Marking the international day of the world’s indigenous peoples

In order to raise awareness of indigenous peoples, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982. This year, the UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility (WGF) will host an online dialogue highlighting the role of indigenous peoples’ knowledge and perspectives in sustainable water management and climate change, and what other communities could learn from them.

This interactive conversation featuring UN Special Rapporteurs and indigenous community representatives will address following questions:

• How can indigenous ecological knowledge, values, and solutions contribute to improved sustainable water management and other water-related shocks and stresses related to current Covid-19 pandemic?
• How can indigenous ecological knowledge, values, and solutions contribute to climate action, specifically when it comes to the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change?
• What are the efforts taken to recognize the value of indigenous/ traditional knowledge in international policies and conventions?
• How are various human rights (i.e. the rights of indigenous peoples, the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, the right to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment) interlinked and how can addressing them in concert enhance the realization of the global agendas, including the Paris Agreement and the SDGs?
• This year being the tenth anniversary of the UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the human rights to water and sanitation, how has the resolution helped protect and advance the rights of indigenous peoples with regard to water and sanitation?