Kathmandu, August 9
Today marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. It’s estimated that there are around 476 million Indigenous Peoples spread across 90 countries. While they represent less than 6 per cent of the global population, they make up at least 15 per cent of the world’s poorest individuals.
According to the UN, these communities speak a vast majority of the estimated 7,000 languages worldwide and embody about 5,000 unique cultures. Indigenous Peoples are the guardians of rich traditions and distinctive ways of connecting with both people and the environment. They have preserved social, cultural, economic, and political traits that set them apart from the dominant societies surrounding them.
Despite their diverse backgrounds, Indigenous Peoples face shared challenges when it comes to safeguarding their rights as unique communities. For years, Indigenous Peoples have fought for recognition of their identities, lifestyles, and their rights to traditional lands, territories, and natural resources. Unfortunately, their rights have often been overlooked throughout history. Today, they are considered some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups globally.
The international community has begun to acknowledge that special measures are necessary to protect their rights and sustain their unique cultures and ways of life. To highlight the needs of Indigenous Peoples, every August 9 is observed as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a date chosen to honour the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which took place in Geneva in 1982.
