Statements or documents submitted
Commission on Sustainable Development:
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16th Session of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues UN Headquarters, New York, 24 April - 04 May 2017 To be delivered by LALRUATKIMA, Zo Re-Unification Organisation (ZORO) on 4th May 2017 from 10:00 AM to 1:00PM Agenda Item 9: 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Madam Chairperson, distinguished states delegates, UN Agencies, honorable indigenous sisters and brothers. Greetings to you and all members of this august forum from Zo indigenous people in South and South East Asia. 2. Zo country inhabited by Zo indigenous nation in the North East India, Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, Arakan and Chin Hills of Myanmar were mostly virgin forests. The whole area covering 91000 square miles approximately are mountainous with elevation ranging from 100 to 3000 meters above mean sea level. The country is endowed with abundant monsoon rainfall which feeds numerous perennial, rivers flowing in between the mountain ranges. The rich country is permanent home of varieties of flora and fauna. 3. The pace of unsustainable developments under the governments of respective states and climate change accelerated deforestation and forest fragmentation. Shifting cultivation on the hills promotes erosion of top soil and forest fire resulting in further degradation of forest and vegetation. The traditional practice of shifting jhum cultivation need be replaced by contour farming system of making terrace and non-conventional irrigation through rain water harvesting. Regulated farming in the valleys and the foot hills leaving the remaining upper hill slopes can be restored as forest. The utilization of Mountain sides in the upper slopes for forest and the lower reaches for farming will usher in a dual improved system for reforestation as well as traditional farming will deliver more production ensuring food security and conservation of the environment. 4. Poverty prevails in Zo country. The capital cost of changing to permanent terrace cultivation is high and is beyond our financial capacity of ZORO. It will be the over all interest of the UN Agencies and international community to render assistance to Zo indigenous communities in their fight for survival for sustainable development. Attached herewith is Concept of Planting Million Trees in Zoram. As such, we urge states where Zo people lives to: - Ø Stop destroying our forests and stop planting commercial trees; Ø Provide proactive measures to enable Zo indigenous people access to international funding agencies; Ø Provide immediate remedy and justice to violations to our rights to lands and territories. We, the Zo people also urge UN Agencies, media and international partners to: Ø Provide immediate remedy and justice to violations to our rights to lands and territories, Ø Monitor with us the progress and gaps of the member states in ensuring our issues and concerns are addressed properly and effectively and in particular use of our lands and territories. ZORO hope and pray that we are not left behind in the implementation of SDGs and take part in the achievement of Goals by 2030. Thank you |
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