Dina Gilio-Whitaker: Indigenous leaders prepare for UN meet

In 2010, after the United States as the final holdout endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Bolivian government called for a high level plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to be held in 2014. The purpose is "to share perspectives and best practices on the realization of the rights of indigenous peoples, including to pursue the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." The name of the meeting is World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) but don't let the title mislead you; in United Nations parlance, a “world conference" is not the same thing as a high level plenary meeting. A high level plenary meeting doesn't hold as much weight as an actual world conference.

Be that as it may, this is thought to be the first time that the UNGA is conducting such a high level meeting on indigenous issues. The WCIP in New York will be held on September 22 and 23rd and will consist of two days of plenary sessions and informal roundtable and panel discussions with whatever state governments are participating; any actual participation of indigenous peoples themselves will be at the invitation of states. A total of 200 indigenous participants from seven global regions will be invited.