U.N. Set to Designate Second Indigenous Decade
A second U.N. decade spotlighting indigenous peoples is a step closer after the world body's economic and social council (ECOSOC) recommended another 10-year project after the existing decade expires Dec. 30, 2004. The decision will go before the 191-member U.N. General Assembly (GA) whose annual meeting begins in September.
In their recommendation the members of ECOSOC, one of the U.N.'s five main bodies, said a second decade would have to take its mandate from a review of the first 10 years, and include concrete goals and adequate resources to ensure those aims could be met. The ongoing International Decade of the World's Indigenous People is aimed at strengthening international cooperation to solve problems faced by indigenous peoples -- also known as aborigines, native, first nations or tribal peoples -- in areas such as human rights, environment, development, education and health. The decade's theme is "indigenous people: partnership in action".
There are roughly 300 million indigenous peoples worldwide, many of them among the poorest and most marginalized people in their countries.
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