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Note No.
5067 2
December
1992
NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF WORLD'S
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON 10 DECEMBER, HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
The General Assembly will hold a plenary meeting on Thursday,
10 December, to launch the International Year of the World's
Indigenous People (1993).
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 a.m., by Assembly
President Stoyan Ganev (Bulgaria) and Secretary-General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali. Representatives of Member States will also make
statements.
At 12:15 p.m., the second part of the ceremonies will begin
in the General Assembly Hall, with the participation of 19
speakers representing indigenous peoples from different parts of
the world. The event will be opened by Antoine Blanca,
Coordinator for the Year and Director General of the Centre for
Human Rights, and Erica-Irene A. Daes, Chairman of the Working
Group on Indigenous Populations. This part of the ceremonies will
be suspended at 1:30 p.m. and will reconvene at 3 p.m.
Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be a cultural event in the
Economic and Social Council Chamber featuring indigenous
performers. These include: Spiderwoman Theatre, the Silver Cloud
Singers and the Thunderbird Dance Company of the United States;
Yothu Yindi, an aboriginal rock band from Australia; Mari Boine, a
Samme singer from Norway; Inca Son, an Andean music group; Egon
Sikevat, an Inuit drummer and singer from Greenland; and Earth
Savers, a Filipino tribal dance company. Canadian indigenous
singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie of Canada, will be Mistress
of Ceremonies.
The cultural event, to be followed by a reception, is being
organized by the Department of Public Information (DPI) and
co-sponsored by the Centre for Human Rights, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour
Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the
United
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- 2 - Note No. 5067
2 December
1992
Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM). The Governments of
Australia, Canada, Greenland, Norway and the Philippines have also
contributed.
Due to limited space in the Economic and Social Council
Chamber, attendance is by invitation only. Correspondents wishing
to attend should contact the names given below. However,
interested United Nations staff, delegates and non-governmental
organizations without invitations may view the event by closed
circuit television in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, beginning
at 6 p.m.
For media accreditation, contact Sonia Lecca, at (212)
963-6934, fax (212) 963-4642. For United Nations Television
coverage, contact Jim Ludlam at (212) 963-7650, fax (212)
963-3860. For further information on the cultural event, contact
Anjali Peck (212) 963-0072 or (212) 963-6923.
For information about other activities related to the
commemoration of Human Rights Day, contact Rosa Rivera (212)
963-1259.
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