International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2017

By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples shall be observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982.

This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will be commemorated on Wednesday, 9 August at UNHQ in New York from 3.00pm to 6.00pm in the ECOSOC Chamber.

This year is of particular importance, as it is the Tenth Anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and at the same time the theme of the event. A backgrounder on the tenth anniversary of the UNDRIP is now available in English, French, Spanish, and Russian. 

The commemoration will be divided into two parts:

1. A high-level segment that will include interventions from UN officials and the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
2. A panel discussion on the successes and challenges faced in the implementation of the UNDRIP over the past decade. The panel will include the participation of guest panelists ranging from government representatives to indigenous experts from the different regions of the world. More information can be found at the International Day dedicated website.

The tentative program is as follows: 

High-level segment

Ceremonial call to order by Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild

Remarks by Mr. Zhenmin Liu, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Remarks by Ms. Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on behalf of the Permanent Forum, the Special Rapporteur and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Moderated by:

Ms. Daniela Bas, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development, DESA

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Film screening: The Ainu People of Japan

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Panel Discussion

“A decade in Review: Achieving the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”

Hon. Royal Johan Kxao /Ui/o/oo (Deputy Minister of Marginalized Communities – Namibia)

Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild (Cree, Canada)

Mr. Luis Macas (Kichwa, Ecuador)

Mr. Albert Barume (Chairperson of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

Moderated by:

Ms. Chandra Roy-Henriksen,  Chief of the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues/DSPD/DESA

Co-organised by SPFII/DSPD/DESA and United Nations Department of Public Information

(Programme subject to change)

Webcast

• 2017 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (Original audio)
• 2017 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (English audio)

Messages and Statements from across the United Nations system and others

• Remarks by Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and senior official of the United Nations System to coordinate follow-up to the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples
• World still lagging on indigenous rights 10 years after historic declaration, UN experts warn (Joint Statement by the Three UN Mechanisms on Indigenous Peoples).
• Statement/Powerpoint Presentation by Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild
• Joint Statement by the United Nations Inter Agency Support Group on International Day
• Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
• Statement from the ILO Director-General: Indigenous women’s voice and empowerment more important than ever to ensure a better future of work for all
• Message from Mr. Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Message from Ms. Cristina Pașca Palmer, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Declaration by the High Representative, Ms. Federica Mogherini, on behalf of the European Union
• Mensaje de Alicia Bárcena, Secretaria Ejecutiva de la Comisión Económica para América Latina (CEPAL)

Relevant documents

• Backgrounder on the tenth anniversary of the UNDRIP |EN| FR| ES| RU|
• E/C.19/2017/4 – Tenth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: measures taken to implement the Declaration |EN| ES| FR| RU|
• E/C.19/2017/10 – International expert group meeting on the theme “Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: the role of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other indigenous-specific mechanisms (article 42)”  |EN| ES| FR| RU|
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/RES/61/295) |AR |EN| ES| FR| RU| ZU|
• Adolescent-Friendly Version of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples |EN|
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (in languages) English | Français | Español | Русский | عربي | 汉语 |Arawok | Aucan | Aymara | Bahasa/Indonesian | Belarusian |Bisaya | Bodo (Boro) | Carib | Cha’palaa | Catalan | Crimean Tatar |Degar | Dutch | Danish | Finnish | German | Greek | Greenlandic |Guaraní | Hindi | Ilokano | Innu | Italian | Japanese | Karaim | Karelian |Khmer | Kichua | Kituba | Kuna | Kwéyòl | Komi | Lingala | Livvi-KarelianMalay | Maori | Maya | Mapuche | Miskito | Mohawk | Náhuatl | Nanai |Norwegian | Nepali | Persian | Pilipino | Polish | Portugues | Sámi (North) |Sámi (Inari) | Sámi (Skolt) | Thai | Trio | Turkish | Ukrainian | Veps | Wajana | Wichi |

Media and outreach

Digital Cards (click on the image to download it in different languages)

Twitter

We are partnering with Twitter on an International Day emoji to be launched on 8 August. The emoji will follow our branding and will be linked to the hashtags #WeAreIndigenous #SomosIndígenas #autochtones #IamIndigenous #SoyIndígena #InternationalIndigenousDay #IIPD2017 #DIPI2017 #PueblosIndígenas #DíaInternacionalPueblosIndígenas. The emoji will be launched on @UN4Indigenous and @UN on 8 August and will be available through 11 August.

Videos

10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

"Together We Achieve" (by UNTV, 1 min 30 sec, in all official UN languages, plus Portuguese and Kiswahili)

[embed width="650" height="550"] https://youtu.be/kqms8yFAO6g?list=PLFB360912D6AE72E0 [/embed]

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: a conversation with experts (by DESA, 2 mins)

[embed width="650" height="550"] https://youtu.be/YY4kBDMoHgw [/embed]

UNPFII16: Promoting Indigenous Languages

[embed width="650" height="550"] https://youtu.be/AKBI4RLcLhg [/embed]

Indigenous peoples in Latin America

Further information

For further information on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with statements and information about events that take place across the world, see the official UN page: www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday