The Social Democratic Liberal Party aims to protect and promote the interests of indigenous Fijians, says party general secretary Emele Duituturaga as the party marks World’s Indigenous People’s Day.
On September 13, 2007, the UN general assembly adopted the UN declaration of the rights of indigenous people and designated August 9 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Ms Duituturaga said its constitution also aimed to protect the rights and aspirations of all Fijian citizens.
In this regard, she said they further aimed to promote the rights of native Fijians and their group rights as stipulated under the UNDRIP and the ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Rights and to ensure maximum benefits for current and future generations.
“SODELPA calls on the government to ratify UNDRIP and remove all the decrees that discriminate against and oppress the rights of the indigenous community of Fiji,” Ms Duituturaga said in a statement issued yesterday.
