International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

9 August

In December 1994 the UN adopted 9 August as a day to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. 9 August is the anniversary of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Population of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The meeting was held in Geneva in 1982.

Each year over 1200 Indigenous Peoples from all regions of the world gather at the UN at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The Forum provides advice, raises awareness and disseminates information on the key areas of Indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

It also promotes respect for and full application of the provisions of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples make up 6 % of the global population - an estimated 476 million people
Indigenous Peoples represent at least 15% of the extremely poor.
Indigenous Peoples speak the majority of the worlds 7,000+ languages
Indigenous Peoples represent over 5,000 cultures
Indigenous Peoples territories cover 28% of the world's surface area
Indigenous Peoples land contains 11% of the world's forest
Indigenous People are inheritors of unique cultures and knowledge, and are guardians of the world's remaining biodiversity

Despite their many differences, Indigenous Peoples around the world share the same threats and challenges.

The Forum includes new issues as they develop. In 2025, AI was identified as a significant new issue for Indigenous Peoples, with systems reflecting the biases of the systems they are built on and misrepresenting Indigenous Peoples voices and knowledge. AI also has positive potential, for example in revitalisation of languages and preservation of culture.

Each year discussions at the Forum focus on a theme. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples has a related theme that year.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples raises awareness of their needs and celebrates the importance of their knowledge systems and fosters cooperation through science, culture and communication and information programs.

(Adapted from United Nations https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day and UNESCO https://www.unesco.org/en/days/worlds-indigenous-peoples)

Additional Resources:

United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples - Resources

E-Learning tool on the rights of indigenous peoples

Decade of Indigenous Languages