International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

In 1994, the UN General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People should be observed on August 9 every year during the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (Resolution 49/214 of December 23). The date marked the day of the first meeting, in 1992, of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

Already in 1990, the General Assembly had proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People (Resolution 45/164), and in 1993, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, starting on December 10, 1994 (Resolution 48/163). The goal of the Decade was to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as human rights, the environment, development, education and health. The Coordinator of the Decade was the High Commissioner for Human Rights; its theme was 'Indigenous people: Partnership in action'.

In 2004 the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade by Resolution 59/174. The goal of this Decade is to further strengthen international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in such areas as culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development ...

Categories: indigenous, united-nations