International Day of the World's Indigenous People: 9 August

The United Nations General Assembly in 1990 proclaimed 1993 as the International Year for the World's Indigenous People. Four years later, the 94th Sessión of the UN General Assembly, decided to set the observation for the International Day of the World's Indigenous People on 9 August (resolution 49/214 of 23 December). The date marks the day of the first meeting, of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, held in 1982.

This year, the UN will celebrate this day on friday 8 August, 2003 with a special event to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The commemoration of this day will include speeches from the UN Director-General, Kofi Annan and by the Chairman of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Ole Henrik Magga, as well as various cultural performances.

During the International Year for the World's Indigenous People, in order to strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous people in areas such as human rights, environment, development, education and health, the Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People, starting on 10 December, 1994 (resolution 48/163). The main theme of the Decade is "Indigenous people: Partnership in action."

For more information on the events to be carried out during this day by the various UN agencies please click here.