UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS DIVISION FOR SOCIAL POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT SECRETARIAT OF THE PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES Rm DC2-1772 United Natins, New Yrk, New Yrk 10017 Telephne (917) 367-5100 - Fax (917) 367-5102 25 April 2006 Infrmatin Nte fr Indigenus Peples Organizatins and Nn-Gvernmental Organizatins n the Fifth Sessin f the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues This is ur last substantive cmmunicatin with yu befre we welcme yu t New Yrk fr the fifth sessin, which starts n 15 May 2006. The attachment t this letter prvides an utline f matters pertaining t the sessin. This year a recrd number f six satellite meetings are feeding int the Frum s sessin prviding a very rich surce f pssible recmmendatins frm which the Frum may draw, in additin t papers frm the Frum members themselves, the agencies and indigenus rganizatins. We feel that nw that the Frum has triggered cnsiderable activity in the inter-gvernmental system, the ultimate challenge is t make a real difference in the lives f indigenus peples. Mnitring is an imprtant step. Strategic papers prepared by Frum members, Mr. Tamang, Ms Tauli-Crpuz and Mr. Littlechild prvide very gd ideas in that directin. As yu see frm the prgramme f wrk (attached fr easy reference), this year the Frum decided t hld three specific dialgue sessins during its frmal meetings: ne with indigenus peples (Tuesday, 16 May am), ne with UN agencies (Tuesday, 16 May pm), and ne with gvernments (Wednesday, 17 May am). Further discussin with any f the cnstituencies will cntinue n Thursday, 18 May am. As previus years, Cnference Rm 2 will be available fr Caucus meetings frm 16 t 26 May 2006 frm 9am t 9:45am, except Thursday 25 May 2006. We als take this pprtunity t draw yur attentin t the preparatry meeting f the Indigenus Caucus n the weekend befre the Permanent Frum, 13 14 May 2006, 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. As in previus years, the meeting will take place n the 2 nd flr f the Church Center fr the United Natins at 777 UN Plaza (crner f East 44 th Street and 1 st Avenue), acrss the street frm the main entrance t the United Natins. One imprtant nte please be advised pre-registratins will clse n Mnday 1 May 2006. Yu will need t be pre-registered t attend the Frum. Warm regards, Elsa, Snia, Mirian, Mariana, Hui, Olivia, Ekaterina, Brddi, Aaja, Sushil
General infrmatin t assist delegatins traveling t The Fifth Sessin f the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues 1. Dates, times and lcatin f the Sessin The Fifth Sessin f the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues will be held frm Mnday, 15 May t Friday, 26 May 2006, in Rm 2, United Natins Headquarters in New Yrk. The prvisinal agenda, a prvisinal prgramme f wrk and ther relevant dcuments are available nw in all fficial UN languages thrugh the web site f the Secretariat at: http://www.un.rg/esa/scdev/pfii/ 2. Medical clearance/insurance Participants are requested t arrange at their wn expense fr insurance cverage including life, health and ther frms deemed apprpriate. 3. Travel arrangements t New Yrk. Delegates are respnsible fr their wn travel arrangements including return fares t their hmes. 4. Transprtatin int Manhattan frm JFK, La Guardia and Newark airprts Frm Jhn F. Kennedy Internatinal Airprt (taxi r airprt bus): By taxi: There is a flat (nn-metered) fare f $45 frm JFK t anyplace in Manhattan. T this fare may be added the cst f a tll fr the bridge r tunnel int Manhattan, depending n the rute taken by the driver (the cst f the tll is $5.00). The rate is per car, nt per persn, and des nt include tip (custmarily 10 15%). By bus: There are frequent departures by the New Yrk Airprt Service bus frm utside each terminal at JFK. It csts $13 ne-way, and takes abut 60 minutes t reach Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. Many htels are within walking distance, yet thse unfamiliar with New Yrk city are advised t take a taxi t their htel. Frm La Guardia Airprt (taxi r airprt bus): By taxi: Fares frm La Guardia are determined by meter, which the driver shuld set when the trip begins. The fare t midtwn Manhattan will be apprximately $25. T this fare may be added the cst f a tll fr the bridge r tunnel int Manhattan, depending n the rute taken by the driver (the cst f the tll is $5.00). The rate is per car, nt per persn, and des