Kathmandu: The European Union has expressed solidarity with the indigenous peoples across the world on the occasion of International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, which falls on August 9.
“On the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the EU stands in solidarity with the more than 476 million indigenous peoples worldwide,” the EU said. According to the declaration issued by the High Representative on behalf of the EU, the EU stands for the rights of the indigenous people. “We reiterate our firm commitment towards respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of indigenous peoples as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in international human rights law. Indigenous peoples inhabit nearly a quarter of the world’s land surface.”
Indigenous peoples’ identities are often closely linked to their lands and to their languages, says the declaration, adding that more than 4000 indigenous languages are threatened because many of them are neither taught at school, nor used in the public sphere.
The EU has also expressed commitment to promoting the participation of indigenous leaders and indigenous human rights defenders in development processes and key global decision-making fora.
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