The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues meets for 10 days each year, at UN Headquarters in New York. According to the ECOSOC resolution that established the Forum (E/2000/22), the Forum may also meet at the UN Office in Geneva or at such other place that the Forum may decide.

It is a high-level advisory body that deals with indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights.

In addition to these six areas, each session has thematically focused on a specific issue. During the Forum's first six sessions, a specific theme was discussed each year. Since 2008, the Forum has adopted a bi-annual working method of one year with a specific theme and the next year focussing on review of implementation.

First Session
12 to 24 May 2002 - United Nations Headquarters, New York  

Second Session
11 to 23 May 2003 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Indigenous Children and Youth

Third Session
10 to 21 May 2004 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Indigenous Women

Fourth Session
16 to 27 May 2005 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Millennium Development Goals and Indigenous Peoples with a focus on Goal 1 to Eradicate Poverty and Extreme Hunger, and Goal 2 to achieve universal primary education

Fifth Session
15 to 26 May 2006 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: The Millennium Development Goals and indigenous peoples: Re-defining the Millennium Development Goals"

Sixth Session
14 to 25 May 2007 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Territories, Lands and Natural Resources

Seventh Session
21 April - 2 May, 2008 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship role of indigenous peoples and new challenges"

Eighth Session
18-29 May, 2009 - United Nations Headquarters, New York
Review year

Ninth Session
19-30 April 2010 - UN Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: Indigenous peoples: development with culture and identity; articles 3 and 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Tenth Session
16-27 May 2011 - UN Headquarters, New York
Review year

Eleventh Session
7-18 May 2012 - UN Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact on indigenous peoples and the right to redress for past conquests (articles 28 and 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

Twelfth Session
20-31 May 2013 - UN Headquarters, New York
Review year

Thirteenth Session
12-23 May 2014 - UN Headquarters, New York
Special Theme: “Principles of good governance consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: articles 3 to 6 and 46”

Fourteenth Session
20 April - 1 May 2015 - UN Headquarters, New York
Review year