Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova.
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is the perfect opportunity to emphasize indigenous peoples’ vital contribution to the implementation of sustainable solutions for tackling development challenges, from the management of natural resources to the fight against climate change.
Promoting the cultures, the languages and the knowledge of indigenous peoples is an essential part of UNESCO’s action. We know that respecting knowledge systems and local languages – including those of indigenous peoples – is one of the conditions for successful inclusive, equitable school systems, in which everyone can learn and show their potential. It is central to achieving the implementation of the quality education for all (EFA) goals and is fully integrated into the declaration adopted at the World Education Forum held in May 2015, in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The declaration advocates inclusive and equitable, quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all by 2030.
We must better transmit and promote indigenous peoples’ cultural diversity and scientific knowledge, which are forces for renewal and innovation for the whole world. UNESCO is thus working to have culture fully recognized as an enabler and a driver of inclusive and sustainable development. The cultural diversity of indigenous peoples, be it artistic traditions, music, craftsmanship or contemporary art, represents an infinite source of dignity, identity and cohesion, whose full potential we are far from having unleashed.
