1 May 2002

 
United Nations
Economic and Social Council
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
First Session, 13-24 May 2002, New York
Item 6 of the provisional agenda

 

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND HEALTH

 

A Briefing Paper For The Permanent Forum On Indigenous Issues

 

Prepared by the Committee on Indigenous Health

 

Annex 3

 

WHO ADVISORY GROUP ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ HEALTH

DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE[1]

 

Introduction

 

The “International Consultation on the Health of Indigenous Peoples”, 23-26 November 1999-+, Geneva, specifically recommended the establishment of an informal Indigenous Peoples’ Health Advisory Group, as WHO’s counterpart in all activities related to indigenous peoples’ health. WHO had held the Consultation with close collaboration of the Committee on Indigenous Health[2], a representative global indigenous body formed in 1997. The establishment of an Indigenous Peoples’ Health Advisory Group is consistent with the developments within the United Nations system, and particularly within WHO, since the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action[3] in 1993.

 

The World Health Assembly, in 1994, had requested “the establishment of a core advisory group of indigenous representatives with special knowledge of the health needs and resources of their communities” in order to ensure the close co-operation of indigenous peoples in WHO’s regional activities to plan and implement the objectives of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (WHA47.27, paragraph 2). Subsequent WHA resolutions called upon the Director-General to continue to work in close co-operation with indigenous peoples in progressing indigenous peoples’ health development (WHA48.24, WHA49.26, WHA50.31 and WHA51.24). 

 

As we pass the mid-point of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, one key objective of the Decade that has direct relevance to WHO’s commitment and on-going activities has been achieved.  On 4 December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing a Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the level of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

 

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues shall serve as an advisory body to ECOSOC with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues relating to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. The Forum will provide expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the Council as well as to programmes, funds and agencies of the United Nations.  It will further raise awareness and promote the integration and co-ordination of activities relating to indigenous issues within the United Nations system. The activities of this Forum are relevant to WHO because of WHO’s established relationship with ECOSOC.

 

Presently, within WHO Head Quarters, indigenous peoples’ health in the framework of the Decade’s goals is placed in the Cluster, Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments (SDE), and specifically within the department of Health in Sustainable Development (HSD).  The main areas of work in HSD are Poverty and Health Sector Policies; Globalisation and Cross-sectoral Policies; and Health and Human Rights.

 

The establishment of an indigenous peoples’ group by WHO to advise and act as a resource is extremely well-timed in the context of the developments concerning indigenous peoples’ issues within the United Nations system. This advisory group is an extremely relevant and innovative development for the organisation in that it is one important initial step in a process of establishing a permanent partnership with indigenous peoples and augmenting indigenous peoples’ substantive input into all WHO activities that are relevant to them.  The Group will also play an important role by supplementing institutional building and strengthening within WHO to address the complex issues of indigenous peoples and health.

 

NOMENCLATURE

 

An on-going Advisory Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Health (AGIPH) will advise WHO’s Department of Health in Sustainable Development (HSD) and the Focal Point for the Decade on all activities concerning the health of indigenous peoples.  There shall be thirteen (13) members, who shall all be indigenous persons.

 

MANDATE

 

The AGIPH will be placed, inter alia, at the level of the Department of Health in Sustainable Development (HSD), within WHO, and HSD together with the Focal Point will function as the secretariat, with appropriate strengthening if necessary.

 

A meeting of the AGIPH should have a minimum quorum of two-thirds of its members present. All decisions made by the AGIPH will be by consensus.

 

The AGIPH will be an informal body of indigenous persons functioning in a technical advisory capacity to HSD/WHO in its role, inter alia, as WHO Focal Point for the Health of Indigenous Peoples. Should another department or organisational level within WHO succeed HSD, or be named in addition to HSD, to undertake activities as WHO’s Focal Point for the health of indigenous peoples, the AGIPH will also advise the succeeding or additionally designated department or level with the same terms of reference.

 

The establishment of the AGIPH does not preclude, should the need arise, the establishment other mechanisms of partnership between WHO and indigenous peoples, whether to succeed it or in addition to it.

