May 9-20, 2016
Theme: “Indigenous peoples: conflict, peace and resolution”.
The Permanent Forum is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council established by resolution 2000/22 on 28 July 2000. The Forum has the mandate to discuss Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.
According to its mandate, the Permanent Forum will:
- provide expert advice and recommendations on Indigenous issues to the Council, as well as to programs, funds and agencies of the United Nations, through ECOSOC;
- raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of activities related to Indigenous issues within the UN system;
- prepare and disseminate information on Indigenous issues The Permanent Forum holds annual two-week sessions.
The first meeting of the Permanent Forum was held in May 2002, and yearly sessions take place in New York. The Permanent Forum is one of three UN bodies that is mandated to deal specifically with Indigenous peoples’ issues. The others are the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) meets for 10 days each year, at UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution that established the Forum (E/2000/22), the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that the Forum may decide.
It is a high-level advisory body that deals with Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights. In addition to these six areas, each session has thematically focused on a specific issue. During the Forum”s first six sessions, a specific theme was discussed each year. Since 2008, the Forum has adopted a bi-annual working method of one year with a specific theme and the next year focusing on review of implementation.