Addressing Intolerance and Discrimination against Indigenous Peoples: Mapping the Situation in the OSCE Region

The participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have committed to ensuring the human rights and fundamental freedoms of everyone within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction, without distinction of any kind. Recognizing that persons belonging to indigenous populations may experience specific difficulties in exercising their rights, they affirmed that OSCE commitments apply fully and without discrimination to such persons. Nevertheless, across the world, including the OSCE region, indigenous peoples face intolerance and discrimination in various forms and expressions.

To open a discussion on this topic and foster the exchange of information, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will convene an online conference entitled “Addressing Intolerance and Discrimination against Indigenous Peoples: Mapping the Situation in the OSCE Region” on 9 November 2021.

Speakers

• Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
• Mona Rishmawi, Chief, Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• Alexey Tsykarev, member of the Karelian indigenous people; Vice Chair, United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Chair, Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples and Civic Diplomacy “Young Karelia,” Russian Federation
• Aviâja Egede Lynge, member of the Inuit indigenous people; social anthropologist, human rights defender and national children’s rights advocate, Greenland, Denmark
• Jonodev Chaudhuri, Ambassador, Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Principal, Chaudhuri Law, United States
• Yana Tannagasheva, member of the Shor indigenous people, Russian Federation
• Chief Perry Bellegarde (Cree and Nakota), Former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Canada
• Ánne Nuorgam, Head, Human Rights Unit, Saami Council

The conference will take place on Zoom, with simultaneous interpretation in English, Russian and International Sign Language, as well as live stream on ODIHR’s Facebook page (in English). Registration is open to the public here.

To submit a question to the panelists, please contact Tatjana Perić (tatjana.peric@odihr.pl), Adviser on Combating Racism and Xenophobia, OSCE/ODIHR.