UNPO will be represented at the 22nd session of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) by several Member delegations, including the Ahwazi nation in Iran, the Batwa in Rwanda and the Khmer Kampuchea-Krom Federation in Vietnam.

The Session will take place from 19 to 23 July 2004 in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The theme this year is Indigenous peoples and conflict resolution. A provisional agenda for the Working Group can be found here.

On 18 July 2004, following the World Council of Churches preparatory meeting, UNPO Adviser and Director of the Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights Dr. Joshua Cooper will be conducting a seminar for all conference attendees entitled “Indigenous Peoples and Conflict Resolution: Honoring the Spirit of Hiawatha and Te Whiti for Diplomacy and Direct Action in Global Politics Rooted in the Rule of Law and Culture of Peace”.

Indigenous Rights
In regards to a key mission of UNPO—enabling Effective Participation of Indigenous Populations at United Nations bodies—this year’s session of WGIP will be especially important. It falls on the culminating year of the International Decade on Indigenous Populations (1995-2004), and the progress a draft UN Resolution entitled the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will be discussed.

Questions regarding UNPO at the WGIP can be directed to [email protected].


UN WGIP website