22 May 2007
Press Release
Department of Public Information
News and Media Division
New York
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
HR/4923
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Sixth Session
12th Meeting (PM)
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES MUST BE EQUAL PARTNERS
IN ALL STAGES OF DATA COLLECTION,
FROM PLANNING THROUGH ANALYSIS, UNITED NATIONS FORUM TOLD
Also Address Ways to Ensure Participation in
Second International Decade of World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005-2014)
Indigenous peoples must participate as equal partners in all stages of
data collection, including planning, implementation, analysis and
dissemination, representatives of tribal and native peoples today told the
United Nations Forum charged with defending the rights of the world’s 370
million indigenous people.
Speakers and delegations participating in the work of the sixth session of
the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, meeting at United Nations
Headquarters in New York since last Monday, devoted their discussions this
afternoon to two of the Forum’s ongoing priorities: enhancing data
collection and disaggregation on indigenous people and issues; and
ensuring active worldwide participation in the Second International Decade
of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005-2014).
Speakers noted that challenges to the development of indicators for
indigenous peoples’ well-being were closely connected to challenges
involved in data collection, research and analysis, and interpretation and
dissemination of such data. Some, concerned that Governments might
purposely distort information about native communities to adjust resource
allocations, emphasized the importance of developing multiple criteria
with active participation of local indigenous peoples to accurately
capture the identity of, and socio-economic conditions in, their
communities. Others stressed that data collection concerning indigenous
peoples must follow the principle of free, prior and informed consent at
all levels, and promote the human rights of indigenous peoples.
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