Ranchi: The national consultation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Adivasis, organized by Partnering Hope Into Action Foundation (PHIA) and the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) in collaboration with the United Nations Tribal Task Team, under the aegis of NITI Aayog got concluded at Ranchi on Tuesday.
The Voluntary National Review (VNR) is a country-led process that evaluates and reports on national progress in implementing the SDGs (sustainable development goals of the UN). The consultation brought together participants from the CSOs, academic and research institutions, Adivasi men and women leaders, scholars and subject matter experts, and policymakers to deliberate on Adivasi-specific issues and formulate recommendations that will be submitted as a report to NITI Aayog for integration into India’s VNR- 2025 submission.
It marked the culmination of a comprehensive series of five online regional consultations organized from February 3-15.
The reviews will be presented at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), to be held in July 2025. This consultation is part of a broader initiative led by NITI Aayog to facilitate meaningful engagement with various Leave No One Behind (LNOB) groups, ensuring inclusive and representative policy discussions.
During the consultation, stakeholders engaged in panel discussions on key themes concerning Adivasis, including: basic amenities/ services- education, health, housing and infrastructure; Natural Resources Rights- Forest Rights, Human-Animal Conflict, Stewardship; Livelihoods– Dignity, Respectful Livelihoods, Migration, Displacement; Culture; Traditional Knowledge– Respect, Building Connections, Recognition; Policy and Governance –Voice Agency Schedule, implementation, Policy, Data Institutional Framework.
Isabelle Tschan of UNDP emphasized the need to monitor the efforts being made through the SDGs and how it is imperative for civil society organizations and the government to work in tandem to enable the full realization of benefits from social security schemes.
Rajib Kumar Sen, senior advisor of NITI Aayog, highlighted the VNR as “a crucial process in which the progress in SDG indicators are assessed which provides pertinent inputs on how actionable areas can be derived”.
Johnson Topno, the executive director of the PHIA Foundation, stated that the results of the national consultation could indeed be momentous in writing the story of tribal development.
UNICEF’s Dennis Christian Larsen linked the development of indigenous people with the development of children. He spoke about preserving indigenous culture and stressed on how the consultation is a robust initiative towards ensuring the progress towards myriad SDGs.
The national consultation concluded reinforcing the vision of the United Nations Tribal Working Group to incorporate tribal perspectives into the national development plan through collective efforts.
