International Day of the World Indigenous People - 9 August

Background

On 23 December 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 [pdf]).

By its resolution 59/174 [pdf] of 20 December 2004, in which the Assembly proclaimed the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (2005-2014), it also decided to continue observing the International Day of Indigenous People every year during the Second Decade, in New York, Geneva and other offices of the United Nations. The Assembly asked the Secretary-General to support observance of the Day from within existing resources, and to encourage Governments to observe the Day at the national level.

http://www.un.org/events/indigenous/2008/index.shtml


UN Event Page
http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/

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2013 - "Indigenous peoples building alliances: Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements"

2009 — the theme of the observance was “Indigenous Peoples and HIV/AIDS”

2008 — the observance focused on reconciliation between States and indigenous peoples

2007 — the observance in 2007 centered on the urgent need to preserve indigenous languages

2006 — celebrations and discussions in 2006 drew upon the theme “Partnership for Action and Dignity”

2005 — the title of a panel discussion in 2005 was “The Cause of Indigenous Peoples is Ours”

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2013

A special event at UN Headquarters in New York will be held on Friday, 9 August, starting at 3pm, featuring the UN Secretary-General, the Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a delegate of Panama, a representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, and an indigenous representative. The event will be webcast live at webtv.un.org.

Also on 9 August, hundreds of indigenous and non-indigenous rowers are scheduled to arrive at Pier 96 at 57th Street in Manhattan at 10am, after having collectively travelled thousands of miles on rivers and horsebacks to honour the first treaty -– the Two Row Wampum -– concluded between Dutch immigrants and the Haudenosaunee (a confederacy of six nations, with capital in the Onondaga nation, in NY State) 400 years ago, in 1613. They will gather with members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at 1:30pm.




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