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

1.        Advise and make recommendations of a technical nature on indigenous health issues to the Department of Health in Sustainable Development (HSD), particularly to the Focal Point, as to programmes, funds and collaborating centres, keeping in mind the conclusions and recommendations of the International Consultation on Indigenous Peoples’ Health, Geneva 2000.

 

2.        Advise HSD on raising awareness about the value and validity of the indigenous concepts, systems and institutions of health, keeping in mind existing and future international standards, the Geneva Declaration on the Health and Survival of Indigenous Peoples and other declarations relating to indigenous peoples’ health made by indigenous peoples of the world.

 

3.        Promote the integration and co-ordination of all activities within WHO relating to the health of indigenous peoples.

 

4.        Advise and support HSD to develop resource materials and education tools addressing different audiences to promote awareness, preservation, protection and integration of indigenous health systems, bearing in mind their region or country specificity and appropriateness.

 

5.        Make recommendations to HSD in seeking and securing financial support to plan, initiate and implement health activities in keeping with the attainment of the goals of the International Decade on the World’s Indigenous People and beyond, with the support of WHO’s experience and expertise.

 

6.        Advise in the prioritising of indigenous peoples’ health research issues, development of a research agenda, identification of indigenous researchers/partners and the allocation of research funding, in accordance with indigenous peoples’ perceptions and needs.

 

7.        Advise in the identification of training or capacity enhancement needs of indigenous scholars or scientists.

 

8.        Advise and make recommendations in the process of identification and designation of initially two WHO Collaborating Centres (one in the North and one in the South) on indigenous peoples’ health.

 

9.        Advise and review technical documents and papers prepared by WHO on indigenous peoples’ health issues.

 

10.     After three years, consultatively with WHO and the Committee on Indigenous Health, evaluate and review the functioning of the AGIPH, including the method of selection of its members in the light of the experience gained.

 

COORDINATION, MEETINGS AND COMMUNICATION

 

The AGIPH will have a Co-ordinator Executive of not more than two members which will co-ordinate the activities of the entire group. 

 

The AGIPH will meet for five working days every year. The Co-ordinator Executive may meet as and when required with the responsibility of steering the AGIPH’s activities, preparations for and reporting of meetings. The time, duration and purposes of the meetings shall be determined in consultation with HSD.

 

At other times, the AGIPH will continue its work through electronic communications (e.g. Email, Facsimile, etc.)

 

MEMBERSHIP AND COMPOSITION

 

The members of the AGIPH are to be appointed following formal consultation with the regional indigenous peoples’ groups, through the Committee on Indigenous Health (COIH).  The COIH shall finalise the nomination of the members based upon broad and specific consultations with indigenous organisations and institutions taking into account the diversity and geographical distribution of indigenous peoples as well as the principles of transparency, representativity including gender representativity and equal opportunity, including internal processes, when appropriate, and local indigenous consultation processes.

 

At least one of the indigenous independent health experts appointed to the AGIPH shall be a member-nominee of COIH.

 

The AGIPH will be a multi-disciplinary team with at least half its members being professional health workers.

 

Each member shall serve in her or his individual/personal capacity as an independent expert on indigenous health issues, knowledge or technology for a period of three years with the possibility of re-nomination and re-appointment for one further period.  At the time of the initial constitution of the AGIPH,

 

In constituting the AGIPH and in seeking one or more replacements at expiry of term or terms of one or more of its members, consideration of gender equitability should be made to the utmost extent possible, without compromising the technical competency of the Group.

