International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

Each year, on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we honour the approximately 476 million Indigenous voices across the globe and reaffirm our commitment to protecting their rights, traditions and ways of life in an ever-evolving world. Today, Indigenous Peoples worldwide are using artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies to map territories, document languages, monitor the effects of climate disruption and create new forms of cultural expression. Artificial intelligence holds the potential to enhance the transmission of ancestral knowledge. Yet, without safeguards in place to ensure its ethical and inclusive development, it risks causing digital exclusion, reinforcing harmful biases and distorting Indigenous languages. That is why this year’s celebration is being held under the theme of “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures” – focusing on both the promises and perils of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, while high...

Indigenous Peoples are guardians of ancient knowledge, defenders of cultural heritage, stewards of biodiversity, and essential to our shared future. Amid the rise of new technologies, Artificial Intelligence can help preserve endangered languages and oral histories, map ancestral lands, and amplify Indigenous wisdom to fight climate change. But without the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples, these same technologies risk perpetuating old patterns of exclusion, misrepresenting cultures, and violating fundamental rights. We must ensure AI is developed and governed in ways that are inclusive, ethical, and just. On the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples , let’s build a future where technology preserves Indigenous knowledge and culture, and protects rights and advances dignity – for today and generations to come.  United Nations Secretary-General.

When the glacier disappears, a new epoch will begin.”This prophecy, passed down by the Quechua people of the Peruvian Andes, is no longer a distant warning, it is becoming a lived reality. Across high mountain regions, from Bolivia to Bhutan, the disappearance of glaciers is not only an environmental crisis but a cultural and spiritual rupture. For many Indigenous communities, these icy peaks are living deities, guardians of balance, and sources of ancestral knowledge. In Nepal, rituals must now adapt to the melting summits. In Bolivia, entire ways of life are dissolving alongside the snow. And in China, even scientists are banned from stepping onto sacred glaciers, seen as vital to the survival of the communities below. This #IndigenousPeoplesDay , discover how climate change is transforming traditions and what the world can learn from Indigenous wisdom that sees land, spirit, and culture as inseparable. Read the full story in The UNESCO Courier: "Traditions shaken by global war...

 Theme: Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures Today, we join the global celebration of the unique contributions and traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, who have safeguarded the world’s biodiversity for millennia. Their knowledge and cultures, rooted in deep cultural and spiritual connections with land, waters, and territories, have sustained ecosystems and communities alike. They are key to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This year’s theme of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples invites us to reflect on how technology can support traditional knowledge systems. Artificial Intelligence is transforming how knowledge is generated and applied. For Indigenous Peoples, this brings both challenges and opportunities. Inadequate applications of AI can undermine the principles that safeguard traditional knowledge, including consent, control, and data sovereignty. But appropriate safeguards can ensure ...

Indigenous knowledge refers to the diverse and numerous forms of understandings, skills, and philosophies developed by local communities with long histories and experiences of interaction with their natural surroundings. Research has shown that respect for indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices significantly contributes to sustainable and equitable development and proper management of the environment. Recognizing the immense value of Indigenous knowledge for the protection of our ocean, the Ocean Decade aims to enhance the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems within ocean science s, and promotes the co-design of ocean science with Indigenous peoples across the world .

UNESCO brought together two of Africa’s remaining hunter-gatherer communities to test the CyberTracker application, which combines Indigenous knowledge with digital technology. Indigenous languages, cultures and knowledge are celebrated globally on 9 August, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. ‘We have a connection with the Hadzabe community because they are hunter-gatherers just like us.’ In May 2025, ǀUi David, a tracker from the Juǀ’hoansi San community in Namibia, took part in a unique exchange organized by UNESCO’s Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems Programme (LINKS). Together with members of Tanzania’s Hadzabe community, he participated in training on CyberTracker , an icon-based application that allows users to record animal tracks, signs, and ecological data, blending Indigenous knowledge with digital technology. Tracking the old way with new tools The Juǀ’hoansi San and Hadzabe communities share a deep bond. Both have developed extensive knowledge of...