Indigenous People : Two Weeks To Focus On Their Rights

According to United Nations statistics, there are more than 370 million indigenous people
in 70 countries. They represent less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for
15 per cent of the world's poorest. In the absence of a unanimously acceptable definition of the notion of indigenous people in the country, the existence of some communities’ the Minister of Social Affairs, Pauline Irène Nguene said, such the rights of nomadic herders mostly in the northern and southern parts of the country, the Bakas greatly located in the Southern Region, living within the most marginalised and vulnerable segments of the population, needs to be valorise because it constitutes an obstacle to the development of the country. It is within this backdrop that on Friday, July 26, 2024, while launching activities to mark this year’s World Indigenous People’s Day, Pauline Irène Nguene reiterated that it is a period to deploy a range of actions at the national level to protect the rights of these communities and ensure their socio-economic integration. 
This year, the day will be celebrated worldwide under the theme: “Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation or Initial Contact”. In Cameroon, the day will be commemorated under the theme: “Access to citizenship: a fundamental right for indigenous peoples”. The day will be commemorated on August 9th, 2024. The Minister of Social Affairs said the theme is a continuation of a reflection which started last year prescribed by the Head of State to implement social inclusion policies for disadvantaged sections in society. Pauline Ir&ea...