Statement by the Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2025.

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 highlighting the need to ensure that these tools support Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life and rights to self-determination in the digital age. As the custodians of some of the world’s most ecologically rich and culturally significant areas, Indigenous Peoples are key partners in protecting many UNESCO World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks. Our Organization is working to support Indigenous Peoples as they integrate artificial intelligence and digital technologies into the stewardship of their lands and waterways, from helping Indigenous trackers in Tanzania translate traditional practices into wildlife data to empowering pastoral communities in Chad to combine traditional and AI weather forecasting. Meanwhile, UNESCO is taking decisive action to address the threats of digital exclusion, misappropriation and bias posed by these technologies. Our Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, adopted in 2021, continues to guide policymakers to include Indigenous voices at every design stage and protect data sovereignty. But ensuring that Indigenous voices flourish in the information era is too vital a challenge to tackle alone. This is why UNESCO brought together language specialists, policymakers and youth in Bangladesh earlier this year to address the issues of digital exclusion, language loss and resource scarcity. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly present in every aspect of our lives, we are continuing to call for international cooperation within the framework of the Indigenous Languages Decade to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and ensure their voices are heard. No future is sustainable if it leaves behind entire communities and their knowledge. On this International Day, UNESCO renews its commitment to protecting and promoting the knowledge and rights of Indigenous Peoples across the world as we collectively navigate the digital age.

Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.