<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
strong
{mso-style-priority:22;
font-weight:normal;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle21
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p><strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#0D0D0D">1</span></b></strong><strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">8<sup>th</sup> Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)</span></b></strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Date:</span></b></strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"> 22 April – 3 May 2019 - United Nations Headquarters, NYC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">Theme: </span></b></strong><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black">“Traditional Knowledge: Generation, Transmission & Protection”<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><img width="641" height="361" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D4F953.9B524950" alt="cid:image001.jpg@01D4F953.9B524950"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">Direct Link to Full 13-Page 2019 Text:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/C.19/2019/5"><span style="color:blue">https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/C.19/2019/5</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="932" height="846" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.png@01D4F953.9B524950" alt="cid:image004.png@01D4F953.9B524950"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><a href="http://www.rosalux-nyc.org/voices-of-indigenous-women-leaders-at-the-un/">http://www.rosalux-nyc.org/voices-of-indigenous-women-leaders-at-the-un/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">WUNRN will be watching for the Indigenous Women’s Declaration at the
<span style="color:#C00000">2019</span> Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">On April 18, 2018, the RLS–NYC & MADRE Delegation of Indigenous Women Leaders addressed the UN Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) with a joint statement on critical issues related to sustainable development, economic empowerment, and the human rights of environmental defenders, as they affect the realization of the rights of Indigenous women and girls worldwide.
</span></i><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">Statement on Behalf of the Indigenous Women Delegation 2018<br>
17th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">Thank you Madame Chair. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on behalf of our international
delegation of Indigenous Women present in NY for being re-elected as chair of this 17<sup>th</sup> session.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">We, Indigenous women from Cameroon, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nepal and the United States would like to address the UN Permanent
Forum on Indigenous issues regarding critical issues that Indigenous women and girls face in relation to land, territories and natural resources around the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">Madame Chair, globally Indigenous women are at the forefront of movements modelling sustainable environmental solutions,
and are key in practicing models that are pertinent in halting climate change. Indigenous women continue to persevere as they struggle and face the worst impacts of climate change with the increasing degradation of their own land and territories. In addition,
Indigenous women and girls remain discriminated against because of traditional cultural practices that do not allow them to own any productive resources like land. If we are committed to make progress in achieving is sustainable development goals and the agenda
2030, it is the responsibility of governments to put in place legal protections safeguarding the right of women to own and inherit land without any barriers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">We welcome the agreed conclusion from the 62nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), calling on
promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous women and girls addressing the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and barriers that we and our girls face while acknowledging the vast contributions of Indigenous women to many areas of conservation,
sustainability, food security and improved nutrition. We believe that Indigenous women and girls must have a voice in policies that affect their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">We call for the following recommendations:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">– We call on Member States and UN Agencies to include Indigenous women and girls, youth, elders and traditional
keepers in implementing and decision making processes within national and international legal frameworks focusing on securing, protecting and demarcating Indigenous peoples land.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">– We reiterate that the UN Permanent Forum works closely with other UN Agencies in collaboration with Indigenous
Peoples Organizations to establish a <b>monitoring mechanism</b> that oversees the implementation of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the actions taken in ensuring free, prior informed consent on what is an increasing number of development
projects on Indigenous lands resulting in land grabbing, violations and displacement of Indigenous Peoples.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">– We urge the UN Permanent Forum to work closely with UN Agencies and in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples organizations
to prevent, recognize, and monitor the high levels of global violence and threats faced by and directed at Indigenous Women Human Right defenders. We call for an immediate halt to the criminalization, incarceration, intimidation, coercion, death threats and
assassination of all Indigenous human and environmental rights defenders from developed and developing countries who are protecting their homelands, communities, future generations, and life-giving processes from environmental destruction and contamination.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">– We call on Member States, UN Agencies and the Permanent Forum to ensure that efforts of conservation practiced
by International Organizations, and encouraged by International agreements are inclusive of Indigenous People’s rights. It is of crucial importance that the process recognize and respect customary and community land rights while acknowledging the important
role Indigenous women play in maintaining and conserving biodiversity and other natural resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">– We call on Member States, UN Agencies and the Permanent Forum to hold multinationals and agribusiness accountable
for not involving Indigenous Peoples in a free, prior, informed consent mechanism prior to engaging in any development projects in Indigenous peoples’ land and territories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.75pt"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222">Indigenous Women Delegation 2018: </span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif;color:#222222"><br>
Yasso Kanti Bhattachan (National Indigenous Women Forum, Nepal)<br>
Leduvina Guill Zamora (Wangki Tangni, Nicaragua)<br>
Aehshatou Manu (Mbororo Social and Cultural Development Association-MBOSCUDA, Cameroon)<br>
Kandi Mossett (Indigenous Environmental Network, USA)<br>
Lucy Mulenkei (Indigenous Information Network, Kenya)<br>
Kamala Thapa (National Indigenous Women’s Federation, Nepal)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">_________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>