This report is made by Minority Rights Group International (“MRG”) in relation to W.P. (C) No. 109/2008 titled Wildlife First & Ors. v. Ministry of Forest & Environment & Ors. MRG is a non-governmental organization based in London working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide.  MRG works with over 150 organisations in nearly 50 countries. 

It has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and is a civil society registered with the Organisation of American States.  For 50 years, MRG has developed significant experience in the fields of minority rights, indigenous people rights and human rights law and as a result has extensive knowledge of relevant international legal standards and jurisprudence.  It has been involved in human rights litigation in myriad contexts, including representing

Mr. Finci in Sejdic and Finci v Bosnia and Herzegovina (Application Nos. 27996/06 and 34836/06) before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), as well as the Endorois community in CEMIRIDE & MRG (on behalf of the Endorois Welfare Council) v Kenya (Case No. 276/03) before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.  MRG has also intervened in or submitted amicus curiae briefs before a range of international bodies, including in African Commission of Human and People’s Rights v. Kenya (the ‘Ogiek Case’) (Application No. 006/2012) before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Case of the Indigenous Communities of the Lhaka Honhat Association v. Argentina before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, as well as the ECHR cases of Yumak and Sadak v Turkey (Application No. 10226/03), D.H. and others v the Czech Republic (Application No. 57235/00), Chagos Islanders v the United Kingdom (Application No. 35622/04), Pilav v Bosnia and Herzegovina (Application No. 41939/07), Bagdonavicius v Russia (Application No. 19841/06) and Fatmir Memedov v the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Application No. 31016/17)