Closing of the 38th Board Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean

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Closing of the 38th Board Meeting of the Fund for the Development

of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean

Santiago, April 15, 2011. The 38th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean” was held on April 13-14 in Santiago, with the participation of government representatives from Chile, Spain, Bolivia, Portugal and Belgium; and representatives from the indigenous peoples of Argentina, Belize Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The Indigenous Fund is chaired by the Colombian national Luis Evelis Andrade Casma.

The inaugural session was attended by Ms. María Soledad Arellano, Undersecretary of Planning, and Mr. Miguel Ángel González, Director of Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Ministry contributed to the organization and financing of the meeting in our country, motivated by the government’s ongoing concern over indigenous affairs in both national and international contexts.

The main results of the meeting include the decision to strengthen the work carried out by the Intercultural Indigenous University, promote the development of the Program for Indigenous Women in Latin America and defined the issues that the Indigenous Fund will be submitted to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Affairs.

The Fund’s president, Luis Evelis Andrade, said: “This Council was very fruitful because it defined the lines of action of each of the programs of the Indigenous Fund.” He also raised the need for negotiations and political management with the governments that have not made contributions to the Fund, as well as those who have not yet ratified the ILO Convention No. 169.