Open-ended Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-SDG)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Please find below the announcement from DESA on what will happen during the Phase 2 of the Open-ended Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (OWG-SDG) and Sustainable Financing. As you may know the OWG-SDG 8^th Session just finished. The Stocktaking Phase where they had views from governments and from Major groups on the various sustainable development issues is over. They will now move to the informals, which are meant to be intergovernmental negotiating processes where they will reach agreement on what will be the SDGs. These meetings will take place on the following dates;

March 3-7, 2014

March 31-April 4, 2014

May 5-9, 2014

June 16-20, 2014

July 14-18, 2014

The co-chairs  of the OWG-SDG are  Mr. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya and Mr. Csaba Kōrōsi, Permanent Representative of Hungary. For more information on the reports of the various working groups please go to the website;

http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org

After July the Post-2015 Development Agenda Process will start in September 2014 at the beginning of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly. There will be a special event to review the MDGs during this event. After this High Level Event, the negotiations processes will take place on what the Post-2015 Development Agenda will be. The results of the OWG-SDG will feed into this process.

The other regional processes are the following: I cut this from the message of Chantal Line Carpienter who is the DESA focal point for Major Groups.

*Regional meeting dates: we will work with RCs to identify regional participants, please start outreaching to your constituency*

ESCAP HLPF meeting in April (2-4) with pre-consultation starting from 29 or 30 March, Bangkok

ESCWA 2-3 April in Aman, Jordan.

ECLAC first week of May in Peru

ECE may not have a meeting on the HLPF

ECA: no further info

We are planning to offer capacity building and advocacy opportunities at each meeting.

There will also be a meeting on SIDS which those in small-island developing states should consider. So this is very relevant for the Pacific Caucus and also the Caribbean. Please interact with Roberto Mukaro Borrero who is from the Caribbean and who is representing  IITC, one of the Organizing Partners for the OWG-SDGs, so he can help provide additional information on this.

*SIDS contribution and speaker for launching of International year of the SIDS*

REMINDER: deadline for submission of what the SIDS conference document should contain is 15 February,

http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=56&menu=1504<http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=56&menu=1504>

For the Launch of the international year of the SIDS, only C& Y and women submitted names. My colleagues have selected the C& Y candidate Ben Anthoy Bacar MOUSSA from Comoros*. *C&Y are working with him on his statement in French and will share with you shortly as this is a statement for all MGs.

Please let us know who from your constituency plan to be here for the PrepCom 24-26 Feb.

The Organizing Partners for the Indigenous Peoples' Major Group are Tebtebba and IIN (Indigenous Information Network from Kenya, for the South and International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) for the North. There is very minimal participation of indigenous peoples in these processes because there is very little support for this and the DESA only supports one or two persons from the South. For Tebtebba, we have Galina Angarova who is based in New York to engage on a more full-time basis with this process, among others and for IITC they have Roberto Mukaro Borrero., also based in NY. For IIN this is Lucy Mulenkei whose email is mulenkei@yahoo.com.

If you want more information please email them. Galina's email is galina@tebtebba.org and Roberto's is roberto@treatycouncil.org.

Best regards,

Vicky

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

Executive Director

Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education)

Convenor, Asian Indigenous Women's Network

email: vicky@tebtebba.org

phone: 63-74-4447703

mobile: 63-9175317811

www.tebtebba.org

www.indigenousclimate.org

www.asianindigenouswomen.org

Co-chairs' meeting with representatives of Major Groups and other stakeholdersConflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding and promotion of durable peace, rule of law and governance

Co-chairs' meeting with representatives of Major Groups and other stakeholders

Conflict prevention, post-conflict peacebuilding and promotion of durable peace, rule of law and governance, 02/07/2014

Submitted by Roberto Múkaro Borrero (Taíno), International Indian Treaty Council

Thank you honorable co-Chairs.

Let me begin by noting that during previous sessions, the Indigenous Peoples Major Group addressed the broader theme of governance and those statements are available at the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Our presentation today will therefore focus more specifically on the rule of law, which is certainly not an abstract concept to the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

The rule of law and human rights do matter to Indigenous Peoples; affirming and implementing these legal and conceptual frameworks are among the reasons why we engage with the UN system and the States. 

