STATEMENT
Second intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council.
Session 2 - Recommendations to the HRC on accreditation mechanism.
Statement delivered by Ambassador Mr. Tormod C. ENDRESEN, Permanent Representative of Norway.
Check against delivery
17 October 2024
We thank the panel for their interventions.
We agree that the Council needs to establish a new accreditation mechanism. We endorse the elements proposed in the discussion paper and its annex, and underscore the following:
The work and decisions of the mechanism should be based on the principles of self-determination and self-identification.
The mechanism must act independently and be guided by the accreditation principles and criteria. Their work should be conducted in an open and transparent manner, with procedures based on inclusivity and good governance.
The accreditation mechanism should be composed of and led by Indigenous Peoples from the seven socio-cultural regions.
It can build on good practices from existing accreditation mechanisms such as the Arctic Council, where Indigenous Peoples decide their own representation through a specific mechanism.
It should take decisions by simple majority that are final and not subject to validation by other bodies. There should be no veto power for States.
Rejected requests should be provided with an option to appeal.
It is important that the accreditation procedure is easy to understand, and accessible in all UN languages.
The mechanism should be provided with the necessary resources and conduct its work in an efficient manner.
The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can serve as an interim accreditation mechanism.
Thank you.