Kathmandu, August 9:

UN secretary-general Kofi Annan today appealed to all actors, including states, indigenous peoples and UN bodies, to give renewed attention and true meaning to the Second International Decade’s theme, and build a “partnership for action and dignity.” “Much remains to be done to alleviate poverty faced by many indigenous people; to protect them against massive violations of human rights; and to safeguard against the discrimination that, for example, forces many indigenous girls to drop out of school,” Annan said in a message delivered on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.