The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was first observed on 9 August 1994, at the start of the First International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. A second decade began this year.   

In July 2004, Amnesty International launched a global action calling for the timely

adoption of a United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The draft UN Declaration provides for the recognition and protection of a wide range of rights crucial to the survival and well-being of Indigenous peoples as distinct cultures. 

In international human rights instruments, the term “indigenous” generally refers to those

distinctive cultural groups whose relationship with their land or territory predates colonization or the formation of the modern state and who maintain traditions and institutions unique to that place. In different national contexts, other terms may be used, including “aboriginal”, “native” or “tribal” peoples.