Feedback from WGM participants

Participant from Kenya

“[Our organisation] put the Ogiek issue onto the international agenda at the Working Group on Minorities. The government took the issue on board, the Lands Minister had a meeting with us. Now the Minister is in consultations with the Ogiek people. All this is due to the international focus, which began with the WGM. We used the statements we made at the WGM to lobby the government. Now we have an official statement from the President that minority rights have to be protected in the new Constitution. We believe that the fact that we tabled these issues at the WGM contributed to these developments, and made it easier for us to gain access to the government - they take us more seriously. And for most minorities, the WGM is the only avenue of access to the UN system.”

Participant from India 

"Participating in the WGM helped in a lot of ways, we felt empowered. Once we had said these things at the UN, it was easier to say them in India. We spoke at the WGM to ask for Tamils who were in pre-trial detention, to either be tried or released. Finally, the Justice Sadashiva Committee was set up to review their situation. 90% were released. We cannot guarantee that this was solely due to our advocacy, but [our organisation] was at the forefront of the legal work on this issue. We also believe that, as a result of our taking part in the WGM, the authorities took us more seriously, they made an effort to contact us, we also gave testimony to the Committee." 

Roma participant from Macedonia

“I think that WGM role is essential for the minority representatives, so if WGM do not exist I think that minority problems and advocacy will worsen. Most important is that world minorities share their information, which face with similar problems, and bringing them together gives hope for better future …”

Dalit participant from India

“Indeed the WGM can achieve greater results as a forum for minorities… It may not be possible to present the problem at official UN body as an individual or as a group, whereas through the WGM there is possibility of highlighting the problem and achieving the goal.”