National Indigenous Television and Carbon Media have joined forces to provide a multi-platform coverage of the Seventh Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from New York between, 21 April – 2 May.

“Black Tracks”, will be a daily VODcast and a regular news update on the NITV Website, and will provide Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians viewers with a first- hand updates of the event.
Also airing daily on NITV, “Black Tracks” will also provide the Australian and International audience the unprecedented chance to be part of the UN Forum from an Indigenous perspective. User generated content such as delegate travel diaries are also a part of the coverage.

The programming is interactive, and the delegate’s views and experiences from New York will instantaneously be shared with the world. This year the Special Forum theme is Climate Change, Bio-Cultural, Diversity and Livelihoods: the Stewardship role of Indigenous Peoples and new challenges.

This year’s forum is the first since the UN signed off on the International Declaration for Indigenous Rights. Australia has yet to sign off on the Declaration, it is anticipated that Australia will make the significant step at this year’s forum.

Approximately 40 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives will attend the forum varying from long time UN Indigenous rights campaigners to first time youth representatives. Indigenous campaigners such at Mick Dodson, Barbara Shaw, and Les Malezer will be present. Organisations such as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, and OXFAM will also be in attendance at the Forum this year.

On the ground reporter Virginia Stein will deliver daily news stories from the UN Headquarters in New York. An hour length documentary featuring all the highlights of the forum and Indigenous UN Delegate interviews will feature on NITV later in the year.

Catch all the live updates and VODcasts at www.nitv.org.au and daily on NITV on Channel 180 on FOXTEL and AUSTAR.