Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO (fwd)

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Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/admin/ev.php?URL_ID=34718&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1186682582&PHPSESSID=5d91ed3978fca68f1950d959f5720f45

On the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, 9
August 2007: "Indigenous knowledge systems represent an invaluable and
irreplaceable resource and a critical component of sustainable
development".

The worldviews of most indigenous peoples, which recognize the inextricable
links between culture and nature, clearly resonate with UNESCO’s efforts to
protect and promote cultural as well as biological diversity. This is a
matter of growing concern to many indigenous communities around the world
and constitutes the essence of their recent call for "development with
identity".

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People provides an excellent
opportunity for the international community to reflect on indigenous
peoples’ perspectives and aspirations, especially on how they relate to the
sustainable development of our planet.

Safeguarding intangible heritage, particularly through the transmission of
indigenous knowledge systems and cultural expressions, is inextricably
linked to issues of land use, natural resource management and tangible
heritage conservation. This has been recognized by the UN Permanent Forum
on Indigenous Issues, which devoted this year’s session in May to the theme
of indigenous communities’ rights to "lands, territories and natural
resources" – a contentious issue with far-reaching economic and social
implications. The various activities spearheaded by UNESCO in areas of
cultural landscapes, sacred sites, water, and participatory mapping of
indigenous cultural resources reflect the Organization’s concern for this
timely question. Moreover, to date, more than 55 "cultural landscapes" from
some 35 countries are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

However, UNESCO’s most unique contribution towards enhancing the worldwide
visibility of indigenous issues lies in its standard-setting activity. The
UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted in 2001,
specifically refers to the rights of indigenous peoples (Article 4), and
the Declaration’s action plan calls for "respecting and protecting
traditional knowledge, in particular that of indigenous peoples"; and
"recognizing [its] contribution, particularly with regard to environmental
protection and the management of natural resources, and fostering synergies
between modern science and local knowledge". More (pdf)


Publication Date 	08 Aug 2007
Author(s) 	Koïchiro Matsuura
Website 	Director General's Website