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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."
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.
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 |
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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. |
