Indigenous organisations from Australia are on the world stage as part of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York City, USA.

Organisations represented include:

First Peoples Disability Network Australia – Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) – Foundation for Indigenous Recovery and Development, Australia (FIRDA) – National Aboriginal Community Controlled  Health Organisation (NACCHO) – National Congress of Australia’s First People’s – National Indigenous Higher Education Network (NIHEN) – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance Corporation (NATSIWAC) – National Native Title Council (NNTC) – New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) – Office of the Social Justice Commissioner.

NACCHO represented by

Matthew Cooke Deputy Chair, Lisa Briggs CEO and NACCHO PHMO Professor Ngiare Brown

Press release from IPO

The 12^th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is being held at the United Nations in New York from 20-31 May 2013. As a review year, the focus of the Forum is on previous recommendations, such as progress made towards implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the upcoming World Conference of Indigenous Peoples to be held in New York in 2014.

The Indigenous People’s Organisation (IPO) Network is a broad affiliation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and individuals, who engage with United Nations mechanisms and frameworks to advocate for the implementation of the Declaration.

Co-chairs at the Permanent Forum, Brian Wyatt and Sandra Creamer, assist in coordinating the activities with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations that make up the IPO attending this year’s forum.

 Discussion will take place on the status of previous recommendations around health, culture and education as well as future work of the Forum where the IPO will be delivering an intervention on justice and child protection.

 There has also been the opportunity for dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Professor James Anaya and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Chief Willie Littlechild where the IPO presented a number of questions relating to the rights of Indigenous Peoples and a range of issues including health, culture, impact of the mining boom in Australia on Indigenous peoples and their communities.

 According to Mr. Wyatt, this year’s Forum is a “unique opportunity for Indigenous peoples from around the world to assess the past work of the Permanent Forum and review UN Member States progress with the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”.

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