NHRC organises workshop on strategic planning for promotion & protection of rights of indigenous peoples

NHRC organises workshop on strategic planning for promotion & protection of rights of indigenous peoples

On 29 December 2010 the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organized a workshop on “Strategic Planning for promotion and protection of Rights of Indigenous and Ethnic Minority Groups” at YWCA auditorium in Dhaka. Representatives from indigenous people’s organization, civil society leaders, human rights and indigenous peoples rights activists, human rights defenders and journalists were attended the workshop. As a part of Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on Draft Strategic Plan, NHRC has organized this planning workshop.

At the very beginning, on behalf of NHRC Professor Dr. Niru Kumar Chakma, honorary member of the NHRC welcomed and briefed the audience about the strategic planning workshop. After that, another honorary member of the NHRC Ms. Nirupa Dewan has given a presentation on ‘Stakeholder Consultation Meetings on Draft Strategic Plan’.

Finally, all participants were divided into four groups and each group did their group work on the two topics- (a) Situation in CHT and local access to justice and (b) Discrimination against indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities. At the end four groups forwarded the following recommendations-

• encourage government to fully implement CHT Accord;
• encourage government to amend the CHT Land Disputes Settlement Act 2001 in an urgent basis;
• undertake mass awareness programme by NHRC to promote CHT Accord;
• encourage government to take into consideration the recommendations pledged by different international organizations and UN agencies for implementing CHT Accord;
• NHRC should take lead role protesting gross human rights violation in grass root level;
• establish NHRC wing at regional level or district level;
• establish a separate CHT cell in NHRC considering the gross violation of human rights;
• NHRC should monitor implementation process of the CHT Accord;
• encourage government to arrange special training for govt. officials to be trained up with indigenous rights, their traditional land rights and basic human rights;
• introduce media advocacy program for constitutional recognition of IPs;
• encourage government to ratify the ILO Convention 169 and support the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples etc.

Among others, Mr. Pallab Chakma of Kapaeeng Foundation, Mr. Goutam Dewan and U K Zain of CHT Citizens Committee, Ms. Sultana Kamal of ASK, Mr. Philip Gain of SEHD, Mr. Krishna Kanti Singh, Ms. Chaitali Tripura of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, Mr. Sontosh Tripira of UNDP et al attended the workshop.

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 courtesy:


Kapaeeng Foundation
(An Human Rights Organization for Indigenous Peoples of Bangladesh)
Shalma Garden, House # 23/25, Road # 4, Block # B, PC Culture Housing, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207, Telephone: +880-2-8190801
E-mail: kapaeeng.foundation@gmail.com, kapaeeng.watch@gmail.com