Indigenous Issue
Foreign ministry clarifies
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has accepted Dhaka’s concerns on indigenous issue by consensus in its 2011 substantive session, said a foreign ministry press release yesterday.
Bangladesh raised concerns at the session over two paragraphs of the 2011 Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) Report about the use of the term “indigenous” in reference to Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
The country also stated how a member of International Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission conducted its study on the peace accord “in a non-transparent and biased manner” and that PFII has “procedural inconsistencies in reflecting views of member states”.
At the session, ECOSOC underscored the importance of PFII’s adhering to its mandate, taking account of the concerns of member states and ensuring that its studies are conducted in an independent, transparent, impartial and objective manner.
The session duly reflected this in its 2011 report while Bangladesh’s concerns were explicitly shared in statements made by India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, said the release.
The website of the United Nations office in Geneva showed that Bangladesh’s proposal and concerns were supported by China, Russian Federation, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
The press release also said ECOSOC’s noting of the PFII report has no bearing or binding obligations on Bangladesh.
The manner in which a sovereign state categorises its citizens or a group of citizens remains its exclusive prerogative as per its constitution and national laws. It also remains outside the purview of any international forum including United Nations, said the release.
-With The Daily Star input
