The Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) stands in unwavering solidarity with the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN[1]) in opposing the Government of Nepal’s attempt to dissolve the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) under the guise of cost-saving institutional restructuring.
We are deeply alarmed by this proposal. NFDIN is only specialized state institution mandated to promote, and protect the languages, cultures, knowledge systems, and identities of Indigenous Peoples in Nepal. Rather than weakening it, the Government should strengthen the institution and resource it adequately so that it can effectively fulfill its vital mandate.
Established through the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities Act, 2002, NFDIN has played a central role in advancing the rights and welfare of Indigenous Peoples, who make up more than 35% of Nepal’s population. Its abolition would not be a mere administrative change; it would constitute a serious setback for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and undermine Nepal’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and social justice.
The proposed dissolution also runs counter to Nepal’s longstanding national and international commitments to Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Nepal was the first country in Asia to ratify International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169, and it was among the states that supported the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007. These instruments affirm the right of Indigenous Peoples to participate in decision-making through their own representative institutions, and they require States to consultant and cooperate in good faith to obtain their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) before adopting measures that may affect them. Any move to abolish NFDIN without the full and effective participation and consent of Indigenous Peoples would violate these international commitments. It would also contravene Article 33 of the ILO Convention No. 169, which obliges governments to establish the institutions and mechanisms necessary to administer programmes affecting Indigenous Peoples. Read more
