Indigenous people seek permanent representation at UN

UNITED NATIONS – Indigenous people are seeking a permanent political voice at the United Nations.

Chairman of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Alvaro Pop said Thursday that his group would ask the U.N. to create a new category equivalent to observer status in order to ensure the representation of indigenous people at the highest level.

Only two entities, the Palestinians and the Vatican, currently have observer status at the U.N.

The request is in the final outcome document of the 15th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a two-week long event ending Friday which united over 1,000 representatives from around world.

Forum members said that while indigenous people are not a state, they are also more than just a non-governmental organization and they deserve greater representation with in the U.N.