Mililani Trask named to U.N. forum
By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer
Native Hawaiian activist Mililani Trask has been named to serve on a United Nations worldwide forum that is designed to give a voice to indigenous peoples.
Advertiser library photo
Trask, 50, will serve a three-year diplomatic term on the permanent forum. She lives on the Big Island and is executive director of Gibson Foundation.
Activist Mililani Trask gets an indigenous issues post.
After seven years of debate, the U.N.'s Economic and Social Council in July of last year approved the formation of a "permanent forum on indigenous issue," which is a 16-member panel representing eight regions of the world. The forum will provide advice and recommendations related to native economic, social, cultural, environmental, education, health and human rights concerns through the council to the United Nations assembly.
Trask, who has been attending U.N. meetings on indigenous issues for more than 20 years, was nominated by four Native Hawaiian organizations — Protect Our Native 'Ohana, Na Kupuna O'ahu, the Royal Order of Kamehameha and Na Wahine Hale O Papa. Her appointment will be officially announced today at a late-morning news conference on the Hawai'i Capitol grounds.
Trask is one of two representatives from the U.S. region. She learned of her appointment in February.
Eight forum members are nominated by governments and elected by the Economic and Social Council. The other eight are appointed by the president of the Economic and Social Council.
The significance of the permanent forum status is that native groups now have a place at the U.N. where they can go to have their concerns heard by other indigenous people.
