Binalakshmi Nepram at the United Nations High Level Political Forum
- at New York on 9-18 July 2018 -
*
Binalakshmi Nepram at the United Nations High Level Political Forum at New York on 9-18 July 2018
Strong call made for Protection of World’s Indigenous Peoples Lands, Resources, Histories by Ms Binalakshmi Nepram at the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals Held in New York
July 26, 2018, New Delhi & New York – Governments of the world including India met at a historic meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City in 9-18 July 2018 as they pledged to “end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources”. The global efforts are known as High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the largest global forum for reviewing successes, challenges and lessons learned on reducing global poverty by 2030.
Ms Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivor’s Network & Control Arms Foundation of India addressed the United Nations at this august gathering on 11 July 2018. She speech focused on the urgent need to include world’s indigenous peoples in this important global process. In her address to the UN, Ms Nepram stated that “Indigenous people make up 15 percent of the world’s poorest and an estimate of 370 million indigenous people live in landlocked and in the least developing countries and lag behind in socio, political and economic indicators”
Ms Nepram also stated, “the majority of Indigenous peoples are not legally recognized by many nations and hence, many of them face or experience the worst forms of racism, marginalization, discrimination, exploitation and even extermination” and further added that “many of the indigenous lands, and resources are militarized, given to corporation, security sectors and even to other nations without Indigenous Peoples meaningful participation and consent”.
She also gave a clarion call to “Reform discriminatory laws and policies against indigenous peoples and provide measures to protect their histories, cultures, cultural sites, indigenous arts and crafts, weaving, language, food, identities, spirituality and other heritage” .
Binalakshmi Nepram at the United Nations High Level Political Forum at New York on 9-18 July 2018
Urging everyone present at the United Nations headquarters, Ms Nepram called for urgent action where governments must formally recognize Indigenous peoples as distinct groups with collective rights. She also insisted that the rights of Indigenous peoples to their lands, territories, resources must be recognized and also further be protected and promoted. Lastly, she demanded for provision of special measures to address specific conditions of all indigenous peoples all across the world.
This High-Level Political Meeting was attended by more than 80 ministers and vice ministers, as well as 2,500 non-state actors consisting of governments from around the world, global businesses, women’s rights, indigenous peoples, farmers and other civil society stake holders.
Full text of Ms Nepram speech at UN can be read here ( attached ) and full speech delivered at the United Nations can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrmSX-AsIVE&authuser=0
For more details, contact :
Office of CAFI/Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
C/O Delhi Office - B5 / 146 1st Floor,
Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029
Phone: +91-11-46018541 Fax: +91-11-26166234
Web: www.womensurvivorsnetwork.org / www.cafi-online.org / http://www.neiwip.blogspot.in/
* This information was sent to e-pao.net by Tanvi Lomesh who can be reached at tanvi(DOT)cafi(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on July 28 2018
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