Research Guides: Indigenous Issues: Quick Guide

Indigenous Issues at the United Nations

UN PHOTO

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII):

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a high- level advisory body to the Economic and Social Council. The Forum provides a global platform for expert advice and recommendations on indigenous peoples to the Council. The Forum meets on an annual basis and covers a specific theme in each session.

UNPFII 24th session: 21 April - 2 May 2025 (Theme: Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges)
Past UNPFII sessions
Reports of the Permanent Forum on its sessions
UNPFII Recommendations Database

Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations:

Learn more about the United Nations work on indigenous peoples through the Department of Economic and Social Affairs website on Indigenous peoples at the United Nations. Includes a short history of the indigenous participation in the international stage, UN's work with indigenous women and resources for indigenous youth.

International Commemorations:

International Day (9 August): The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was established by General Assembly resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
International decade of indigenous languages (2022-2032): General Assembly resolution, A/RES/74/135 proclaimed the period between 2022 and 2032 as the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (#IDIL 2022-2032), to draw global attention on the critical situation of many indigenous languages and to mobilize stakeholders and resources for their preservation, revitalization and promotion.

Previous decades:

Indigenous Fellowship Programme:

The Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP) is a comprehensive human rights training programme that was established by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the context of the first International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004).

The programme contributes to build the capacity and expertise of indigenous representatives on the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights in general and indigenous issues in particular.

Learn more about the programme, including the application and selection process.

10th Anniversary 2024 : UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples

On 22-23 September 2014, the First UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples took place in New York. This was a High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 69th General Assembly.

WCIP outcome document
Outcome document of the high-level plenary meeting of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (A/RES/69/2).
WCIP Preparatory outcome document
Outcome document of the Global Indigenous Preparatory Conference for the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.

On 17 April 2024, the High-level event to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples was held in the General Assembly Hall in accordance with General Assembly resolution 78/189 of 19 December 2023.

Additional resources

Docip - Indigenous peoples' centre for documentation, research and information
Docip is a non-profit organization supporting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly within the framework of international institutions. The website provides access to documents from various bodies on issues related to indigenous peoples.
FAO Indigenous Peoples Glossary
This glossary; developed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) staff provides a collection of terminology on Indigenous Peoples. It contains a multilingual listing of around 140 relevant terms and definitions to harmonize indigenous vocabulary in French, English and Spanish.
ILO Library: Indigenous Peoples
Research guide by the ILO Library with information on issues related to indigenous peoples and work.
IWGA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs
International human rights group working for the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide.
UNESCO and Indigenous Peoples
UNESCO is dedicated to the 2030 Agenda commitment to ‘Leave no one behind by highlighting the rights and priorities the of indigenous peoples.
UN DESA Indigenous peoples resource page
This website provides a one-stop place to learn about the engagement of the Indigenous peoples and the UN.
World Bank: Indigenous Peoples
Information from the World Bank on indigenous peoples with links to publications, data, and their projects and programmes on the topic.

UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

On 13 September 2007 the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly resolution, A/RES/61/295.

UNDRIP in languages: access the text of the Declaration in various languages
UNDRIP adolescent friendly version
Read more about the Declaration and commemorative events since its adoption.
Access handbooks and training materials relating to UNDRIP.

Research the procedural history including selected preparatory documents of the Declaration through the Audiovisual Library of International Law - United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Key UN Documents

UN Reports & Publications

State of the World's Indigenous Peoples : Rights to Lands, Territories and Resources
ISBN: 9789211304183
Date: 2021
This publication offers a wide-ranging perspective on indigenous peoples' rights to lands, territories and resources, examining legislation and agreements at the national and international level, identifying successful practices and continued obstacles, and suggesting ways forward.
State of the World's Indigenous Peoples : implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Date: 2019
On 13 September 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This publication looks back at ten-plus years of the Declaration's existence.
State of the World's Indigenous Peoples
Date: 2018
This third edition of the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples (SOWIP) provides a broad overview of the current achievements and challenges facing indigenous peoples within the education sector.
State of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 2nd volume: Health / UN DESA
Date: 2016
The 2nd volume of the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples examines the major challenges for indigenous peoples to obtain adequate access to and utilization of quality health care services. It provides an important background to many of the health issues that indigenous peoples are currently facing.
State of the World's Indigenous Peoples: 1st volume / UN DESA
Date: 2009
This report discusses many of the issues addressed by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Chapters on poverty and well-being, culture, environment, contemporary education, health, human rights, and emerging issues.
Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women / UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, ILO, OSRSG/VAC
Date: 2013
A collaborative study aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the magnitude, nature and context of violence experienced specifically by indigenous girls, adolescents and young women.

Books

Mining and Indigenous Livelihoods : Rights, Revenues, and Resistance. / Rodon et al
ISBN: 9781003406433
Date: 2024
This book maps the encounters between Indigenous Peoples and local communities with mining companies in various post-colonial contexts. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of mining and the extractive industries, sustainable development, natural resource management, and Indigenous Peoples.
Bridging Cultural Concepts of Nature: Indigenous People and Protected Spaces of Nature / Andersson et al
ISBN: 9789523690592
Date: 2021
Drawing on case studies from Scandinavia to Latin America and from North America to New Zealand, the volume challenges the old paradigm where Indigenous peoples are not included in the conservation and protection of natural areas and instead calls for the incorporation of Indigenous voices into this debate.
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A commentary
Call Number: UNX.572.9 U541
Date: 2018
This commentary assesses the practice of relevant regional and international bodies in enforcing the rights of indigenous peoples, providing an understanding of the practical application of the Declaration's principles
Global politics and its violent care for indigeneity : sequels to colonialism
Date: 2018
This book examinis the inclusion of indigenous peoples in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Arctic Council, and offers a pioneering account of how international politics has tightened its grip on indigeneity.
Indigenous Peoples As Subjects of International Law
Call Number: LSA 572.9 I39
Date: 2018
This volume pursues a cross-disciplinary analysis of the international legal exclusion of Indigenous Peoples, and of its relationship to global injustice.
Handbook of Indigenous Peoples' Rights / Short & Lennox
Date: 2016
This handbook gives an interdisciplinary overview of indigenous peoples' rights, by examining legal, philosophical, sociological and political issues, and addressing a wide range of themes at the centre of debates on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Peoples' Status in the International Legal System / Åhrén
Date: 2016
The book surveys how indigenous peoples have emerged as international legal subjects and possessors of sovereign and private rights over territories by looking at the rights indigenous peoples and communities hold under the contemporary indigenous rights discourse.