The title of the annual conference 2002 is ”Strategies for Development Cooperation with Indigenous Peoples”.

The conference is divided into three main topics:

• The European Union: Strategies for assistance to indigenous peoples, and experiences from the EU’s policy
• Focus on Norwegian strategies for assistance to indigenous peoples
• Forum update: Current issues, among others ”New developments in indigenous peoples-staterelations in Asia” and ”Comparison of cooperation projects between indigenous peoples and other projects related to assistance to indigenous peoples”.

The topics are chosen on the background of among other Report from the EU and the work with implementation of European Union indigenous peoples policy in development cooperation. After request from the European Council, the European Commision has developed a working document on support to indigenous peoples in developing countries. Concerning human rights, the document states that within excisting frames for human rights, the concern of indigenous peoples social, cultural and political rights are not taken into account. As one of several main aims for a strategy for assistance of indigenous peoples in developing countries, the document states that the terriotorial rights of the indigenous peoples has to be strenghtened. It will therefore be of interest to focus on how the European Union implementates its own indigenous peoples policy in the development assistance work. The subsequent topic of the conference, with focus on the Norwegian strategies for assistance to indigenous peoples, can give interesting comparisons between the strategies of Norway and the European Union.

After the second conference in the Forum for Development Cooperation with Indigenous Peoples, the Forum seems to consolidate its position as an arena for debates on Norwegian development policies and policies concerning indigenous peoples. It is important to continue these debates and discussions, in order to focus on different aspects in the strategies from the cooperating countries and Norway concerning indigenous peoples, and how this influences the capacity and ability of indigenous peoples to shape and control their own development.

Programme