United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Agenda Item #7: Work Plan

"Working As One"

A Statement Submitted by the Center for International Indigenous Legal Studies ("CIILS")
A project of the First Nations Legal Studies Program at The Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia
May 13-24, 2002
New York, New York
 

Mr. Chairperson, Greetings! It gives me great pleasure to speak with you today. I am Professor June McCue, Director of the First Nations Legal Studies program at the Faculty of Law, UBC in Vancouver, Canada.

It is my hope that members of the Permanent Forum secure the necessary resources to meet the mandate set out in ECOSOC Resolution 2000/22. To meet its mandate and in the spirit of "working as one", I recommend that the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues work with academic or education institutions where Indigenous studies, programs, clinics, schools, and other education fora exist worldwide.

Such academic or education institutions provide an untapped wealth of resources for purposes relating to research, information dissemination and raising awareness, and the opportunity to provide Indigenous and non-indigenous learners with relevant curricula that incorporates Indigenous worldviews, methodology, pedagogy and respect for Indigenous issues and developments at the international level.

At the Center for International Indigenous Legal Studies, UBC, we are developing an institution that brings Indigenous Peoples, students and academics together to "work as one" for the purposes of building legal capacity within a self-determination framework. The Center's goals are to provide Indigenous access to legal research and on-line legal education and information programs on legal needs as identified by Indigenous Peoples. Specifically, the Centre is mandated to provide an international component to its legal education, research and information programs.

According to the findings of the CIILS Community Legal Needs Assessment - Bridging The Gap, Indigenous participants in British Columbia have indicated that International Indigenous Legal Developments are relevant to their peoples at local levels, especially in relation to the protection of aboriginal and treaty rights. Many of the needs brought to the Permanent Forum over the past two weeks by Indigenous delegates are consistent with the Bridging The Gap findings. We have also found that Indigenous Peoples do not have adequate legal representation, advocacy, or justice workers to meet their legal needs. The lack of international Indigenous legal professionals is also a reality. At the Center, Indigenous students and academics, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, have the opportunity to develop this legal capacity and address this gap.

I invite the Permanent Forum to partner with the Center for International Indigenous Legal Studies and other academic or education institutions worldwide as one of the ways to achieve its mandate of providing expert advice and recommendations on Indigenous issues to ECOSOC and UN agencies, raising awareness, promotion and the coordination of activities relating to Indigenous issues with the UN system, and preparing and disseminating information on indigenous issues.

By "working as one" we can organize to provide the requisite forums for international legal development that is respectful of Indigenous worldviews and enhances the life of the UN family to address our economic, social, human rights, education, women and children, cultural, health and environmental needs.

I thank you for your time today and wish the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues all the best in setting the course for Indigenous participation at the international level.

Professor June McCue
Faculty of Law, UBC
1822 East Mall
Vancouver, B.C.
V6T 1Z1
604-822-5559 (tel)
604-822-8108 (fax)
ciils@law.ubc.ca
mccue@law.ubc.ca

 

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