Reposted from Responding to Climate Change

The 2014 United Nations Development Programme Human Development Report, Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience, was just released on July 24, 2014. By identifying vulnerable communities and bolstering their ability to react to negative forces through collective action, governments stands to improve many of the human rights violations affecting Indigenous Peoples and marginalized groups around the world.

According to UN Special  Rapporteur on Business and Human Rights John Ruggie, when extractive companies have problems with local communities surrounding their development, about 80% of time can be devoted to conflict resolution: not an effective time strategy. Companies can lose up to $20 million a week due to shut down costs as a result of social conflict.

The United Nations General Assembly has put forth a zero draft resolution to be adopted on September 22nd, 2014. The draft outlines the goals and strategies that the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples hopes to achieve and implement.

Cultural Survival congratulates Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein in his appointment as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. His term will begin starting September of 2014. Prince Zeid has been an Ambassador for Jordan to the United Nations for the last 10 years and he is proud to be the first High Commissioner to come from the Asian continent to represent the Arab and Muslim worlds. Prince Zeid has had a successful career contributing to the drafting of the elements for individual offenses such as genocide and war crimes.

On Friday, May 16, 2014, INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS WOMEN’S FORUM (FORO INTERNACIONAL DE MUJERES INDÍGENAS--FIMI) honored two indigenous women with FIMI Leadership Award. In a warm and memorable ceremony, Joan Carling and Rosalina Tuyuc received this unique recognition to their longstanding commitment, passion and leadership in the struggle for indigenous women’s rights. 

 FIMI Leadership Award

Informal consultations on the Outcome Document for the high level plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly or the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples commenced June 3, 2014 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Aurelio Chino Dahua, the "apu," or traditional leader and president of the Quechua Federation of the Upper Pastaza, attended this year's UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in May in New York city, with the support of Cultural Survival in partnership with the Rainforest Foundation US. Cultural Survival coordinated a meeting for him with both the outgoing and the incoming Special Rapporteurs on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya and Victoria Tauli Corpuz, respectively.