Indigenous people

Facts:

• Considering the diversity of indigenous peoples, an official definition of “indigenous” has not been adopted by any UN-system body. Instead the system has developed a modern understanding of this term based on the following:
  o Self- identification as indigenous peoples at the individual level and accepted by the community as their member.
  o Historical continuity with pre-colonial and/or pre-settler societies
  o Strong link to territories and surrounding natural resources
  o Distinct social, economic or political systems
  o Distinct language, culture and beliefs
  o Form non-dominant groups of society
  o Resolve to maintain and reproduce their ancestral environments and systems as distinctive peoples and communities.
  
  

• It is estimated that there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. Practicing unique traditions, they retain social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live.
  
  

• Most indicators of well-being show that indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately compared to non-indigenous peoples. Poverty rates are significantly higher among indigenous peoples compared to other groups. While they constitute 5 per cent of the world's population, they are 15 per cent of the world's poor.
  
  

• Of the some 7,000 languages today, it is estimated that more than 4,000 are spoken by indigenous peoples. Language specialists predict that up to 90 per cent of the world’s languages are likely to become extinct or threatened with extinction by the end of the century.
  
  

• There are three UN bodies which are mandated to deal specifically with indigenous peoples' issues: The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council), the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous Peoples