Northeast Desk, 21st October: Dennis Lallienzuol Hmar attended the 2nd Biennial United Nations Global Indigenous Youth Forum (UNGIYF) held in Rome, Italy from October 16-20, 2023, at the invitation of the Indigenous People Unit of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
The UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum, hosted by FAO, is the sole high-level forum with a focus on Indigenous-related issues.
This forum is a result of a recommendation made in 2017 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) to FAO through the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). It builds upon FAO’s collaboration with the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus (GIYC) in 2017 and the Rome Declaration on Indigenous Youth.
During the forum, Dennis Lallienzuol represented the Kuki-Zo people and addressed various issues his community faces, including tribal concerns, land rights, agri-food systems, and indigenous knowledge systems. He also shed light on the ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur, India, and the complexities faced by tribals in his region.
Furthermore, Dennis advocated for a range of issues affecting Asia and highlighted his work with indigenous youth and people in his region through the Rural Women Upliftment Society and Highland Impact Foundation.
He actively participated in the #UNGIYF2023 circle session titled ‘My Food Vision Is…Keeping the Lifeline of Nutrition Alive,’ alongside Dario Mejía Montalvo, Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Jessica Vega Ortega, UNGIYF Coordinator and Advisor of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus for Latin America & the Caribbean; Mikaila K. Way, Indigenous Youth Focal Point of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), as well as experts in food and nutrition and Indigenous Youth Leaders.
As part of the Asia Delegation, he engaged in negotiations on regional priorities and lobbied with the seven socio-cultural regions worldwide. This resulted in the formalization and presentation of the Rome Declaration on Safeguarding Seven Generations and the Rome Declaration on Policy Recommendations to various United Nations entities, agencies, funds, organizations, member states, and non-governmental organizations on the final day of the Forum.
Organized by the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, the World Reindeer Herder’s Association, and the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit, the Forum served as a platform for dialogue between Indigenous Youth and representatives of countries, UN agencies, universities, research centers, and other stakeholders. The discussions focused on policy recommendations that impact the future of Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems, particularly in the context of climate and biodiversity action.
Concurrently with the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum, FAO hosted the World Food Forum, the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, and the Science and Innovation Forum.
It’s worth noting that Dennis Lallienzuol is also a Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme Fellow of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism. He was invited in June 2023 to speak at a side event during the Third United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week. During this event hosted by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, he shared his testimony of surviving as an internally displaced youth and discussed how climate security and conflict have multifaceted impacts on young people, particularly his experiences at the fringes of conflict.