2019 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

 

 

 

2019 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 

Yon Fernandez- de-Larrinoa, FAO Indigenous Peoples Team Leader

 

Chairperson of the UN permanent forum,

Honorable Elders and Experts of the Permanent Forum,

Indigenous and country representatives,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

FAO is thankful for the opportunity to address you all, congratulations to Anne Nourgan for her nomination as Chair of the Permanent Forum.

 

 

We welcome this years’ theme “Traditional knowledge” particularly during the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019.

 

FAO Director-General says “Without indigenous peoples, we cannot achieve the Zero Hunger Goal”.

 

This is why in 2018 FAO held a High-Level Expert Seminar on Indigenous Food Systems, organized with UNPFII, DOCIP, FILAC, UNESCO, CIFOR, IRD, Bioversity and other partners.

 

This Seminar gathered 70 speakers, 49 country delegates, and more than 200 participants from indigenous communities, academia, UN agencies and NGO’s

 

The 3 the main outcomes of the Seminar were:

Recognizing the contribution of Indigenous food systems to the food base

Agreeing that theloss of traditional knowledge and languages entails the loss of ancestral indigenous food systems.

Creating a Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples Food Systems.

 

For the past two years FAO and partner organizations have been analyzing 11 indigenous food systems.

 

FAO is concerned with the loss of these valuable food systems and practices and is committed to strengthening the understanding and preservation of indigenous peoples’ food systems and their knowledge.

 

Traditional knowledge and indigenous food systems are disappearing at an alarming rate with the migration of the youth, the passing of the elders and the lack of respect of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and lack of recognition of collective rights. 

 

Fundamental to collective and customary rights, FAO is finalizing the translation into indigenous languages of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests.

 

Following the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus and FAO meeting in 2017. FAO created an internship program for indigenous youth and is working to establish a UN Forum on Indigenous Youth.

 

Regarding Indigenous Women, in partnership with the International Forum on Indigenous Women We have trained 350 indigenous women on indigenous rights and food security.

 

 Last year, FAO Director-General launched the Global Campaign on Indigenous Women and Dr. Wallet as Chair of the UNFPII, launched the violet chair initiative, symbolizing the place that indigenous women should have in decision-making processes.

 

Allow me to on behalf of FAO, thank Dr. Wallet for her hard work and dedication chairing the UNPFII for the past two years.

 

Concluding, let me say that FAO will continue its work with indigenous peoples at global, regional and local level.