Indigenous Rights in the Commonwealth Project...

Updated: February 11, 2004

Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples (CAIP)

The Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples (CAIP) is an association of Indigenous organisations from the Commonwealth of fifty four states. Membership provides Indigenous organisations throughout the Commonwealth with legitimate accreditation to Commonwealth fora. CAIP members were given accreditation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Durban, 1999, the postponed CHOGM in Brisbane, Australia, in October 2001, the CHOGM in Coolum, Australia, in March 2002, and the CHOGM in Abuja, Nigeria, December 2003. It will also have accreditation at the forthcoming CHOGM in Malta, 2005.

Background

On 23rd July 1999 'A Dialogue on Indigenous Rights in the Commonwealth' was organised by the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit (CPSU) at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London. The Dialogue was attended by many Indigenous peoples from around the Commonwealth. Those present strongly supported the creation of an organisation to support Indigenous peoples in the Commonwealth. CAIP was formed on 30th July 1999, in Geneva, when fifteen Indigenous NGOs from all regions of the Commonwealth accepted the CAIP Charter.

CAIP was officially launched on November 12th 1999, at the Commonwealth People's Centre, the civil society summit held parallel to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Durban, South Africa.

Launch of the Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples,
CHOGM, Durban, South Africa, 1999

Objectives

The objectives of the Commonwealth Association of Indigenous Peoples are:

• to provide and promote links between Indigenous Peoples of the Commonwealth;
• to advocate the interests of Indigenous Peoples within Commonwealth forums;
• to promote understanding and education of the identity and status of Indigenous Peoples within the Commonwealth;
• to strengthen information exchange, research and publicity of Indigenous issues on a pan-Commonwealth basis;
• to promote the elimination of racial discrimination against Indigenous Peoples;
• to assist in the development of sustainable solutions to land rights conflicts arising over shared territories; and
• to develop recognition of the unique contributions Indigenous Peoples make to the family of Commonwealth nations.

Membership

Membership is open to Indigenous organisations from Commonwealth countries whose objectives and functions are consistent with those of CAIP. There are currently eighteen members, representing the following countries; Australia, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, India, New Zealand, Tanzania, Bangladesh and Fiji. CAIP is keen to extend its membership to other Indigenous organisations in the Commonwealth, and would like to hear from any Commonwealth Indigenous organisations interested in joining.

Structure

At the outset, CAIP was headed by a President, who chaired the Executive Committee, which was made up of one representative from each of the five regions of the Commonwealth. A new President was to be nominated every two years, who was to represent the country hosting the two yearly CHOGM.

The first President was Mr Cecil le Fleur, Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPAAC), South Africa. In 1999, the CAIP Secretariat was based at IPAAC, which provided assistance to Indigenous peoples attending the CHOGM in Durban.

Today, CAIP is headed by a Coordinator, Mr Les Malezer, Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA), Brisbane, Australia. FAIRA provided assistance to Commonwealth Indigenous peoples attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Brisbane, 2nd-5th March, 2002, the CHOGM in Coolum, Australia, March 2002 and the CHOGM in Abuja, Nigeria, December 2003.

Contact

The Coordinator, Mr. Les Malezer, can be contacted on email: les.malezer@faira.org.au or at the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA), 37 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba, Australia, tel: + 61 7 3391 4677, fax: + 61 7 3391 4551.

CAIP Press Releases - CHOGM, Coolum, Australia 2002