Welcome to the United Nations
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2008
9 August 2008, United Nations Headquarters, New York
| As the International Day falls on a Satruday, the Day was observed at UN Headquarters on Friday 8 August 2008.
The International Day of the World´s Indigenous People was observed at United Nations Headquarters on Friday 8 August in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium, from 10:00 to 13:00. It was organized by the Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in cooperation with the NGO Committee on the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. >>>Press release >>> Webcast of the entire event (Realplayer required to view webcasts. Click here to download free player.) Click here to view more photos from the Day's observance at UN Headquarters |
 |
PROGRAMME
Friday, 8 August, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, UN Headquarters
Welcome
Message from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
Message from Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang
Message from the Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz
Hālau i Ka Wēkiu (School Upon the Summit) Cultural Performance
Panel Discussion: Conciliation and Reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and States
Part of the New Human Rights Dialogue Series, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
History
In 1994, the General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (Resolution 49/214 of 23 December). The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
The UN General Assembly had proclaimed 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous People, and the same year, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on 10 December 1994 (Resolution 48/163). The goal of the First 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.
In 2004, the UN General Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples through Resolution 59/174. The goal of the Second Decade is to further the "strengthening of 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, by means of action-oriented programs and specific projects, increase technical assistance, and relevant standard-setting activities".
The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is officially commemorated on 9 August annually in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982.
Messages of the Day
Message from Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations on the International Day of the World's Indigenous People 2008
August 9, 2008 | Statement | Microsoft Word (doc)
Statement by Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang,and S. James Anaya, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 7, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
Message from Mr Juan Somavia Director of the International Labour Organization on the occasion of the International Day of the World´s Indigenous People
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 7, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Adobe Acrobat (pdf)
SCBD: Message from Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity on the occasion of the International Day of the World´s Indigenous People
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 7, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Microsoft Word (doc)
UN Forum on Forests: Message from the United Nations Forum on Forests on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 7, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Microsoft Word (doc)
Statement by Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Coordinator for the Second Decade of the World´s Indigenous People on the International Day of the World´s Indigenous People
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 7, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Microsoft Word (doc)
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz: Message of Victoria Tauli-Corpuz Chariperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
AR | EN | ES | FR | RU | ZH
August 6, 2008 | Statement
Statement from Mr. Kemal Dervis, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
August 4, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Microsoft Word (doc)
UNESCO: Message from Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO on the Occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous People
July 15, 2008 | Message on International Day of Indigenous People | Adobe Acrobat (pdf)