Indeed, the Indigenous Peoples Major Group takes note of the Secretary-General’s Report on ‘Delivering Justice’ where he states: “The rule of law is a core principle of governance that ensures justice and fairness, values which are essential to our humanity”.[i]

From an indigenous perspective, justice and fairness, along with other key themes such as durable peace, human rights, security, accountability and sustainable development, cannot be promoted in isolation or at the expense of Indigenous Peoples. With justice, fairness, and the rule of law based in the human rights framework, there is much that can and must be done to ensure the voices, interests, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples are included in the post-2015 development agenda.

Honorable Co-Chairs, we are aware that all 193 United Nations Member States endorsed the idea that the rule of law and development are mutually reinforcing.  Additionally, States affirmed that this interrelationship should be considered in the post-2015 development agenda.[ii] Moreover, there already seems to be a broad consensus that the post-2015 agenda needs to move forward with sustainable development at its core and the eradication of poverty as its top priority.  Indigenous Peoples, however, are well aware that poverty will not be alleviated without respect for rights, justice and fairness.

Based on this reality, and to better address inequalities faced by Indigenous Peoples, it is essential that the advancement of the rule of law at the national and international levels be clearly articulated as a priority in this new agenda. There is a need for Governments, for instance on the country-level, to strengthen their regulatory systems with strong, yet adaptable legal frameworks that not only take into account of the special situations and legal frameworks of Indigenous Peoples, but that conform fully with internationally accepted human rights standards and resulting legal obligations and commitments.

In this context, the rule of law as defined by the Secretary General forms a critical point of reference for the empowerment and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized groups in the post-2015 agenda.[iii]  While the OWG process is considering the linkages between the rule of law and sustainable development, there are a number of challenges and issues relevant to Indigenous Peoples that should be taken into consideration. These include, but are not limited, to: Treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between States and Indigenous Peoples; engagement with indigenous legal and justice systems; Constitution-making; institution-building; participatory mechanisms for conflict resolution; and meaningful and effective participation in processes aimed at strengthening the rule of law. Fortunately, there are mechanisms that can guide States and the United Nations System toward meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples in these areas.

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, for instance, builds on existing human rights standards, many of which represent established, legally-binding obligations of States, and applies these standards to the specific needs and circumstances of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration sets out minimum standards for the “survival, dignity and well-being” of Indigenous peoples around the world as well as participatory frameworks for resolution of conflicts.[iv]

The Rio+ 20 Outcome Document stressed the importance of the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the achievement of sustainable development. It also recognizes the importance of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the context of global, regional, national, and sub-national implementation of sustainable development strategies.

In closing, the Indigenous Peoples major group affirms that the rule of law is a principle of governance that promotes justice, fairness, and accountability.  We call upon the OWG co-chairs to ensure that the culmination of this process includes a clear message that implementation by States of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other human rights standards including the Human Rights Covenants and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination should be regarded as political, moral and legal imperatives without qualification. 

Hahom/Thank you.

---

[i] “Delivering justice: programme of action to strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels”, 16 March 2012, A/66/749, paragraph 1.

[ii] See http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2013/dsgsm721.doc.htm

[iii] The Secretary-General defines the rule of law as “a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency." (Report of the Secretary-General: The rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies” (2004))



[iv] There are other mechanisms that should be highlighted in this context such as the CERD, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Convention 169, etc.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=1680 

UCTP Letter to the President of the General Assembly John William Ashe

01/27/2014 

To: H.E. Ambassador John William Ashe, Antigua and Barbuda, 
President, United Nations General Assembly 

Via email & hand-delivered 

Re: World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) 

Takahi (Greetings) Excellency: On behalf of the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP), I am writing to you with great concern regarding the preparations for the High Level Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. The UCTP is an indigenous Caribbean regional organization extending through the Major and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Diaspora. The UCTP is a member of the Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples (COIP) and an affiliate of the International Indian Treaty Council, an ECOSOC accredited indigenous, non-governmental organization representing indigenous peoples of North, South, and Central America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. 

The UCTP is particularly concerned with your hesitancy to reconfirm the appointment of Mr. John Henriksen (Sami) as the Indigenous co-coordinator (or co-facilitator) on an equal basis with a State representative in that role. The appointment of an indigenous co-coordinator in this process finds its precedent set by the President of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly H.E. Nassir AbdulazizAl‐Nasser (Qatar) in early 2012. With this in mind, we respectfully call upon you to reconfirm Mr. Henriksen in this role, which is a decision consistent with the standards articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Please note that after consultation with our regional leadership and allies, the UCTP can only support the WCIP process if there is equal representation of Indigenous Peoples. In addition, please also note that should the WCIP move forward without equal representation, Indigenous Peoples who form part of the UCTP will call for the WCIP to be canceled. 

