Indigenous peoples

Considering the diversity of indigenous peoples, an official definition of 'indigenous' has not been adopted by any UN-system body. For practical purposes the commonly accepted understanding of the term is that provided in the Jose R. Martinez Cobo's study on the Problem of Discrimination against Indigenous Populations]: unique traditions, they retain social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. They strive for recognition of their identities, their ways of life and their right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources but lack of political representation and participation especially related to the protection of their rights. (UN fact sheet)