Forced land dispossession is one of the main problems faced by indigenous peoples, Omar Siddique, head of the Canada office of UN-Habitat, said during the session titled “The Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Adequate Housing for All Indigenous Peoples in Their Diversity” held within the framework of WUF13, APA-Economics reports.
According to him, the root causes of the problems indigenous peoples face in accessing adequate housing lie in historical injustices, colonialism, and the systematic dispossession of their lands.
Omar Siddique stated that homelessness, forced displacement, land seizure, and forced evictions remain serious problems for indigenous communities in many countries around the world.
The UN-Habitat official stressed that adequate housing for indigenous peoples cannot be imagined separately from land, culture, and traditional knowledge. According to him, ensuring housing rights requires a rights-based approach that предусматривает the participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making processes.
He added that the recommendations to be prepared during the session will be included in the “Baku Call to Action,” the final document of WUF13, and will be taken into account in future discussions on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
