UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on member states to protect the rights and identities of indigenous peoples across the world.
In his message for the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the secretary-general said that indigenous peoples "have a profound spiritual connection to their lands and resources. However, many have been forced to migrate due to climate change, violence and conflict, and displacement by authorities without their consent."
The UN chief called on the member states to adopt later this year the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which seeks to protect the rights of vulnerable migrant groups.
This year's theme is "Indigenous peoples' migration and movement."
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous peoples in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 percent of the world's population, but account for 15 percent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world's estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.
The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is observed on Aug. 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population. This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that indigenous peoples make to improve world issues such as environmental protection. It was first pronounced by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1994.
