My name is Dev Kumar Sunuwar. I was appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the advisory Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples (UNVFIP) for a three-year term, from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023. I have been reappointed for a second term from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026.
I am a journalist and law practitioner in Nepal, specialising in International Human Rights and issues concerning Asian Indigenous Peoples. I have extensively written and covered these topics in national, regional, and international forums, as well as in various media outlets. With a strong network and hands-on experience, I am deeply involved in the field of Asian Indigenous Peoples’ rights and issues.
I belong to the Koits-Sunuwar Indigenous Peoples, one of the 59 indigenous nationalities legally recognised in Nepal. My career in media includes roles in radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and online platforms, where I have worked as an investigative journalist. I co-founded the Indigenous Media Foundation and Indigenous Television, which is South Asia's first and only indigenous community television. Additionally, I helped establish ITV Nepal, a satellite television channel, and several community radio stations in Nepal.
I oversee the Asia Programme of Cultural Survival, an organisation dedicated to indigenous peoples since 1972. In this role, I have highlighted various issues and challenges faced by Asian Indigenous Peoples at numerous UN bodies and international forums. As the coordinator of the Indigenous Media Caucus, a thematic group at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), I have fostered a global network of indigenous broadcasters and communicators.
Besides my media involvement, I teach Public International Law at the Kathmandu School of Law. I graduated from Tribhuvan University in Nepal with master's degrees in journalism and mass communication, political science, and law with a focus on international law and human rights.