN system, as well as disseminate information on indigenous issues. The Forum is comprised of 16 independent experts appointed by the Council, eight of whom are nominated by Governments and eight directly by indigenous organizations in their regions.