United Nations Indigenous Peoples Forum

24 May 2011

May 16 – 27, 2011 the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Tenth Session met in the UN headquarters in New-York. The UN Secretary-General Mr. Pan Gi Mun opened the Forum with his address to its participants. In his report he gave profound evaluation of the situation with the world indigenous people and the collective responsibility of the international community and states for solution of a wide range of issues related to ensuring of their development, based on pan-European generally recognized standards of human rights, national minorities and indigenous peoples.

Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people was represented at the Forum by Abduraman Egiz, delegate of Qurultay of the Crimean Tatar people, foreign relations department and Ayla Bakkalli, member of the Coordination Council of the World Crimean Tatar Congress.

Abduraman Egiz, representative of Crimean Tatar Mejlis addressed the participants of the Forum and told about the tragic destiny of the Crimean Tatar people that felt victim of the crimes of the totalitarian regime of the USSR in the 20th century. A.Egiz addressed the UN head to promote the restoration of the national rights of Crimean Tatars is an indigenous people of Crimea. In his report he gave high evaluation of the important role of the international community, its democratic institutions on the process of return and revival of Crimean Tatar culture, its historical heritage, national system of education and their integration to Ukrainian community.

A.Egiz, Mejlis’ representative called the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues to support Mejlis’ idea of the International Forum on the restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatar people on their homeland, its security and guarantee of development in Ukraine.

During the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues 10th session the representatives of Mejlis held a range of meetings with its participants from different countries and reporters. The main agenda of the meetings was the International Forum on the restoration of the rights of Crimean Tatar people on their homeland, its security and guarantee of development in Ukraine. The special attention was given to the role and format of involvement of the UN structures, representatives of the Permanent Forum on indigenous issues as well as the process of revival of the Crimean Tatar people in Crimea in general.

Reference: Permanent Forum on indigenous issues was established by the Economic and Social Council in 2000. It is made up of 16 experts. 8 of its members are nominated by the Governments, the rest 8 – by the groups of indigenous peoples. Members of the Forum are elected for a term of three years, each acting in an individual capacity as an independent expert on indigenous issues.