nt include tip (custmarily 10-15%). By bus: Bus departures are frequent frm utside each terminal at La Guardia. It csts $10 ne-way, and takes abut 30 minutes t reach Grand Central Terminal, at 42nd Street and Park Avenue. Many htels are within walking distance, yet thse unfamiliar with New Yrk city are advised t take a taxi t their htel. Frm Newark Internatinal Airprt (taxi, airprt bus r train): By taxi: Fares frm Newark t Manhattan are nn-metered and determined by the airprt taxi dispatcher befre the trip begins based n the specific destinatin. The fare t midtwn Manhattan will be apprximately 40-45$. T the fare may be added the cst f a tll fr the bridge r tunnel int Manhattan, depending n the rute taken by the driver (the cst f the tll is $6.00). The rate is per car, nt per persn, and des nt include tip (custmarily 10 15%). Only use taxis at authrized taxi stands. By bus: Olympia Airprt Express bus ges t the Prt Authrity Bus Terminal at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, r t the vicinity f Grand Central Terminal, at 41st Street and Lexingtn Avenue. 2
The fare fr Olympia Airprt express (Newark-Manhattan) is $22 rund trip, $13 ne way. Many htels are within walking distance, yet thse unfamiliar with New Yrk city are advised t take a taxi t their htel. By train: The Newark AirTrain runs frequently frm the airprt terminals t Newark Internatinal Airprt Statin frm which cnnectins n New Jersey Transit trains t New Yrk Penn Statin are available. A ne-way ticket frm the airprt t New Yrk is apprximately 11$ and the trip takes abut 45 minutes in ttal. Due t prblems f traffic cngestin, particularly during peak hurs, this is ften the mst reliable cnnectin t New Yrk city. Frm New Yrk Penn Statin, which is lcated at 7 th avenue and 33 rd street, it is advised t take a taxi t the htel. 5. Accmmdatin Delegates are requested t make their wn arrangements fr accmmdatin in New Yrk. Please cnsult ur web site fr infrmatin n accmmdatin available in New Yrk, as supplied by the NGO cmmunity http://www.un.rg/esa/scdev/unpfii/en/sessin_fifth.html. Further infrmatin regarding budget travel in New Yrk City is available frm: http://gnyc.abut.cm/d/budgettravel/ 6. Passprt and Visa Each participant must have a valid passprt t enter the United States. Please cntact the nearest United States Embassy r Cnsulate t determine whether a visa is required fr yu t enter the United States. Shuld justificatin fr the trip t New Yrk be required, yu may use the letter cnfirming the participatin f yur rganizatin at the meeting. This letter, issued by Mr. Ya Ngran, Chief f the DESA NGO Unit (in respnse t yur pre-registratin applicatin) and signed by the Chief f the Secretariat (Ms. Elsa Stamatpulu) can be used as a supplementary dcument in this prcess. 7. Registering t make an ral interventin Fr all delegatins wishing t speak, yu are able t register n the speakers lists under each agenda item and sub-item. Yu must include yur name and rganizatin and the item that yu wuld like t speak under. Each rganizatin can nly speak nce under each agenda item/sub-item. Pririty will given t Caucus and Grup statements and a time limit is set by the Frum at the beginning f the Sessin. 8. Children Please nte that if yu wish t bring children r yung peple under the age f 18 years f age, int the United Natins Headquarters building t attend the Fifth Sessin, yu must ntify Olivia Jnes at the Secretariat f the UNPFII, wh will in turn, ntify UN Security, at least tw weeks befre the meeting. Please email Ms. Jnes at jnes6@un.rg with the full names and ages f the children r yung peple and include the name f their chaperne. All yung peple under the age f 18 years f age must be accmpanied by an adult during their time in the building. 9. Meeting secretariat Fr further infrmatin r questins cncerning the Fifth Sessin f the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues, please cntact: The Secretariat fr the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues Divisin fr Scial Plicy and Develpment, DESA United Natins Headquarters Rm DC2-1772 New Yrk, NY 10017, USA Tel. + 1 917 367-5100 Fax. + 1 917 367 5102 Email: IndigenusPermanentFrum@un.rg http://www.un.rg/esa/scdev/unpfii/ 3
