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| Man from Tuva, Siberia. Photo: Hans-Olof Utsi. |
The UN's Indigenous Peoples Forum
Indigenous peoples are nearly always at odds with their governments and meet with little sympathy for their demands. They did not draw the borders or create the countries we know today. That is why they have turned to the UN, which has supported them.
The UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held its first meeting on 9 August 1982, which is now the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. Since 2002 the Permanent Forum has been an annual meeting-place for representatives of indigenous peoples. The International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted Convention 169 Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in 1989.
The convention has been ratified by several countries in Latin America and by Norway. In preparation for Sweden's ratification, the question of Sami land rights as well as hunting and fishing rights is being investigated by the Swedish Government. A further step in the preparatory work for the ratification of the ILO convention is a review of the Sami Parliament and its organisation.
The global population of indigenous peoples is estimated at 300 million in 70 countries. They are usually in a minority, but in Bolivia, Guatemala and Peru they make up half the population or more. The indigenous population of the USA - Indians, Inuit (``Eskimos'') and Hawaiians - is about 1.6 million people out of a total population of 290 million.
Senast ändrad: 2006-04-27 |
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