International Day of the World’s Indigenous People

Madam High Commissioner
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
Dear Friends:

It gives me great pleasure to be with you here at the Palais des Nations. Allow me, first of all, to extend a warm welcome to the indigenous women and men who are joining us today. Many of you are also taking part in the second session of the Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We greatly appreciate your commitment to working with the United Nations in support of indigenous peoples across the world.

We are fast approaching the half-way mark of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This milestone is an opportunity to share lessons learned, and to take stock of the challenges ahead, ranging from unacceptable levels of poverty and disease to dispossession, discrimination, denial of human rights and exclusion from political processes and institutions. The input and ideas of indigenous communities are critical to overcoming these challenges, and I encourage you all to take an active part in half-way mark deliberations to strengthen our work for the second half – and beyond.

While the 370 million indigenous peoples constitute around 5% of the world’s population, they make up 15% of the world’s poor. The current economic and financial crisis therefore holds the risk of affecting indigenous peoples disproportionately. Experts consider that between 55 and 90 million more people will be living in extreme poverty than was anticipated before the current crisis. Many of these will be among indigenous communities. We need to make sure that indigenous voices and views are included in the discussions on how to mitigate the impact of the crisis. It is our collective responsibility to turn the crisis into an opportunity to break current negative trends – and not allow it to entrench, or even amplify, patterns of poverty and vulnerability.

A special focus of this year’s International Day, as it is celebrated worldwide, is the impact of HIV/AIDS. Many indigenous peoples live as part of marginalized communities, in conditions of poverty and powerlessness. It is well-accepted that marginalized groups within any society face a heightened vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. We must ensure that the needs of indigenous peoples are integrated in our response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, without adding stigma and further discrimination.

As it is also recognized in the Millennium Development Goals, education is key to empowering individuals to break the cycle of poverty. I commend the focus in the Expert Mechanism on this aspect, so that we may improve and increase access to quality education for all.

Many indigenous peoples live in the areas that are affected the most by climate change. Yet, because of their sustainable ways of life, they have contributed the least to the warming of our planet. There is an urgent need to include indigenous peoples more closely in our efforts to confront this threat. Their knowledge and expertise in sustainability can inform and inspire global initiatives. A fair and balanced agreement at the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Summit in December in Copenhagen is critical to an effective global response. And I encourage all of you to join the United Nations’ campaign to “Seal the Deal” in Copenhagen.

It is clear that the challenges facing indigenous populations call for a concerted effort on the part of the United Nations family in the context of an international partnership. I welcome today’s inclusive, collaborative event as another demonstration’s of the readiness of this Organization to work closer together, and to work with other stakeholders, for indigenous peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Friends:

Today’s commemoration is not only an opportunity to highlight challenges. Importantly, it is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of indigenous peoples to our common cultural heritage. This diversity is a source of strength for us all.

In this spirit, I look forward to enjoying the cultural presentations with you.

Thank you very much.