Latest news with #UNDRIP
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Women street vendors in Mizoram seek viable space before relocation
Aizawl: 'Mahni Thlai Thar Zuar Pawl' — an association of women who sell vegetables they grow themselves — has urged the Mizoram govt and the general public not to ignore their right to livelihood while addressing traffic congestion and street cleanliness in Aizawl. In a press statement issued on Monday, the group acknowledged the growing concerns over roadside parking, construction materials encroaching upon footpaths, and illegal vending. While they supported efforts to make Aizawl a cleaner and less congested city, they expressed concern that calls to remove all street vendors might unfairly target poor rural women who depend on city vending for survival. "We, who bring fresh produce grown in our villages, also want a clean and orderly city," the association said, adding, "However, if the govt fails to provide us with suitable alternative spaces and pushes us into cramped corners of the New Market building as if we were goods to be stashed away, our livelihood will suffer." The group argued that such forced relocation, without a viable alternative, could amount to a violation of their right to livelihood under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. They further pointed out that Mizoram Assembly had endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which recognises the rights of indigenous communities to pursue traditional means of livelihood.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ZoRo slams India, Myanmar, B'desh govts for ‘UNDRIP violations'
1 2 Aizawl: A six-member delegation of the Zo Reunification Organisation (ZoRO), attending the 18th Expert Mechanism On The Rights Of Indigenous People session in Geneva, accused India, Myanmar and Bangladesh govts of violating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 2007 despite being signatories to the declaration. The session held from Monday to Friday saw participation from 777 delegates representing indigenous communities across various countries. Nine major agenda items concerning indigenous rights were discussed. Representing the Zohnam (Zo ethnic tribes), ZoRO addressed Agenda Item No 11 titled 'Proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approval'. It submitted a memorandum detailing the challenges faced by the Zo people. Speaking at the session, ZoRo general secretary Lalnunfela Chawngthu said: "India, Myanmar and Bangladesh are signatories to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007. However, their current practices grossly violate the Declaration."
Newsroom
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsroom
Disregard for indigenous rights comes straight from the top
Opinion: Earlier this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he 'fully agrees' with a letter the Minister of Regulation David Seymour wrote to Dr Albert K Barume, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Barume recently criticised New Zealand for breaching international human rights standards relating to Indigenous peoples. Among other things, Seymour's letter to Barume called these criticisms 'an affront to New Zealand's sovereignty'. This is significant, but the timeline of how we got here is a bit complex, so here's some background. A special rapporteur is a person, appointed by the UN, who has expertise in a particular area of human rights and has a responsibility to investigate, advocate for, and encourage countries to uphold those rights. First, what is a special rapporteur and how does this role relate to NZ? One high-profile special rapporteur you may have recently heard of is Francesca Albanese, who has a specific mandate relating to human rights in Palestine. Barume holds an equivalent position relating to the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world, including Māori. Barume's criticisms, contained in a letter to the New Zealand Government, reportedly addressed a range of things, all broadly related to the Government's failure to uphold both te Tiriti o Waitangi and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). We don't know all the details of the letter but the part that seems to have annoyed Seymour relates to the Regulatory Standards Bill. Alongside his comment about New Zealand's sovereignty, Seymour called the letter 'presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced'. Remember, there has been virtually unanimous condemnation of the Regulatory Standards Bill by te Tiriti experts, as well as by the Waitangi Tribunal. So, you can decide for yourself whether Seymour's comments are accurate. Didn't the coalition agreements say something about UNDRIP? Yes. The NZ First and Act coalition agreements with National both mention the New Zealand Government should no longer recognise UNDRIP. However, an Official Information Act request last year revealed nothing had been done about it – there was no correspondence with the UN and no express withdrawal of the government's endorsement of UNDRIP. In any case, the rights of Indigenous peoples now carry weight on their own, as they are a recognised set of norms in international law. How did the PM get involved? In comments to reporters this week, the Prime Minister said that Seymour shouldn't have