Attachment Matters fr the attentin f the Indigenus Peples Organizatins and Nn-Gvernmental Organizatins in preparatin f the Fifth Sessin f the Permanent Frum n Indigenus Issues. 1. Majr inputs t the fifth sessin are the fllwing six satellite meeting: The reprt f the annual sessin f the Inter-Agency Supprt grup n Indigenus Issues, fcusing n hw t bring indigenus peples related plicies t the reginal and natinal level (E/C.19/2006/3 and E/C.19/2006/3/Add.1 n indicatrs). The reprt f the Panama Internatinal Expert Wrkshp n Indigenus Traditinal Knwledge rganized fllwing a recmmendatin f the Frum (E/C.19/2006/2) The reprt f the Internatinal Expert Wrkshp n Indigenus Peples, MDGs, Participatin and Gd Gvernance, which fcuses n full and effective participatin (E/C.19/2006/7) The reprt f the Nuuk Internatinal Wrkshp n Visins f Partnerships with Indigenus Peples (E/C.19/2006/4/Add.2) The reprt f the Ottawa Expert Grup meeting n Indigenus Peples and Indicatrs f Wellbeing rganized fllwing a recmmendatin f the Frum; this is the first in a series f fur reginal meetings planned n this issue (it will appear as a cnference rm paper, in English nly) The reprt f the Internatinal Wrkshp n Indigenus Peples and Migratin, rganized by IOM in cperatin with ur secretariat, fllwing a recmmendatin f the Frum (this will als appear as a cnference rm paper in English nly). 2. In additin, papers were submitted t the Frum by its Rapprteurs n methds f wrk and implementatin f recmmendatins (E/C.19/2006/9 and E/C.19/2006/10), as well as the tw NGO papers submitted by seven indigenus rganizatins (E/C.19/2006/5 and Addendum 1), papers by twentyne UN system and ther inter-gvernmental entities and fur gvernments. The Nte f the Secretariat f the Permanent Frum (E/C.19/2006/8) prvides an verview f the year s wrk and als presents the results f reviews dne f 25 MDG cuntry reprts and f the CCAs/UNDAFs f 10 cuntries. 4. Kindly check ur website regularly where we pst the dcuments fr the fifth sessin f the Frum in all fficial UN languages as sn as they becme available. 7. The pening ceremny will take place n the 15th f May at 11:15am in the General Assembly Hall and will be devted t the launch f the Prgramme f Actin f the Secnd Internatinal Decade f the Wrld s Indigenus Peple. The fllwing high-level UN Officials are expected t participate in the pening ceremny: The President f the General Assembly, the President f the Ecnmic and Scial Cuncil and the Under- Secretary-General fr Ecnmic and Scial Affairs, Mr Jse Antni Ocamp, wh is als the Crdinatr f the Secnd Decade. At the pening ceremny, the traditinal Chief f the Onndaga, Mr. Sid Hill, will address the meeting as well as a representative t be delegated by the Indigenus Caucus. Given the special nature f the pening ceremny this year, arrangements are being made fr cultural indigenus presentatins frm varius parts f the wrld. 8. As the prgramme f wrk indicates, at the secnd meeting, in the afternn f the 15th f May, the Frum will frmally elect its Bureau fr the sessin and adpt its prgramme f wrk. A high-level speaker is expected t speak at the secnd meeting, namely the President f IFAD, Mr Lennart Bage. 9. Other high-level speakers expected during the sessin include the Special Rapprteur n the human rights and fundamental freedms f indigenus peple, the Special Rapprteur n indigenus peples and permanent svereignty ver natural resurces, the Chairpersn f the Cmmissin n the Status f Wmen and thers still t be cnfirmed. 10. We recall that a special three-hur meeting will be devted t Africa during the sessin. The special speakers cnfirmed until nw are the Chairpersn f the Wrking Grup n Indigenus Ppulatins f the African Cmmissin n Human and Peples Rights, Mr Rezag-Bara, as well as a representative f ILO. 4
11. Sme fifty side events are scheduled during the sessin as f nw. They are rganized by gvernments, agencies, indigenus rganizatins, NGOs, the Secretariat and thers. Side events take place mstly at lunch time. The schedule f the side events will be psted n ur website shrtly. 12. Three regin-specific side-events, n Nrth America, the Arctic and Russia, the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean will be rganized by the SPFII with the purpse f encuraging dialgue at the reginal level n the majr challenges and visins fr actin, including as regards the MDGs. Under the chairmanship f Frum Members, a dialgue will be held between agencies and indigenus rganizatins, as well as Reginal Cmmissins and interested gvernments. 13. The pening f the annual indigenus exhibit and a cultural event and receptin will take place n Tuesday, 17 May at 6:15 pm, with an impressive array f indigenus artists frm arund the wrld. 5