Rome – The Second United Nations Global Indigenous Youth Forum opened today with a vibrant high-level opening ceremony showcasing unique traditions and spiritual values of Indigenous Peoples from all over the world at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.
This year’s session of the biannual event is co-organized by FAO, the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, and the World Reindeer Herder’s Association.
One hundred fifty Indigenous Youth from the so-called seven socio-cultural regions of the world – (i) Africa; (ii) Asia; (iii) North America; (iv) Central and South America and the Caribbean; (v) the Arctic; (vi) the Pacific; and (vii) Central and Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia – are meeting in person at FAO in various special events and joint sessions with the World Food Forum, the Hand- in-Hand Investment Forum, the Science and Innovation Forum, and the World Committee on Food Security (CFS).
At the ceremony which took place in a BO-A-ZU FoodLab, the Nomadic Arctic Indigenous Peoples’ tent installed on FAO premises, the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, shared three key ideas to learn from Indigenous Peoples and Youth in particular. First, their valuable knowledge brings together tradition and innovation. Second, their agrifood systems are grounded in sustainable agricultural practices rooted in Indigenous lifeways. Third, their leadership as custodians of the world’s biodiversity and as innovators is key to ensuring food security and healthy diets for the future.
“You are carriers of our ancestors and the civilization,” said the Director-General addressing the Indigenous Youth while stressing FAO’s commitment to work closely together to build sustainable and resilient agrifood systems amid climate crisis and growing food insecurity.
The opening ceremony also saw the participation among others of Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP); Silje Karine Muotka, President of the Sami Parliament in Norway; Morten von Hanno Aasland, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Norway to FAO; Mai Thin Yumon, Co-Chair of the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus (GIYC); Darlo Mejia Montalvo, Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples; Antonina Gorbunova, Vice-Chair of Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Miguel Jorge Garcia Winder, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mexico to FAO.
The participants agreed on the importance to recognize and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and leverage their traditional knowledge and skills in the face of unprecedented challenges driven by conflicts, climate change and the loss of biodiversity. They also highlighted the need to merge modern technologies with traditional knowledge and art of Indigenous Peoples to achieve long-lasting, inclusive and forward-looking peace.
This year’s session focuses on making policy recommendations derived from the Youth campaign, “My Food Vision is…”, as well as the two previous declarations on Youth formulated at FAO, bringing them to the next level. To achieve this, Indigenous Youth will discuss their ideas with FAO senior management, member countries, UN agencies, universities and other partners.
This year’s forum features a range of engaging activities, including art, music, food and roundtable discussions which brought together Indigenous Youth, experts, countries and policymakers to address key challenges and opportunities, specifically targeting the impact of ultra-processed foods, school meals programs, commercialization, and environmental toxins and contaminants affecting Indigenous Peoples’ foods, lands and waters.
The workshops will also focus on Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems, climate action, territorial management and more. Indigenous chefs will showcase traditional recipes, emphasizing the importance of preserving their rich culinary heritage.
In seven small tents, an art exhibition presents the diverse food and knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples. At night, the Boaššu FoodLab transforms into a vibrant music hall, hosting captivating performances by Indigenous musicians.