sent the letter because this was Foreign Minister Winston Peters' job. But while initially appearing to criticise Seymour for not following the right process, Luxon then said he 'completely agrees' with Seymour's letter to Barume. He called Barume's letter 'bunkum' and said the special rapporteur's comments were 'completely without substance'. Remember that Barume is appointed as a world-leading expert on these matters, so again, you decide who might be right here. To summarise so far, Seymour – in his capacity as the Minister of Regulation – wrote to a UN official criticising him for criticising New Zealand for breaching Indigenous peoples' rights, and then the Prime Minister publicly agreed with Seymour's comments. Indigenous rights scholar Tina Ngata has pointed out the message from New Zealand that we reject Indigenous peoples' rights therefore isn't a matter of Seymour going rogue. It is a message that comes straight from the top. This matters and is something we should all be embarrassed about. How did the UN find out about this so quickly? This week, an annual meeting was held at the UN by a group called the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (known as EMRIP). On the same day Luxon made his comments, New Zealand had its speaking slot at EMRIP. The Prime Minister's comments were reported by members of the New Zealand delegation to the group, such as Auckland University professor Claire Charters (members are independent, not part of the government). So, the UN, and therefore the rest of the world, heard about it the same day it happened (credit again to Tina Ngata for highlighting this). What's the bigger picture here and what happens next? As much as this might seem like just an egg on your face moment for the government, the broader implications are pretty serious. We all know by now about this Government's willingness to repeatedly disregard its Treaty obligations here at home, with the Waitangi Tribunal conducting an unprecedented number of urgent inquiries in 2024, all of which found breaches of te Tiriti and its principles. But this is bigger. The statement made by Seymour, and later endorsed by the Prime Minister, that the letter from the special rapporteur 'is an affront to New Zealand's sovereignty' will weaken our standing internationally when it comes to human rights. This is because the affront to sovereignty line is one wheeled out any time a country commits human rights abuses and gets told off. Israel and the US, for example, are currently using it in response to Francesca Albanese's criticisms of human rights abuses in Palestine. So, when New Zealand says the same thing, we undermine any moral authority we might have had to call out other countries over other things. This is one of the things Claire Charters pointed out this week when she spoke to EMRIP. It's bigger than just te Tiriti. We'll probably hear more about this in the next few weeks, but sadly it may not persuade the Government to do anything differently. We have seen over and over this term how willing the coalition is to disregard Māori rights. The only difference is that this time it has happened on a global stage.
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Government Attacks Māori Rights On World Stage
Te Pāti Māori condemns the Government's escalating assault on tangata whenua, following the letter sent by Regulations Minister David Seymour to the United Nations and Prime Minister Luxon's weak attempt to distance himself while still endorsing its dangerous intent. 'This Government is setting fire to Māori rights through regressive, colonial legislation. Seymour's letter is not a rogue move, it's a warning shot, signalling this Government's intent to dismantle Indigenous rights' said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. 'The real threat isn't his tantrum, it's the policy machine behind it, backed by every party in this coalition.' The Prime Minister has now said publicly that 'we've all read the letter, and we all think it's a waste of time' effectively agreeing with Seymour's withdrawn rant. That statement has already been reported back to the United Nations as the formal position of the New Zealand Prime Minister. 'It's a complete diplomatic failure' said Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Rawiri Waititi. 'Winston Peters is trying to reassure international partners, but he's being publicly undermined by his own Prime Minister. If all Ministers think the UN's concerns are 'bunkum', then Peters' response is meaningless and Aotearoa's credibility on the world stage is in tatters.' Earlier this year, Māori rights violations were raised during the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. The Government's actions are not just bad policy they are breaches of international human rights standards. 'In 2010, it was a National Government that endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). That wasn't a diplomatic accident it was a formal recognition of our rights as tangata whenua' said Waititi. 'Now, this coalition is dismantling that legacy while the world watches. This is global embarrassment for the government stating the United Nations is a waste of time.' 'As Māori rights come under attack at home, we need the protections promised in UNDRIP more than ever' concluded Ngarewa-Packer.
