The world's estimated 300 million indigenous people can contribute to global efforts to fight climate change, the United Nations said Thursday on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, according to dpa. The UN said indigenous people, from the Inuit in the Artic region and Saami in Sweden to tribes in the Philippines, are affected by global warming and have traditional knowledge to safeguard the environment. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that the world should assist indigenous populations by promoting international standards and vigilance to respect their rights. The UN is pushing the General Assembly to adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was approved by the Human Rights Council in Geneva. The declaration calls for respect of indigenous peoples' cultures, languages and traditional practices that can contribute to the proper management of the environment and sustain development in their own regions.
