On 23 December 1994, the UN General Assembly designated 9 August as the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, to be observed every year. 9 August, 1982 was the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
There are more than 476 million indigenous peoples living in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2% of the world population. Indigenous peoples possess a vast diversity of unique cultures, traditions, languages and knowledge systems. They have a special relationship with their lands and have diverse concepts of development based on their own worldviews and priorities. Although many indigenous peoples worldwide are self-governing and some have successfully established their autonomy in varying forms, yet many indigenous peoples still come under the ultimate authority of governments who exercise control over their lands, territories and resources.