Statement of the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson on International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf joins the global community in commemorating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This day is an opportunity to celebrate the rich heritage, knowledge systems, and resilience of indigenous communities across Africa and the world.

The Chairperson reaffirms the African Union’s commitment, as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981) and guided by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities, to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples. He underscores their vital role in preserving cultural diversity, safeguarding the environment, and advancing sustainable development in line with Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.

The African Union Executive Council, during its 47th Ordinary Session, urged Member States to strengthen measures to protect the rights of indigenous peoples, and reaffirms its support for the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) as a global normative framework complementing AU instruments.

Mr. Youssouf calls on Member States, partners, and all stakeholders to work together, through inclusive policy-making, equitable resource-sharing, and respect for traditional knowledge systems, to ensure that indigenous voices are heard, their rights upheld, and their contributions fully valued in building a more inclusive, just, and sustainable Africa for all.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).