Global News
12-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Continued failure to consult on uranium exploration a harmful mistake: Mi'kmaw Chiefs
Nova Scotia's continued failure to consult with First Nations on uranium exploration is a mistake that will further erode the province's relationship with Mi'kmaq communities, says the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs and a lawyer from Sipekne'katik First Nation. Pictou Landing First Nation Chief Tamara Young said the Mi'kmaq people were neither consulted nor notified when Nova Scotia introduced then passed a bill that opens the province up to potential uranium mining and fracking. 'The lack of consultation is unacceptable and goes against the UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples),' Young said in a statement to The Canadian Press on Wednesday. The assembly has said they will continue to oppose both uranium exploration and hydraulic fracturing until their environmental concerns have been addressed. The provincial government added uranium to its list of priority critical minerals May 14, and it issued a request for exploration proposals for three sites with known deposits of the heavy metal. Interested companies had until Wednesday to submit their proposals. Story continues below advertisement Premier Tim Houston has said the legislative changes are needed to help the province withstand economic challenges from American tariffs. 'We recognize there are international pressures and influences affecting our economy, but any resource development in Mi'kma'ki must include our consent and participation as we are the rightful owners of these lands, waters and resources,' Young said in the statement, speaking as co-lead of the environment, energy and mines portfolio on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaw Chiefs. Rosalie Francis, a Mi'kmaq lawyer whose firm is based out of Sipekne'katik First Nation, said the province risks further damaging their relationship with Mi'kmaq communities and sabotaging the potential uranium industry by failing to consult adequately and early. 'By choosing not to consult, it scares away investors, destroys the relationship and gets us back to starting at zero,' Francis said in an interview Tuesday. 'It all comes down to trust, and this completely diminishes any kind of trust.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Meanwhile, four municipalities have recently called on the government to slow down its push for uranium exploration, CBC News reports. Pictou County was the first to do so, followed by the West Hants Regional Municipality, the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and the Municipality of the County of Annapolis. Each council is asking the province for an indefinite delay to allow for consultations and information sessions. Story continues below advertisement Nova Scotia has opened up three plots of land for uranium project proposals: an 80-hectare site in Louisville in Pictou County; a 64-hectare site in East Dalhousie in Annapolis County; and a 2,300-hectare site in Millet Brook in Hants County. Much of this is on private land. The government has previously said companies selected by the province would have to seek permission from landowners to explore. However, Section 26 of the province's Mineral Resources Act allows the natural resources minister to intervene if there is a stalemate. A spokesperson with the Department of Natural Resources said if a company decides it wants to develop a mine on one of these sites, then there is duty to consult with Mi'kmaq communities. 1:57 Concerns raised about N.S. move to allow fracking and uranium mining Francis said that position is backwards, and is not in line with case law on the matter. Story continues below advertisement 'It's been clear that duty to consult begins when, in the minds of government, they're anticipating activity that will affect rights,' Francis said, adding that should happen before a company has made a decision on the site. The lawyer said it would appear the province has not learned from the fallout of the Alton Gas cavern project, which was officially scrapped in fall 2021. The Alberta energy company abandoned its plan to create huge salt caverns north of Halifax to store natural gas more than 13 years after starting construction. The company said at the time the project experienced challenges and delays, referring to opposition the project faced from Indigenous protesters and allies who opposed the company's plan to remove large, underground salt deposits by flushing them out with water from the nearby Shubenacadie River. The plan also called for dumping the leftover brine into the tidal river, where it would flow into the Bay of Fundy. In March 2020, a decision by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ordered the province to resume consultations with Sipekne'katik First Nation on the matter and determined the former environment minister was wrong when she concluded the province had adequately consulted with the First Nation about the project. 'The province should have walked away from that decision and said, 'OK, lesson learned.' The project never went forward. All the gas investors looked at it and said, 'This is just a mess now. Let's just walk away,'' Francis said. Story continues below advertisement The lawyer said it will be telling in the coming weeks if the province chooses to engage with Mi'kmaq communities or 'if the province will march along in the same way it did before.' 'Either we'll have a success story or we'll have another Alton Gas play out,' she said. Shiri Pasternak, a criminology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and co-investigator of a research project called Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism, said the situation in Nova Scotia mirrors the expedited extraction movement that's happening across the country. 'What's happening to the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia is really proliferating as an attack on Indigenous and environmental rights across the country right now,' she said in an interview Tuesday. Pasternak said Nova Scotia is one of several provinces working to speed up extraction and development projects — moves that are supported by the federal government. 'We have this sweep of fast-tracked legislation and policy changes to the Environment Assessment Act, both provincially in Nova Scotia and in other places, but also federally in terms of the Impact Assessment Act in order to expedite development and extraction — most of which will be against the desires and the consent of Indigenous people across the country.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
