Land seizures, quota seats, and employment shortfalls were among the issues an Assyrian delegation brought before the United Nations in April.
Karmella Borashan of California and Shoushan Tower of Australia represented the Assyrian Aid Society of Iraq at the 23rd annual U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues — the largest global gathering of Indigenous advocacy leaders.
The two-week session brought together Native American groups and communities from Finland, Russia, India, and the Middle East.
“Indigenous people still face threats, particularly regarding land ownership rights,” Borashan told an audience of roughly 300 U.N. officials and Indigenous leaders. “Land grabbing has become a deliberate occurrence (in Iraq), with 54 villages and 94 plots of land illegally seized, despite court decisions confirming the Assyrians are the legitimate owners. Unfortunately, these decisions have not yet been implemented.”
The U.N. first convened its Indigenous peoples forum in 2002, and the annual sessions take place at its headquarters in New York.
It serves as an advisory board for the U.N. Economic and Social Council and is one of three U.N. entities focused on Indigenous issues. The Assyrian Aid Society of Iraq has participated since 2013.
Indigenous advocates at this year’s session pressed for greater participation in U.N. processes. Under the current system, Indigenous nations cannot vote like member states or hold seats on key committees; instead, they are grouped with NGOs and advocacy organizations.
This year’s theme highlighted the voices of Indigenous youth. Tower spoke about the challenges facing Assyrian students in Iraq.
“Many graduates of Assyrian schools are left without any clear career paths or employment opportunities,” she said. “Despite the desire to stay in their homeland with their families, they felt they had no other option but to leave Iraq.”
Borashan, who attended last year’s forum, said she remains frustrated by what she sees as a lack of meaningful U.N. action on Indigenous concerns.
“Our voice is only getting documented, I haven’t seen any action yet,” she said. “We have been coming here for 12 years. What is the United Nations doing? We have this utopian, romantic view of the United Nations, but we should not because they’re under the thumb of the government.”
Despite her frustrations, Borashan said disengagement is not an option.
“We have to knock on every door so that our voice will be heard,” she said. “We cannot stay dormant. What is the option, not being there? Not presenting ourselves as Indigenous people? We might be able to one day knock on something that we’ll be able to push for our rights through it. We cannot just sit silent.”