Council of Indigenous Peoples Presents a Special Report to Legislative Yuan, Urging Prompt Amendment of Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act
Minister Icyang Parod of the Council of Indigenous Peoples presented a special report today at the Legislative Yuan and responded to inquiries. Minister Icyang stated that by the end of last year, the Council had established Knowledge Research Centers of 16 Indigenous Groups to promote the construction of knowledge systems for various indigenous groups. Additionally, nine marketing outlets were set up nationwide to promote products of indigenous businesses, and efforts were made to promote cultural heritage through activating 51 tribal meeting places. Minister Icyang also explained that the draft amendment of the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act was submitted to the Legislative Yuan by the Executive Yuan this February, with the hope of expediting its completion through the third reading to continue safeguarding the employment rights of indigenous peoples.
Minister Icyang Parod's oral report to the Legislative Yuan is provided below:
Thank you to the Legislative Yuan for its continuous support of the work of the Council of Indigenous Peoples. I would like to report on the significant achievements of our administration in the latter half of last year.
Last year, we successfully approved grants for 14 universities and established Indigenous Knowledge Research Centers for the 16 Indigenous tribes. Additionally, we established a Project Management Center at National Dong Hwa University, marking the first instance globally of a nation leveraging its resources to construct an indigenous knowledge system.
We have established nine retail outlets nationwide and adopted the number "five" used by most indigenous peoples, "LiMA," as the common brand for indigenous products. Furthermore, we have set up an e-commerce platform to provide indigenous entrepreneurs with channels to sell their products, thereby increasing their economic benefits.
Tribal meeting places are vital spaces for cultural preservation and identity cohesion. From 2016 to 2023, we approved the construction of 119 tribal meeting places nationwide, with a total budget of 850 million NT dollars. Currently, 51 meeting places have been completed and are operational.
A draft amendment to certain provisions of the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act was submitted by the Executive Yuan on September 28, 2023, for review by the Legislative Yuan. Unfortunately, it was not completed due to the expiration of the session. On February 23 this year, the draft was resubmitted for review, and I humbly request the support of all legislators to expedite its passage and enhance the employment rights of indigenous peoples.
I welcome feedback and advice from all legislators. Thank you for listening.
Sources: Council of Indigenous Peoples
