The UN General Assembly (UNGA) president, Abdulla Shahid, has highlighted indigenous groups’ important roles in protecting biodiversity.

Mr Shahid spoke at the opening of the 21st session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on Monday in New York.

This year marks the beginning of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, running from 2022 to 2032.

It was the first time in three years that the forum was held in-person at the UN headquarters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UNGA president said indigenous communities had prioritised a relationship with nature for generations – grounded in kinship, centred around reciprocity and infused with reverence.

“By emulating their example on a broader scale, we can preserve the Earth’s rich biodiversity and diverse landscapes,” he said.

Mr Shahid pointed out that indigenous people comprise less than five per cent of the global population yet protect 80 per cent of global biodiversity.

He stressed that high linguistic diversity occurs where conditions for biological diversity thrive, saying, “It’s the richness of one that sustains the other.”

Mr Shahid also mentioned growing scientific evidence that indigenous languages rich in oral traditions offer evidence for events that happened thousands of years ago.

“By preserving and promoting these languages, we preserve and promote an important part of our human heritage, identity and belonging,” he said. “We have an obligation to ensure that they can participate in and benefit from the work of the United Nations.”