UN Chief Makes Case For Indigenous Peoples

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the international community to do more to improve on the health and well-being of indigenous peoples. He made the call yesterday in New York in his message to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples observed annually on August 9.

The UN scribe stated that most of the challenges indigenous people were preventable.

He listed some as inadequate sanitation and housing, lack of pre-natal care, violence against women, high rates of diabetes, drug and alcohol abuse, youth suicide and infant mortality.

The Nation report continues:

“These issues must be urgently addressed as part of the post-2015 development agenda in culturally appropriate ways that meet indigenous peoples’ conceptions of and aspirations for well-being,” he said.

He said the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms the right to maintain indigenous health practices and access to social and health services.

“We must make every effort to support indigenous peoples’ rights and aspirations as affirmed in the Declaration.

“On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, I call on the international community to ensure that they are not left behind,’’ the UN chief said.

According to the UN, out of the 370 million indigenous peoples in the world, approximately 67 million are youths.