Ethnic Minorities
73. The Government informed the Working Group of its efforts to review systematically laws, policies and measures aimed at humans living harmoniously in the forests, including the approval of the Community Forest Act and the National Parks Act by the National Legislative Assembly on 15 February 2019 and 7 March 2019, respectively, and the establishment of the National Land Policy Committee.

74. Since the life, livelihood and culture of ethnic communities is intrinsically linked to land and natural resources, the Government’s land management and forest conservation policies should be rooted in meaningful consultation and the participation of those communities in decision-making processes, as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.