MOSCOW (Sputnik) — His remarks came ahead of the 2016 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples to be celebrated on August 9.
"Together, by building bridges and strengthening partnerships, guaranteeing equal access to education and most importantly, by empowering indigenous and tribal peoples through decent work, we can surmount the challenges ahead," Guy Ryder said in a statement.
An important factor in the employment of indigenous peoples is sustainable environment and protection of their habitat, according to the ILO director-general.
"Through access to decent work, millions of indigenous women and men around the world will become agents of change, not only to secure their own livelihoods and needs, but also to preserve their natural resources," Ryder added.
The labor rights of the indigenous people are protected by the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention of 1989 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of 2007.
