OHCHR | Feature Stories

Feature Stories

Many indigenous languages are in danger of extinction
Around 40 percent of the world’s 6,700 spoken languages are in danger of disappearing, and many of them belong to indigenous peoples. But this trend can be reversed, said Mona Rishmawi of the UN Human Rights Office. Rishmawi made her statement during a panel discussion at the Human Rights Council.
17 October 2019

Courts rather than spears used to defend indigenous territories
Nemonte Nenquino and Omanca are land human rights defenders from the Waorani people in Ecuador. The group recently won a landmark court ruling against the Government preventing oil exploration on their land.
6 September 2019

Migration nightmare for an indigenous woman in Mexico
The UN Human Rights offices in Guatemala and Mexico advocate for the rights of an indigenous migrant who faces prolonged detention in a State prison in Mexico, after she was kidnapped by smugglers near the country’s border with the US.
10 August 2018

Indigenous peoples’ rights violated in the name of conservation
A new report by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples highlights the negative impact of commonly practiced conservation policies on indigenous communities. This need not be the case.
26 August 2016

“Take action! Being silent is dangerous.”
Charlene Apok believes there are many obstacles facing indigenous peoples when they try to advocate for their rights at an international level. “This system was not made for us,” she said. Apok, a member of the Iñupiaq tribe in the USA, was a recent UN Human Rights Office Indigenous Fellow.
28 July 2016

Kamira Nait Sid: advocating for the rights of the Amazigh people in Algeria
Kamira Nait Sid, a participant in the 2014 Indigenous Fellowship Programme of the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, promotes the Amazigh language, culture and identity in Algeria.
16 October 2014

An historic debt settled: recognition of indigenous rights in El Salvador
An historic debt has been settled in favour of the indigenous peoples of El Salvador, says UN Human Rights representative, Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana welcoming to an historic parliamentary vote, which recognises the country’s indigenous peoples and commits to policies safeguarding their ethnic and cultural identities.
15 September 2014

Alma Grace Barla: defending the rights of tribal women in India
Indigenous Fellow Alma Grace Barla promotes the empowerment and socio-economic development of tribal women in India.
12 August 2013

Indigenous communities in Cambodia claim land rights
Indigenous communities in Cambodia are claiming their land rights through a communal land registration programme that has seen more than 4,000 people benefit from land titles.
6 June 2013

Fighting for the right to protect Māori culture
Right to land and protection of culture are key issues for Carwyn Jones, member of a Māori nation in New Zealand and a UN Human Rights Indigenous Fellow.
9 August 2012

A call to protect indigenous communities from waste producing industries
Toxic waste from mining activities and nuclear testing can contaminate the land and water of communities for decades. Serious health effects and pollution interrupt traditional ways of life, according to reports from two UN experts.
11 June 2012

Realizing indigenous peoples’ rights in Paraguay
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyung-wha Kang encourages the Government of Paraguay to increase efforts to ensure that indigenous peoples’ rights are respected.
3 November 2011

Solidarity for a globally sustainable future
The multiple crises currently facing the world could best be addressed by fostering international solidarity, says UN independent expert.
19 October 2011

Promoting the language rights of indigenous peoples
Experts discuss the importance of linguistic diversity for the protection rights and the survival of the cultures of 370 million indigenous peoples around the world.
30 September 2011

Advancing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Mexico
"Indigenous women suffer two types of discrimination, as indigenous people and as women," says UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay.
7 July 2011

Global efforts to advance indigenous rights
UN organizations join hands to support efforts of indigenous peoples to secure their human rights and improve their well-being.
26 May 2011

European Union backs indigenous peoples’ rights worldwide
European Union funds help promote the work of OHCHR and its partners for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide
30 December 2010

Defending the defenders: Human Rights Day 2010
In a special message sent to the Geneva 2010 Human Rights Day event Myanmar’s recently released Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeals for solidarity in the struggle for human rights.
10 December 2010

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