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Hosting the UN Expert Group Meeting of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

John Echohawk, CNAIS External Advisory Board Member, at UN Perm Forum Jan 2024

NARF Executive Director and CNAIS External Advisory Board Member John Echohawk addresses Expert Group Meeting.
Photo credit: University of Colorado

CNAIS joined with the Law School to co-host the UN Expert Group Meeting of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Jan. 24-26, 2024. Delegates from around the world came to discuss the theme of “Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy,” and prepare a report on this topic which set the agenda for the full Permanent Forum meeting in New York City in April. The report arising from the Expert Group Meeting can be found on the United Nations Website, or at this link. A key takeaway from the meeting was the term “Green Economy” can be very problematic. While “Green” is often associated with “good” in the context of climate discussions, Green energy sources are often still being produced and distributed in ways that replicate the harms and inequities associated with fossil fuel energy sources.