Kathmandu, August 2021: Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) organized a consultation meeting of Nepal’s Asia Indigenous Peoples’ Pact (AIPP) member organizations—National Indigenous Women Federation (NIWF), National Indigenous Disabled Association (NIDA), Youth Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (YFIN) and NGO-Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities (NGO-FONIN) in Nagarkot, Bhaktapur, on August 24-27, 2021.
A total of 20 participants, including 11 males and 9 females attended the program.

The program was held with the objective of holding discussion with an emphasis on the state needing to address Indigenous Peoples’ issues and concerns in the strategic plan 2012-24. At the event, the AIPP member organizations also shared their ongoing works and agenda, and their future action plan. NEFIN has conducting the event since 2018 annually.

During the program, the participants also discussed AIPP’s Country Consultation Guidelines and different aspects of Nepal’s Indigenous Peoples’ movement. Likewise, presentations were made on various regional and international instruments that recognizes and acknowledges Indigenous Peoples’ rights, including United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples Issues (UNPFII), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Bio-Diversity (CBD), Green Climate Fund (GCF), Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), Climate Investment Fund (CIF), CEDAW mechanism on Indigenous women, Experts Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, among others.

The participants stressed that as these instruments speak for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, it is important Nepal’s Indigenous Peoples work collectively to secure these rights in national strategies and programs.

In Nepal, AIPP member organizations are NEFIN, NIWF, NIDA, YFIN and NGO-FONIN, while Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists (FONIJ) and Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples are its partner organizations.