MOTSWANA ATTENDS UN CONFERENCE A young Motswana, Mr Leburu Andrias is attending the 13th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) at the UN headquarters in New York. Speaking in an interview, Mr Andrias said he was one of the beneficiaries of the UN Voluntary fund, which was funding 25 representatives of indigenous people’s organisation and communities from all over the world. He said out of the 25 representatives, seven were from Africa, five women and two men and he was the only one from Botswana. The session would end on May 23. Mr Andrias was invited in his capacity as a trust manager of Teemashane Community Development Trust based in Mohembo, which runs some community development projects such as a fishing project and a cultural hiking trail. He said the theme for this year session is ‘Principles of good governance’ consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Articles 3 to 6 and 46. Before the session, he attended last week the Project Access Global Capacity building workshop which was organised by the Tribal Link foundation in partnership with Columbia University institute for the study of human rights and in cooperation with the secretariat of the UNPFII. He will also attend a symposium on indigenous people sustainable development on May 17 , which he said is a side event to the UNPFII sponsored by the World Bank. Mr Andrias said the UNPFII provides advice and recommendations to UN programmes and agencies regarding the state of indigenous peoples around the world, especially their social and economic wellbeing. He also said it is a preservation of culture for indigenous people and the protection of human rights. Furthermore, he said even though he has been invited as an individual, he goes to the forum and other events as a representative of indigenous people of Botswana. He said his presentation at the forum is about issues that affect indigenous people found in all parts of Botswana. Mr Andrias said in his presentation, he will mention issues such as indigenous people’s culture, economic and social development, and environment and land rights. (BOPA)
Posted on: Wed, 14 May 2014 04:53:29 +0000
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