GENEVA (30 January 2023) – The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, José Francisco Cali Tzay, will carry out an official visit to Denmark and Greenland from 1 to 10 February 2023.

The UN expert will examine a diverse range of issues affecting Indigenous Peoples, including self-governance, the administration of justice, the situation of children and youth, gender equality, housing, access to health services including mental health, business and human rights, and climate change.

The expert will visit Copenhagen, Nuuk and Sisimiut, at the invitation of the governments.

Cali Tzay will meet with Government officials, indigenous organisations, civil society, academics and UN representatives. He will also visit communities to discuss their priorities and concerns.

The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference to share his preliminary findings and recommendations at 11:00 on Friday 10 February in UN City Copenhagen. Access to the conference is limited to accredited journalists, who must register in advance.

The UN expert will present his final report to the Human Rights Council in September 2023.

ENDS

Mr. José Francisco Cali Tzay, was appointed Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples in March 2020 and took up the role on 1 May 2020. A Mayan Cakchiquel from Guatemala, he has represented indigenous peoples at the United Nations since the early 1980s, addressing human rights violations against indigenous peoples in Guatemala and around the world. 

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

See the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Denmark

To register for the press conference in Copenhagen, please contact Flemming Johannesen (+45 30354371 / flemming.johannesen@undp.org)