Geneva, Switzerland │ The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson Allen A. Capuyan leads Philippine delegation in the second day of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) Constructive Dialogue on 20 April 2023.

 

During the dialogue, the Chairperson, together with the Philippine delegation expressed some notable accomplishments:

In the recognition of Ancestral Domains – total of 105 Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) were approved from 2011 to 2023;

In protecting indigenous peoples against the effects of Mining and other development projects – NCIP implements a thorough guidelines in the conduct of Free, Prior, Informed and Consent before any development projects commences;

 

On education and health – the country instills indigenous knowledge, knowledge and systems to teachers and health providers to increase cultural awareness and sensitivity in program delivery, and ensures that education is accessible to indigenous peoples especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas;

 

On protecting against extremism – the country’s security cluster is steadfast in protecting indigenous peoples against recruitment to armed groups, necessary protocols and safeguards are implemented to protect IPs, especially IP youth and children in situations of armed conflict; and,

 

On IP statistics and data – relevant agencies in the country agreed to have an IP baseline data, and the establishment of an online portal to provide data socio economic development, poverty incidence and other demographic profiles among Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples as part of the country’s data governance mechanism directed to Indigenous Peoples.

To close, the Chairperson underscored the country’s commitment to the Convention to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

 

“We unify our people, we capacitate our people, we mobilize our people for a better future – with no one left behind, the chairperson concluded.