Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced. The land and natural resources on which they depend are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being. They often subscribe to their customary leaders and organizations for representation that are distinct or separate from those of the mainstream society or culture. Many Indigenous Peoples still maintain a language distinct from the official language or languages of the country or region in which they reside; however, many have also lost their languages or on the precipice of extinction due to eviction from their lands and/or relocation to other territories, and in. They speak more than though some estimates indicate that half of the world's languages are at risk of becoming extinct by 2100.
There are an . Although they make up just . Indigenous Peoples¡¯ worldwide. Indigenous Peoples often lack formal recognition over their lands, territories and natural resources, are often last to receive public investments in basic services and infrastructure and face multiple barriers to participate fully in the formal economy, enjoy access to justice, and participate in political processes and decision making. This legacy of inequality and exclusion , including to disease outbreaks such as COVID-19.
Indigenous Peoples manage or hold tenure rights to approximately a quarter of the world¡¯s surface area, overlaying a significant portion of the world¡¯s biodiversity, almost half of the of the earth¡¯s protected areas and a significant proportion of the planet¡¯s most ecologically intact landscapes. Studies also reveal that . They hold vital ancestral knowledge and expertise on how to adapt, mitigate, and reduce climate and disaster risks.
Much of the land occupied by Indigenous Peoples is under customary ownership, . Even when Indigenous territories and lands are recognized, protection of boundaries or use and exploitation of natural resources are often inadequate. Insecure land tenure is a driver of conflict, environmental degradation, and weak economic and social development. This threatens cultural survival and vital knowledge systems ¨C loss in these areas increasing risks of fragility, biodiversity loss, and degraded One Health (or ecological and animal health) systems which threaten the ecosystem services upon which we all depend.
Improving security of land tenure, strengthening governance, promoting public investments in quality and culturally appropriate service provision, and supporting Indigenous systems for resilience and livelihoods are critical to reducing the multidimensional aspects of poverty while contributing to and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº works with Indigenous Peoples and governments to ensure that broader development programs reflect the voices and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples.
Over the last 30 years, Indigenous Peoples¡¯ rights have been increasingly recognized through the adoption of international instruments such as the ndigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, the can Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2016, the (Escaz¨² Agreement) in 2021 and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention from 1991. At the same time, global institutional mechanisms have been created to promote Indigenous peoples¡¯ rights such as the (UNPFII), the (EMRIP), and the (UNSR).
Last Updated: Apr 06, 2023
