DRC: Protecting indigenous forest dwellers

The indigenous forest dwellers of the Republic of Congo are in danger of extinction, warns David Lawson, UNFPA Representative in that country. His work with national and provincial leaders to promote and protect their rights will be the subject of a discussion at a side event of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Advocacy on behalf of the Congo’s indigenous peoples culminated last February with passage of a bill protecting their rights in the Republic of Congo. It marked the first such legislation in Africa and has been called a ‘best practice’ by the Secretary-General Special Representative for Indigenous People, Mr. James Anaya.