Dialogue Between Nations
 

UNITED NATIONS PRESS CONFERENCES
RUEDAS DE PRENSA DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS
 

Webcast from the UN
23 May, 2003


Archived Video: English/Spanish and/y Ingles/Espanol

 



Otilia Lux de Coti
Maya Kiche


Ole Henrik
 Magga Saami


Wilton Littlechild
Cree


Press Conference:
Mr. Ole Henrik Magga,Chairman of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Mr. Wilton Littlechild, Rapporteur and Licda. Otilia Lux de Coti, Ministra de Cultura y Deportes, Gobierno de Guatemala and Expert Member of the Permanent Forum, provide briefs on the outcome of the Permanent Forum's Second Session.
 

Ole Henrik Magga:

"We are building up this body (Permanent Forum) and Nation States are taking us more seriously. It seems they have an interest. We need this dialogue with the States, agencies and Indigenous Peoples. So far, we already have made good progress, We have to sit together and talk and see what we can do together. We are experts on our own capacity."

He also reinforces the extremely serious situation of violence in the Congo and the meeting held with the President of the Security Council to stop the atrocities. "I have fresh news they haven't been able to do so. We can't sit here and watch what's going on."


Otilia Lux de Coti:

"Indigenous participants proposed more recommendations than denouncements. The Permanent Forum has two principle challenges. The first is to make our recommendations addressed to States and cooperating agencies a reality; the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the world have repeatedly said they want to see themselves reflected in the policies that affect them...we all want to see the work of the Permanent Forum receive funding and support. We applaud the joint work of Indigenous Peoples, UN agencies and States."

Otilia Lux de Coti, of Maya Kiche ancestry, emphasizes the collective vision. "In twenty years we want to see this contribute to the alleviation of poverty and eliminate discrimination and move forward to building just and democratic societies."

Referente al Foro Permanente y los expertos miembros, Otilia esta convencida de que "tengamos suficiente capacidad de interceder entre los Pueblos Indigenas, las agencias de la ONU y los Estados."


Willie Littlechild:

Mr. Littlechild, who introduces himself by his Cree Spirit name, Walking Wolf, is the Rapporteur of the Permanent Forum. He cites this year's innovative approach and focus on Children and Youth. "With the numbers of Indigenous Peoples in the world at 350 million, 180 million are children. The challenge this year is how to prioritize the recommendations so that they translate into action."

With regards to the issue of self-identification, Mr. LIttlechild, a prominent lawyer who has worked extensively on both the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the OAS Draft Americas Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples expresses the essence of the world's Indigenous communities and leadership, "We know who we are and we don't need people telling us who we are."

The theme of the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to be held in 2004, will take up the concerns of Indigenous Women. Given that the UN is in the process of "action" - with a Decade review stemming from the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, "we thought to mainstream the issue on Women and the upcoming global activity."

 


Njuma Ekundanayo

Ms. Njuma Ekundanayo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and expert on Indigenous issues, particularly on pygmy peoples in the DRC; Mr. Sinafasi Makelo and Ms. Adolphine Muli, Mbuti (Batwa) people of the eastern DRC brief on the situation in eastern DRC relating to the Indigenous Peoples there. Sponsored by the Secretariat for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Press Briefing Summary
21/05/2003 PRESS CONFERENCE
BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

International press needed to inform the people about the plight of the indigenous people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference sponsored by the Secretariat for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues this afternoon.

Speaking to the press were Njuma Ekundanayo, member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, specializing, in particular, in the issues of pygmy peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Sinafasi Makelo of the Bambuti Pygmies and Adolphine Muley of the Batwa Pygmy Community of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Although they were the indigenous inhabitants of a vast and rich country, the pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo today were without land, recognition, or rights, the speakers said. Among the most serious issues, included poverty, displacement, marginalization, violence, the spread of AIDS, genocide and even cannibalism. Indigenous women were often subjected to sexual violence and rape. Indigenous people of the Congo were disappearing, both culturally and physically.

Referring to his statement yesterday in the Forum, Mr. Makelo said that never before had his people known atrocities of the scale committed at present. Human beings were hunted and eaten by members of armed groups as though they were game animals, as had recently happened to the Mambasa pygmies in the Ituri District. Other participants of the press conference confirmed that there were witness accounts of such incidents. Supposedly, cannibalism was committed by members of armed groups in the hope to acquire magic powers through consumption of their flesh. The selective character of such cannibalism, which was carried out only on the Bambuti minority group, was tantamount to genocide, he concluded.

The representatives of the indigenous people of the Democratic Republic of Congo had come to the United Nations to ask for help before all hope was lost, correspondents were told. Today, representatives of the Forum would be meeting with the President of the Security Council to alert him to the problems faced by the indigenous people of the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of war and lawlessness in the country.


For further information:

Human Rights Statement

Read the Summary of the Statement presented to the Second Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues during the discussion on Human Rights by Sinafasi Makelo of the Bambuti Pygmies and Adolphine Muley of the Batwa Pygmy Community of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 



Mr. Wilton Littlechild, Ms. Noeli Pocaterra, Leonor Zalabata

Ms. Leonor Zalabata of Colombia, Mr. Wilton Littlechild (Cree) de Canada, Expert in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and Ms. Noeli Pocaterra (Wayuu), Member of Parliament in Venezuela and Second Vice-President of the Venezuelan National Assembly and member of CONIVE (Indian National Council of Venezuela) present their views on the Second Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, while at the same time, looking at the situation of Indigenous Peoples in their own countries (Colombia and Venezuela). Mr. LIttlechild refers to the ceremonial presence of the Sacred Staffs, indicative of the traditional diplomacy that Indigenous Peoples can bring to the United Nations and the importance of the sacred staffs in creating unity. A member of the press, Kenneth Deer, Mohawk publisher of the Eastern Door newspaper, asks Ms. Pocaterra to comment on any gains that Indigenous Peoples have made within the political environment of President Chavez. The issue of the paramilitary presence in Colombia and its impact on Indigenous Peoples is also addressed.

For further information:

Interview with Noeli Pocaterra

Listen to Noeli Pocaterra in a special dbn.tv interview, in Spanish and Wayuu, recorded by Javier Perez

PRESS RELEASES / BOLETINES DE PRENSA
 

13/05/2003 Press Release
HR/4661

MAY 13, 2003

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Second Session
3rd & 4th Meetings (AM & PM)

NEED FOR DATA, FUNDING, CLOSER COOPERATION WITH UNITED NATIONS STRESSED IN INDIGENOUS FORUM DISCUSSION



13/05/2003 Press Release
HR/4661


SUMMARIES OF STATEMENTS MADE TO THE PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES TODAY, 13 MAY. A COMPLETE SUMMARY OF THE MEETING WILL APPEAR AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING AS PRESS RELEASE HR/4661.



EXHIBIT “IN CELEBRATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE” OPENS AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS 13 MAY
 


Press Release
HR/4659
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Second Session
1st & 2nd Meetings (AM & PM)

MAY 12, 2003

OBSTACLES FACED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, NEED TO INTEGRATE ISSUES INTO UN SYSTEM STRESSED, AS PERMANENT FORUM OPENS SECOND SESSION

Secretary-General Says Indigenous Still Denied
Identities, Displaced from Lands, More Likely to Suffer Extreme Poverty



Press Release
SG/SM/8695
HR/4660


INDIGENOUS PEOPLES CONTINUE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM POWER, DENIED IDENTITIES, DISPLACED FROM LANDS SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO PERMANENT FORUM

Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the second session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, delivered by Angela King, Assistant Secretary-General, Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, in New York on 12 May.

Nations to Nations Legend


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