Excellencies,Distinguished Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations,Distinguished Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,Distinguished Elders and representatives of Indigenous Peoples,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to join you on this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. As we commemorate this important Day, I wish to pay my respects to the Indigenous Peoples around the world, and to the traditional owners of this land where we are today.
On this historic day, 9 August, the first United Nations body dedicated to indigenous peoples – the Working Group on Indigenous Populations – had its inaugural meeting in 1982. Today, we celebrate the progress achieved since the United Nations opened its doors to indigenous peoples, 36 years ago.
A legacy of the Working Group, drafted over twenty plus years, with the full participation of indigenous peoples and Member States, is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It was adopted in 2007 by the General Assembly, and is a framework for the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. It is a vision of a world that is just and equitable, grounded on principles of justice, democracy and respect for human rights.
Today, over 370 million indigenous peoples live in more than 90 countries around the world. They form about 5,000 distinct indigenous groups, and speak over 4,000 languages. They have a strong relationship with their lands, territories and resources. However, indigenous peoples are increasingly losing their ancestral lands as a result of development projects, settlement programmes, conflict and violence, and climate change.
Despite being only 5 per cent of the global population, indigenous peoples represent 15 per cent of the world’s poorest people, and thus will often migrate in search of a better life. As a result, urban areas are now home to a significant proportion of indigenous populations. In Latin America, for instance, more than 40 per cent of all indigenous peoples live in urban areas – even 80 per cent in some countries.Migration offers some opportunities for indigenous peoples such as peace and security and better social services. But it also has challenges. The current reality for many indigenous peoples who have migrated, is poverty, little or no access to education, employment or other social services, as well as human trafficking, gang-related and other violence.
On the whole, there are positive developments that we can build on.
Indigenous peoples have developed innovative ways to revitalize their cultures and strengthen their identities, even in the face of structural discrimination and marginalization. Indigenous women, in particular, are central to the transmission of culture and knowledge to future generations.
In the recently agreed Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which will be adopted in forthcoming December, Member States committed to address and reduce vulnerabilities in migration. The Global Compact presents an excellent opportunity to highlight the specific needs and rights of migrants from indigenous groups, to address the risks and challenges they face in their countries of origin, transit and/or destination. It is also important to prevent the conditions for involuntary migration of indigenous peoples, by ensuring their rights as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a broad and beautiful picture for all people in the world, including the indigenous peoples. Let us work in partnership with indigenous peoples to identify concrete actions to improve the daily lives of indigenous peoples around the world. The 2014 Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples provides guidance in this regard. And I have the privilege of coordinating the follow-up to the World Conference, in particular, the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
At the 2018 High-Level Political Forum, it was noted that efforts must be urgently scaled up to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the next 12 years. Let us work together to multiply efforts so that the 2030 Agenda meets the development aspirations of indigenous peoples.
We look forward to the continued advice of the three UN mechanisms – the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – on how to strengthen our work with indigenous peoples.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is committed to providing our support to achieve this goal.
Thank you.
It is a great honour to join you on this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. As we commemorate this important Day, I wish to pay my respects to the Indigenous Peoples around the world, and to the traditional owners of this land where we are today.
On this historic day, 9 August, the first United Nations body dedicated to indigenous peoples – the Working Group on Indigenous Populations – had its inaugural meeting in 1982. Today, we celebrate the progress achieved since the United Nations opened its doors to indigenous peoples, 36 years ago.
A legacy of the Working Group, drafted over twenty plus years, with the full participation of indigenous peoples and Member States, is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It was adopted in 2007 by the General Assembly, and is a framework for the recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. It is a vision of a world that is just and equitable, grounded on principles of justice, democracy and respect for human rights.
Today, over 370 million indigenous peoples live in more than 90 countries around the world. They form about 5,000 distinct indigenous groups, and speak over 4,000 languages. They have a strong relationship with their lands, territories and resources. However, indigenous peoples are increasingly losing their ancestral lands as a result of development projects, settlement programmes, conflict and violence, and climate change.
Despite being only 5 per cent of the global population, indigenous peoples represent 15 per cent of the world’s poorest people, and thus will often migrate in search of a better life. As a result, urban areas are now home to a significant proportion of indigenous populations. In Latin America, for instance, more than 40 per cent of all indigenous peoples live in urban areas – even 80 per cent in some countries.Migration offers some opportunities for indigenous peoples such as peace and security and better social services. But it also has challenges. The current reality for many indigenous peoples who have migrated, is poverty, little or no access to education, employment or other social services, as well as human trafficking, gang-related and other violence.
On the whole, there are positive developments that we can build on.
Indigenous peoples have developed innovative ways to revitalize their cultures and strengthen their identities, even in the face of structural discrimination and marginalization. Indigenous women, in particular, are central to the transmission of culture and knowledge to future generations.
In the recently agreed Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which will be adopted in forthcoming December, Member States committed to address and reduce vulnerabilities in migration. The Global Compact presents an excellent opportunity to highlight the specific needs and rights of migrants from indigenous groups, to address the risks and challenges they face in their countries of origin, transit and/or destination. It is also important to prevent the conditions for involuntary migration of indigenous peoples, by ensuring their rights as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a broad and beautiful picture for all people in the world, including the indigenous peoples. Let us work in partnership with indigenous peoples to identify concrete actions to improve the daily lives of indigenous peoples around the world. The 2014 Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples provides guidance in this regard. And I have the privilege of coordinating the follow-up to the World Conference, in particular, the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
At the 2018 High-Level Political Forum, it was noted that efforts must be urgently scaled up to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the next 12 years. Let us work together to multiply efforts so that the 2030 Agenda meets the development aspirations of indigenous peoples.
We look forward to the continued advice of the three UN mechanisms – the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Special Rapporteur, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – on how to strengthen our work with indigenous peoples.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is committed to providing our support to achieve this goal.
Thank you.
File date:
Thursday, August 9, 2018