9 AUGUST 2021: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WORLD'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Thursday, August 5, 2021

On the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Program of the Institute for the Study of Human Rights pays tribute to the struggles of the Indigenous Peoples for dignity, justice and human rights and stands in solidarity with Indigenous human rights defenders.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is celebrated with events around the world. The Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly and was first marked in 1994. The date was selected to honor 9 August 1982, the first day of the very first UN human rights body established to deal with Indigenous Peoples rights, i.e. the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations. This Working Group worked tirelessly with the Indigenous Peoples' movement and laid down the groundwork for the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on September 13th, 2007. 

The International Day observance will take place online on Monday, 9 August 2021 from 9:00 am to 11 am Eastern Standard Time (EST). This year’s theme is Leaving No One  Behind: Indigenous Peoples and the call for a new social contract.