The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (IDWIP) is annually observed on 9th August across the world to promote and protect the rights of the world’s Indigenous population and to raise awareness of the need to improve the economic, social, and cultural situation of the indigenous people.
This day is also known as World Tribal Day or World Indigenous Peoples Day.
The 2023 theme of IDWIP is “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination” with the sub-themes: Climate Action and the Green Transition; Mobilizing for Justice and Intergenerational Connections.
Note: The 2023 theme indicates that Indigenous Peoples have an equal right to govern themselves, equal to all other Peoples.
Objective:
The 2023 theme aims to highlight the pivotal role played by young Indigenous individuals in decision-making while recognizing their dedicated efforts in:
- Climate Action and Green Transition;
- Search for justice for their people, and
- The creation of an intergenerational connection that keeps their culture, traditions, and contributions alive.
Background:
i.In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution resolution 49/214 titled International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1994-2004) and proclaimed the 9th August of every year during the decade as International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.
ii.The first-ever International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was observed on 9th August 1995.
Why 9th August?
The date 9th August marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations under the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People:
In 2005, the UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/59/174 and proclaimed the decade commenced on 1 January 2005 and concluded in December 2014 as the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
Note: Since 1994, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People has been an annual observance of the UN.
Special Events Related to Indigenous Peoples:
i.In 1990, UNGA proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples by the resolutions (A/RES/45/164 A/RES/47/75).
ii.UN declared, 2019 “The International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL2019)” to raise awareness about the significant contributions the languages make to the rich cultural diversity of the World.
iii.The year 2022 marked the beginning of a new decade for the Indigenous community: the celebration of the Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022 – 2032.
Key Points:
i.According to the UN, there are approximately 476 million indigenous individuals spread across 90 countries globally. They constitute less than 5% of the global population, however, representing 15% of the world’s poorest.
- They speak 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 distinct cultures.
ii.According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the only tripartite UN agency:
- Globally 47% of employed indigenous individuals lack formal education, compared to 17% of their non-indigenous counterparts.
- The educational gap among indigenous employees widens further when considering gender, especially women.
- More than 86% of indigenous peoples globally work in the informal economy, compared to 66% of their non-indigenous counterparts
- Indigenous Peoples are nearly 3 times as likely to be living in extreme poverty compared to their non-indigenous counterparts.
2023 Events of IDWIP:
i.The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) organised a virtual commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9th August 2023 to discuss the 2023 theme “Indigenous youth as agents of change for self-determination”
ii.On 9th August 2023, a Webinar was co-organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the UN (IFAD) to commemorate the IDWIP.
- It was organised in keeping with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 76.16 on “The Health of Indigenous Peoples”.
Upcoming Event:
2023 II Session of the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum, a Biannual UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum hosted by the UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and organized by the Global Indigenous Youth will take place from 16-20 October 2023 in Rome, Italy, to provide a space of dialogue between Indigenous Youth and Countries, UN Agencies, Universities, Research centres and other stakeholders.
14th Equator Prize: UNDP announced 10 winners from 10 Countries
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and its partners announced the winners of the 14th Equator Prize, on the occasion of the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples, recognizing 10 Indigenous peoples and local communities from 10 Countries namely Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Ecuador, Guatemala, Greenland, Liberia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Zambia.
- The winning organisations demonstrate the potential of innovative, nature-based solutions, which not only empower communities to realize their local development objectives but also promote resilience even in a time of economic, environmental, political, and public health disruptions.
Award Ceremony:
i.The Equator Prize winners will be awarded at a ceremony in November 2023, during UNDP’s Nature for Life Hub event.
ii.The winners will receive USD 15,000, and the opportunity to take part in a series of special virtual events associated with the:
- UN General Assembly (UNGA);
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Summit;
- UN Climate Ambition Summit;
- UNDP Nature for Life Hub, and
- 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Key Highlights:
i.The 2023 winners were hailed from over 500 nominations from a total of 108 countries and the awardees join a network of 275 communities who have been recognized since 2002 for their exceptional contributions to adapt to and mitigate climate change and reduce poverty.
ii.The 2023 winners also highlight the 2023 theme of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination.”
iii.Among the awardees, 4 winners are initiatives led by youth namely The Young Emerging Farmers Initiative (YEFI), Zambia; Perfect Village Communities Burundi (PVC Burundi), Burundi; Instituto Zág, Brazil; Uru Uru Team, Bolivia.
Equator Prize:
It is a biannual award to recognise outstanding community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity organized by the Equator Initiative within the UNDP.
Eligibility Criteria:
i.The initiative must have been in existence for at least 3 years.
ii.The initiative taken must be nature-based and must deliver benefits related to two or more SDGS.
iii.The nominee must be either a local community-based group, operating in a rural area, based in a country receiving support from the UNDP; or an indigenous peoples’ community in any country, operating in a rural area.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, the United States of America (USA)
Established in– 1965
