CALD Resolution No. 4 S. 2014

CALD Resolution No. 4 S. 2014
CALD Resolution on Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

The Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD):

Guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (UNDM), Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and by other international human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Genocide Convention, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, among others;

Reaffirming that one of the basic aims of CALD as a network of liberal and democratic parties is to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, without distinction as to race, ethnicity, sex, language, religion and other forms of social differentiation;

Recognizing that while CALD subscribes to the principle of majority rule as a framework for democratic governance, it is more fundamentally bound by the respect for the rights of all human beings and the inherent dignity and worth of every individual person;

Bearing in mind that Asia is one of the most diverse regions in the world, and that most, if not all, countries in the region are characterized by significant cultural diversity;

Taking note that Asia’s two key sub-regional inter-governmental bodies, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) endorsed respect for cultural diversity in their respective charters;

Aware that despite this endorsement, a significant number of minorities and indigenous peoples in Asia, as in other parts of the world, still experience economic exclusion and discrimination, and that some of these groups are threatened by forcible assimilation and even annihilation;

Recognizing that while there are no universally accepted definitions of minorities and indigenous peoples, minorities can be broadly defined as groups of people with common traits that set them apart from the majority in society, while indigenous peoples are descendants of the earliest known inhabitants of a territory who have a distinctive culture and way of life;

Noting that the lack of agreement in defining minorities and indigenous peoples can have negative repercussions on efforts to address poverty and social exclusion of these marginalized communities;

Hereby:

On Issues of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Asia

Affirms that the marginalization of minorities and indigenous peoples impacts negatively on the rights, freedoms and interests of these groups, which, in turn, diminishes their countries’ potentials for economic growth and political stability;

Underlines that fundamental rights and freedoms of minorities and indigenous peoples should be respected and promoted at all times – most especially their right to practice and preserve their culture, to use their language, to profess and practice their religion, to have access to education and healthcare, and to participate actively in political affairs;

Recognizes the importance of extending special protection to women and children belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples as they can be considered as ‘minority within a minority’, making them most vulnerable to discrimination and abuse;

Recognizes further the plight of the members of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) community, which, to a large extent, share the same experiences of marginalization and exploitation;

Supports the right of indigenous peoples to autonomy and self-government on matters involving their internal and local affairs, provided that these are within the framework of their respective country’s constitution and laws;

Acknowledges that many indigenous peoples are not recognized as such, and that this reality has led to violation of their rights as communities with distinct identities;

Upholds the indigenous peoples’ right to ancestral land and natural resources, their right to use these in pursuing their development goals, as well as their right to just financial and psychological compensation should these be appropriated for public use;

Emphasizes the need to observe Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of indigenous communities especially in relation to the planning and implementation of development projects affecting them;

Condemns development aggression and forced resettlement, which destroy not only the indigenous peoples livelihood but also their identity and way of life;

On Instruments to Address Issues of Asian Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

Calls for the more effective implementation of UNDM, UNDRIP and relevant international and regional human rights instruments with regard to the rights of persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples;

Emphasizes the need to review the national legal framework of each Asian country with a view of ensuring compliance to international and regional instruments and commitments protecting marginalized groups;

Encourages governments and civil society groups to translate the most important provisions of these agreements and other relevant laws into a language/dialect most understandable to the concerned marginalized communities;

Urges the creative and dynamic marketing and promotion of the issues of minorities and indigenous peoples to make these issues better understood and appreciated by the general population;

Encourages ASEAN, SAARC and other Asian sub-regional groupings to move beyond endosement of cultural diversity and adopt specific standards and policies for minorities and indigenous peoples;

Urges Asian countries to establish effective mechanisms at the local, national and regional/sub-regional levels that institutionalize the full and substantive participation of minorities and indigenous peoples on matters that concern them;

Underlines the importance of dialogues at the local, national and regional/sub- regional levels with representatives of minority groups and indigenous peoples to address issues leading to their marginalization;

Encourages the participation of women in dialogues and peace negotiations relating to the issues and concerns of minorities and indigenous peoples;

Supports the creation of local, national and regional/sub-regional mechanisms that can provide comprehensive and reliable information about the number and profile of minorities and indigenous peoples in their respective areas/constituencies;

Encourages the deployment of multi-sectoral international, regional, national or local environmental assessment teams to conduct truthful and independent evaluation of the impact of development projects to minorities and indigenous peoples;

Affirms that one way to address discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples is by engendering multiculturalism in education;

On The Role of CALD

Encourages CALD member-parties to review the policies of their respective countries in relation to minorities and indigenous peoples, and to take the necessary actions should these policies prove inadequate in realizing their commitments to UNDM, UNDRIP and other relevant international/regional human rights instruments;

Requires CALD member-parties to examine their platforms of government and to ensure that these incorporate the issues and concerns of minorities and indigenous peoples;

Urges CALD member-parties should have a specific mechanism to monitor compliance of its members to various instruments protecting and empowering marginalized communities;

Suggests to CALD member-parties to appoint a task person or party officer on minorities and indigenous peoples who can participate in CALD-organized small group meetings regarding the issue, and who can report progress to their respective parties or to the CALD Executive Committee;

Suggests to CALD and its member-parties to cooperate with ASEAN, SAARC and other relevant international/regional/sub-regional groupings to come up with more specific policies protecting and empowering minorities and indigenous peoples;

Encourages CALD member-parties to utilize both the mainstream and social media, as well as CALD Women’s Caucus and CALD Youth, to discuss the issues and problems of minorities and indigenous peoples;

Urges CALD to utilize its website and social media accounts to share information and publish articles, position papers and opinion pieces on the plight of marginalized communities;

Encourages CALD to increase its exposure and commitment to the issue of rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, particularly by urging prominent CALD members to become champions/advocates for minority and indigenous peoples rights; and

Urges CALD to conduct follow-up conferences and workshops dealing with minorities and indigenous peoples, and to engage intergovernmental organizaions, civil society groups, and other relevant stakeholders in these events.

For the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats:

Oyun Sanjaasuren

Chairperson 13 April 2014

 Final CALD Resolution 4, S. 2014

Categorised in: Resolutions

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