On Friday, April 25, Eskender Bariiev, Head of the Board of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center and a member of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People as well as and Liudmyla Korotkikh, lawyer at the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, took part in a side event of the 24th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) “Indigenous Peacebuilding: Pathways towards Healing People, for Peace and Planet and Global Strategy Meeting for International Decade of Indigenous Humanitarian Peacebuilding 2025-2035”.
The event was dedicated to planning activities within the framework of the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples’ Humanitarian Peacebuilding and preparations for the Second Global Peacebuilding Summit, to be held in April 2026 on the eve of the 25th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
The event was moderated by CTRC lawyer – Liudmyla Korotkikh. During the discussions, experts discussed efforts and future initiatives in the field of peacebuilding with the participation of indigenous peoples.
In his speech, Eskender Bariiev thanked indigenous peoples and the expert community for supporting Ukraine and the Crimean Tatar people in their struggle against Russian aggression. He stressed that indigenous peoples have been victims of colonial policies, wars and conflicts and emphasized that Russia has started one of the most horrific wars of the 21st century—against Ukraine.
Bariiev noted that without respect for the UN Charter and international law, it is impossible to achieve peace and sustainable development. He recalled the Ukrainian president’s “formula for peace,” which could become universal for ending other wars, but today, peace efforts are taking place behind closed doors without the participation of indigenous peoples.
The expert stressed that decisions regarding indigenous peoples’ lands cannot be made without their participation. He called for:
– conducting a global study on the participation of indigenous peoples in peacebuilding processes;
– the adoption by the UN and world governments of an “International Decade of Indigenous Peoples’ Peacebuilding”;
– the involvement of indigenous peoples in negotiation processes.
Bariiev also proposed developing a universal “formula for peace” on behalf of the Global Network of Indigenous Peacemakers and initiating a World Peace Conference for its adoption.
The First Global Summit on Indigenous Peoples’ Peacebuilding took place in April 2024 in Washington, D.C.
It brought together 120 leaders, elders, women, and youth from indigenous peoples from 30 countries worldwide. Participants discussed the challenges associated with military conflicts affecting indigenous peoples’ regions, as well as ways to protect their rights in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international documents.
