EMRIP16: Item 11 – Enhancing the Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations

16^th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)
17^th to 21^st July 2023, Geneva, Switzerland
Joint Statement on
Agenda Item 11: Enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations
Statement on behalf of Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus
Presented by: Shankar Limbu, LAHURNIP

Thank you, Mr Chair/Madam Chairperson,

We acknowledge the work of the Indigenous Coordinating Body for their excellent progress on the issue of enhancing the participation of the Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations.

Participation is a necessary and minimum requirement for Indigenous Peoples to reach out our concerns to the United Nations and member states. Indigenous Peoples’ active participation would create an opportunity to understand how to overcome the historical injustices and continuing systematic marginalisation and discrimination.

We endorse the recommendations put forth by the Indigenous Coordinating Body as it provides a roadmap. And here, we reiterate some of them:

• Recommend the Expert Mechanism to welcome the report of the Office of the High Commissioner of the four-day expert workshop convened by the Office of the High Commissioner on possible ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council, which was held from 21 to 24 November 2022
• We recommend the Expert Mechanism and the Human Rights Council to welcome the work of the Indigenous Coordinating Body, and encourage States and invite other public and/or private potential donors to financially support the work of the Indigenous Coordinating Body
• We recommend the Expert Mechanism to propose to the Council to continue to discuss further steps and measures necessary to enable and to facilitate the participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representative institutions in the work of the Human Rights Council
• We recommend the Expert Mechanism to invite the Council to request the Office of the High Commissioner to convene four two-day workshops before February 2025, open to the participation of States, and of Indigenous Peoples from the seven Indigenous socio cultural regions, including by inviting the submission of written contributions, on possible ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples’ representative institutions in the work of the Human Rights Council

Finally, we urge all nations, international organizations, and civil society actors to support the ICB’s vision and call upon the Member States, particularly from Asia, and the UN Bodies, to initiate dialogues on enhanced participation at the regional and national level with the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples. 

Thank you for this opportunity, Madam Chair.

Click here to download the full joint statement on Item 11