 

As recommended by the “International Consultation on the Health of Indigenous Peoples”, the 13 members of the AGIPH shall be drawn from the regions of the world as follows:

 

 

Americas

Africa

Asia

Russia

Circum-Polar & Europe

Pacific

Australia & New Zealand

North

Central

South

East

Southern

Sahel

South

South-East

Far-East

 

 

 

 

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

 

 

CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP

 

The present understanding, international standards and approaches to indigenous peoples’ health development are characterised by recognition of indigenous peoples’ right to a full, free and informed participation and highest opportunities for input and leadership by indigenous peoples themselves. This is the approach adopted by WHO. The members of the AGIPH will, therefore, require both technical skills and additional competencies in cross-cutting issues that would enable them to fulfil the crucial role of bridging the gaps between WHO’s existing and developing programmes and institutional capacities and indigenous peoples’ perceptions, institutions, systems of health and organisations. For these reasons:

 

·         All members of the AGIPH should have a strong understanding of specific indigenous health skills and practices as well as experience to allopathic medicine and public health.

 

·         Members of the AGIPH should also bring an accessibility of indigenous community resources for existing and developing programmes concerning the health of indigenous peoples.

 

·         While it is clear that there would be similarities and differences in all the aspects of indigenous health issues across the regions, the key role of the AGIPH as an equal counterpart and expert resource to WHO’s designated department concerning indigenous health should be kept paramount.

 

Criteria for membership in the AGIPH are:

 

1.        Recognised technical expertise in indigenous peoples’ health development at the local, regional and global levels

2.        Professional knowledge of the health sector, health policy, and the implementation of health programmes

3.        Expertise or fluency in indigenous peoples’ development issues, including cross-cutting issues

4.        Long term experience in working with indigenous communities

5.        Acceptability to both indigenous peoples and WHO

 

Relationship to Committee on Indigenous Health (COIH), specialised bodies, agencies and programmes of the United Nations

 

The AGIPH will maintain a tangible link with COIH through its member-nominee, and through this link, its activities will be informed by developments in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. This will ensure continuity and integration of its activities with all recent developments relating to indigenous peoples and health within the United Nations ands its specialised programmes and agencies.

 

COMMITMENT

 

Financing of the AGIPH shall be provided from within the existing resources through the regular budget of WHO and its partners, and through such voluntary contributions as may be donated.  It is expected that the above responsibilities require a commitment of seven to eight working days every year to prepare and attend the meetings, and an additional 4-5 days for ongoing communications, advising and networking.

 

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

 

The AGIPH, after its first meeting at WHO Head Quarters, should meet as far as possible at the regional level, in order to pro-actively promote and catalyse meaningful evidence-based activities at the regional and country levels. In view of the group’s constitution as a body of individual experts, avail the technical expertise of the whole group and promote international understanding on indigenous health issues, meetings at the regional levels should be held for the AGIPH as a single expert body.

 

TIMEFRAME

 

The AGIPH should be constituted latest by mid-2001.  The first meeting is proposed for the third quarter of 2001 in WHO Head Quarters and will be for five working days. Additional support would be required for the Co-ordinator Executive and secretariat to prepare and finalise the report and other output documents as appropriate.

 

The COIH in consultation with HSD/Focal Point shall finalise the nomination of the members based upon broad and specific consultations with indigenous organisations and institutions before the first half of 2001.

 

It is envisaged that COIH would require adequate and appropriate supports to fulfil its important role in identifying and nominating the individual members of the AGIPH. It is expected that HSD would need to have, but not limited to, a continuing consultative process with COIH by electronic communications methods during the period till the constitution of the group. This process may culminate in a meeting of representatives of COIH and HSD to finalise nominations for the group and a plan for the first meeting of the AGIPH.


 

[1] These terms of reference were drafted by Dr. D. Roy Laifungbam, co-Chairperson of the Committee on Indigenous Health and presented to WHO in November 2000. It was also presented to and approved by the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus to the 2000 session of the working group established in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32.

 

[2] The Committee on Indigenous Health is an informal technical subsidiary body of the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus at the United Nations.  It was formed in 1997 during the fifteenth session of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations (Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights), to monitor, report and advocate on all issues relevant to the deplorable health situation of indigenous peoples. (Refer Report of the Director-General to the fifty-first World Health Assembly, A51/22)

 

[3] Adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights (Vienna, 1993), recommending the proclamation of “an international decade of the world’s indigenous people…including action-oriented programmes, to be decided upon in partnership with indigenous people” (Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Chapter II, Section B, paragraph 32).

 

 

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