NIPA seeks international law for indigenous peoples

Dimapur, August 10 (MExN): The Naga Indigenous Peoples Alliance (NIPA) on Monday made an appeal for “a binding international law for the world’s struggling indigenous peoples/ nations.”

In a press release on August 10, NIPA reaffirmed its support to the United Nations’ “belief and conviction that comprehensive world peace will be tangibly attainable only when millions of the oppressed and marginalized indigenous peoples/nations around the world are rightfully given their freedom and justice in the true sense of the term that ‘all men are born equal’.”

It termed the UN’s endeavor to protect and promote the indigenous peoples/nations; their land, territories and resources, law and system of governance, rights, interest, and welfare, as “encouraging,” but however pointed out that “indigenous peoples’ right to a nationality as provided in Article 5 and 9 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007, appears to be least addressed.”

As such, NIPA appealed to all concerned, especially the UN body to cause the “transforming of the existing UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007 into a binding international law for the world’s struggling indigenous peoples/ nations.”

Further, it appealed that the “present UNPO members like that of the Nagas whose long national struggle even predated the formation of UNO, may kindly be granted a workable International status.”