In closing, Caribbean Governments are an historic ally to Indigenous Peoples since at least the UN International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on through the process to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We trust that we can continue to count on the region to move progressively toward fulfilling the goal of “Partnership in Action” as promoted by the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. 

Oma bahari (With respect), 
Roger Hernandez-Moyet, Board Secretary & Borikén Liaison 

CC: UCTP Board & membership; Caribbean Organization of Indigenous Peoples; Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization; International Indian Treaty Council; Global Coordinating Committee of the WCIP; Latin American and Caribbean Regional Caucus to the WCIP

Climate Change, Disasters, and Indigenous Peoples

In Memory of a Life Well Lived...

By Roberto Mukaro Borrero

Father Paul Michael Mayer 1931-2013

Life is indeed a wonder… When we are young, new, and experiencing the world around us for the first time, we are amazed with everything... This amazement fades for many of us as we grow, hopefully to renew itself, as we get older and begin to see more family and friends make their final journey. It is at these times that many people start to once again see how amazing and sacred our own earthly journeys are… It is at these times we begin to understand how little time we really have... Like the flash of a firefly in the night…

So, here I sit contemplating what an amazing journey life is, having just returned from the incredible memorial service of an extraordinary man I had the honor to call friend, comrade, spiritual brother, and mentor, Father Paul Michael Mayer…

I cannot help but to smile as I think about Father Paul…  He certainly knew how blessed we all are to be here on Earth and share this sacred moment in time together.

Father Paul Mayer was a young Jewish boy who lived in Germany during the rise of Nazism. Most of his family was killed in the Holocaust. In 1938, he along with his mother, father, and brother were able to escape this horror and come to the U.S. As a teen he converted to Christianity; Paul then became a Benedictine monk and an ordained Priest in the Roman Catholic faith. He always considered himself a Jew, however, often stating Jesus was also a Jew. Paul was relieved of his commitment to the Church by the Vatican when he fell in love with and married a nun, Naomi, he met while traveling to Mexico. He always considered himself a Priest, continuing his spiritual service as an ordained Inter-Faith Minister. During his days as a monk, much to the dismay of the Church hierarchy, he traveled to Selma, Alabama to meet with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1965 voting rights campaign.  

Father Paul also had an immense respect for the World’s Indigenous Peoples. He considered “Black Elk Speaks” a holy book. He worked with indigenous Spiritual leaders around the U.S. and beyond. Father Paul was also a fierce advocate for children, social justice issues, and the environment, especially climate change. He considered himself an Earth Guardian. 

My dear friend Pamela Kraft introduced me to Father Paul in the early 1990s. We became close friends and served together on the board of the organization Pamela founded, Tribal Link Foundation. On a personal level, he offered me much support and council during turbulent times. He helped me to see the connection between political and spiritual understandings, and the importance of teaching and activism. Paul seemed to always have a smile on, except of course when speaking about injustice. Then his face would change, become very serious, and warrior-like.  

During his memorial this evening, his audacity was mentioned. Many of us were very amused with this truth. It was Father Paul, for example, who arranged for me to meet and speak with Fidel Castro during one of his last visits to the U.S.  Paul met Fidel after he and others were arrested for defying the U.S. embargo to bring bibles and humanitarian aid to Cuba.  Fidel was impressed with his passion and commitment.  Father Paul’s commitment to social justice spanned half a century, as he was even active recently climbing a fence and then being arrested with a new generation of youth activists at Occupy Wall Street. As one can imagine, there are so many tales to tell about his life.

Father Paul succumbed to a battle with brain cancer in November 2013 at 82. He is survived by his son Peter, daughter Maria, and his grandchildren. Thank you Peter and family for blessing me with the opportunity to open tonight’s incredible memorial service and share some words and a Taino song for Father Paul.

Father Paul, my friend and spiritual brother, I miss your physical presence, but I know you are with all of us in Spirit. You have touched many lives on your incredible life journey, and I for one am a better human being for knowing you.  Yours was indeed a life well lived.