Group: Flaws exist in ILG registration

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Friday July 19th, 2013

 THE Resource Owners Federation of Papua New Guinea Inc is concerned by the National Research Institute’s (NRI) call for Papua new Guineans to register customary land.

In a statement, federation president Jonathan Paraia said yesterday there were significant flaws in the incorporated land groups (ILG) legislation. 

“The ILG legislation seeks to extinguish customary law over registered customary land,” he said. 

“The law further prohibits a landowner from registering as a member of more than one ILG. 

“This means that a person who holds multiple land claims through his parents, grandparents or others will lose all these land claims, except one. 

“The federation further notes that the ILG legislation is not consistent with the 2007 United Nation’s Declaration on the rights of the indigenous people of the world, which seeks to protect the cultural practice, traditions and ownership of lands and resources by indigenous people of member countries.”