Geneva, 9 August 2022 (TDI): The United Nations celebrated the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2022.
The United National General Assembly (UNGA) President Abdulla Shahid also delivered a speech on indigenous peoples. He highlighted the obstacles they face, a situation aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite their rich cultural and linguistic representation and contributions, indigenous peoples remain extremely vulnerable.
This #IndigenousDay, let’s reaffirm the commitments we have made in The Declaration on the Rights of #Indigenous Peoples. pic.twitter.com/GIoZc4mdVk
— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) August 9, 2022
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations General Assembly celebrates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August yearly as per the resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994.
The date marks the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in 1982.
This year’s theme is indigenous women’s role in preserving and transmitting traditional knowledge.
Milestones in indigenous rights
In 2014 in consultations with indigenous peoples, member states, agencies, and other stakeholders, the UN held a World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
It subsequently developed a UN System-Wide Action Plan on the rights of indigenous peoples.
It aimed at ensuring a coherent approach to achieving the ends of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including through improved support to the Member States and indigenous peoples.
Special efforts to recognize indigenous people
In terms of special events related to indigenous peoples, in 1990, the UNGA proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Later, the General Assembly established two International Decades of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the first from 1995-2004 and the second from 2005-2014.
However, 2022 marks the beginning of a new decade for the indigenous community. This is the celebration of the Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032. This was a door opened in 2019 with the celebration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
