Recent Developments in the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The Katharine A. Pearson Chair in Civil Society & Public Policy and the Centre for Human Rights & Legal Pluralism welcome Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Chair of the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
About the speaker
Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine has been Chair of the UN's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues since 2013. She is a medical doctor from Tombouctou in Mali. She holds a degree from University of Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria) with research in ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and general medicine. She also holds a Masters in Humanitarian Action from the University of Geneva, focusing on crisis intervention (armed conflict, marginalization/exclusion and natural disasters). The latter part of her studies focused on the role of traditional medicine in Tuareg Mali.
She is a member of Tin Hinan, a women's association working for the defence, promotion and development of indigenous peoples in Africa, in particular the Tuareg. Mariam has been a very active member of this organization since she was young and has worked on many issues related to health such as nutrition, malaria prevention, and education on sexual and reproductive health among the Tuareg.
Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine has participated in training on ILO Convention 169 and several times in the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She also volunteered with African NGOs for advocacy on human rights at the regular sessions of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, and the Universal Periodic Review in Africa. She is also an independent consultant on gender issues, health, and conflict resolution / peace agreement in indigenous communities.
