EMN
Dimapur, November 27
The United Nations still does not have much idea about the problems of Asia due to the continent’s myriad and complex socio-political problems. This is one reason why the Asian region is often poorly understood, says Prof. Douglas Sanders, Professor Emeritus of University of British Columbia, Mahidol University.Professor Douglas Sanders was the resource person of a seminar conducted by a local law college in Dimapur, City Law College on November 27 in AIDA Conference Hall of Don Bosco Campus in Dimapur. The seminar, themed ‘Cultural Minorities & Indigenous Peoples: Legal issues’, and the focus of the resource person’s discourse, was on the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples around the world.
According to Professor Sanders, the representation of Asia in the United Nations’ administration and ‘system’ is often misunderstood and hence misunderstands Asia’s problems. He was of the opinion that the United Nations does ‘not know much about the situation of Asian countries.’ The reason is, he said, Asia and her countries are ‘still complex and poorly understood.’ There is more to be done in understanding the continent’s problems and issues, he told the students of City Law College attending the seminar.
“There has to be strong relation in Declaration of Rights and should not focus on territorial rights” said Sanders.
Giving a brief history of the United Nations’ principles as explained in the Charter of Declaration of Rights, Sanders said that the declaration is to ‘save future generations from war, reaffirm human rights, and establish equal rights for all persons.’ In addition, he explained to the students, the charter aims to promote justice, freedom, and social progress for the peoples of all of its member states. Nonetheless, he was of the view that indigenous peoples of the world share a common understanding of their history and have stories to put forward to the world ‘but when it comes to the minorities, they do not have this common thing.’
Also addressing the seminar was the principal of City Law College P Leonard Aier. He said the main objective of the seminar was to highlight the works of the United Nations as ‘all nations in a way have minorities and it is a problem to see the difficulties of the minorities.’
Emphasizing on the importance of the seminar, the principal was of the opinion that ‘unless we are united in understanding the works of the United Nations there won’t be any progress at all.’
“So to bring this into action, to see that all minorities enjoy their rights and make people inform of their rights, the UN Charter has been put into action. But if it is not put into action then the rights will remain just in a piece of beautiful paper,” he said.
The seminar concluded with an interactive session with the resource person.
