MANILA, Philippines -- Chairman Eugenio Insigne of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was elected to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues last week during the 32nd meeting of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the 2008 Substantive Section of the Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) of the UN, the Philippine Mission to the UN said Saturday.In his report to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Ambassador Hilario Davide, Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN, said that Insigne’s election will make him among 16 independent experts who will make up the Permanent Forum -- an advisory body to the Ecosoc, which has a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights. The Permanent Forum, which was established by Ecosoc Resolution 2000/22 on July 28, 2000, is called upon to provide expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues to the UN system through the Council; raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of relevant activities within the UN system; and prepare and disseminate information on indigenous issues. Davide said Insigne successfully ran against Ambassador Berenado Vunibobo, Permanent Representative of Fiji, to serve the unexpired term of the Asian representative, Ms. Xiaomei Qin of China from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. A former government prosecutor and sectoral representative in Congress for indigenous peoples, Insigne was appointed to the NCIP in 2007 and was a member of the Philippine Delegation to various UN meetings in New York and Geneva. Insigne's election followed that of Ambassador Leslie Gatan, Philippine Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, who was elected chairman of the preparatory meeting of the Economic and Social Committee of the 15th Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement to be held in Tehran later this month. Last month, two other Filipino diplomats, Second Secretary Elmer Cato and Second Secretary Patrick Chuasoto, were elected vice chairman of the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) and rapporteur of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), respectively of the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly. |
