UN indigenous peoples forum opens annual meeting in NYC

Aqqaluk Lynge, left, then Inuit Circumpolar Council president, and Áile Javo, president of the Saami council represent Arctic indigenous interests at the 13th session of the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2014. (FILE PHOTO)

Between April 20 and May 1, hundreds of representatives from the 370 million indigenous peoples who live around the world will meet in New York City at the United Nations for the 14th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.

This year, among other topics, they plan to discuss self-harm and suicide among the world’s 67 million indigenous youth.

“Economic, social, cultural and political marginalization has displaced many Indigenous youth and in particular, young Indigenous men,” a background document says.

“The marginalization of Indigenous peoples has, in many cases, triggered drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and a host of other traumatic conditions. These conditions are then ultimately suffered by Indigenous youth and present themselves in many forms, including self-harm and suicide.”

The questions those at the forum will consider include:

• What are the root causes of indigenous youth suicide and self-harm? What other factors contribute to this situation?

• What are examples of best practices in addressing and preventing indigenous youth suicide 
and self-harm?

• What works and why? What doesn’t work?

• How can the UN system help? How can the UN provide support to 
indigenous youth?

The forum, which meets for 10 days each year at the UN headquarters, is a high-level advisory body that deals with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights.

Within the forum, Inuit from the Inuit Circumpolar Council and Saami from the Saami Council form the Arctic Caucus.

The UN defines “indigenous peoples” as those who inhabited a country or a geographical region at a time before people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived and became dominant through conquest, occupation, settlement or other means.

But given the diversity of indigenous peoples, the UN has not adopted an official definition of “indigenous.” The UN says the best approach is to identify, rather than define indigenous peoples.