Welcome to the United Nations
Participation in the annual session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is open to Member States, the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPOs), academia accredited to the Permanent Forum and Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with ECOSOC. Indigenous parliamentarians and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) may also be invited to attend.
For IPOs and academia, there is a 2-step accreditation and registration process. While those that have previously participated in UNPFII may already have iCSO accreditation, we recommend checking that this remains active and that the associated information is up to date and correct. NGOs with ECOSOC Status only need to complete Step 2. NGOs working on Indigenous issues without ECOSOC Status would need to apply for and receive ECOSOC status in order to participate, For Indigenous Parliamentarians and NHRIs there is a separate process detailed below.
Step 1: Apply for or check accreditation and update information in iCSO
IPOs and academia requesting accreditation for the first time must complete the iCSO System online form following the iCSO Guide in detail, and include information on:
- contact details, affiliation with other organizations, mission statement, organizational structure, address; phone; fax; email; website (for both IPOs and academia)
- description of activities and Indigenous Peoples they represent (for IPOs)
- description of work related to Indigenous Peoples and relevant to the UNPFII (for academia)
- designation of a focal point and their email address
IPOs and academia that have previously participated at UNPFII should check that their accreditation remains active in the iCSO system, ensure that the focal point email address is accurate and update any information that may be missing. To ensure updates to profiles without accreditation are reviewed and changes to focal point contacts are notified – make sure to follow the exact steps outlined in the iCSO guide.
Who: Both IPOs and academia requesting accreditation for the first time as well as those that have previously participated at UNPFII
When: 3 – 14 February 2025
Where: iCSO
How: iCSO Guide here
Step 2: Register individual participants in INDICO
After an IPO or academia has been approved for accreditation through the iCSO System, it can then undertake the registration of its individual participants via the United Nations INDICO registration system. The focal point designated in the iCSO system must approve the registration of their delegation.
Delegates will not be registered until this step is completed. Please note that each accredited organization are limited to register no more than 10 individuals as part of their delegation.
Who: IPOs and academia that have been approved for accreditation through iCSO and NGOs with ECOSOC Status
When: 24 February – 21 March 2025
Where: INDICO
Indigenous Parliamentarians and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) should contact indigenous_un@un.org with Subject "Registration Indigenous Parliamentarians/NHRIs". Once approved, participants can register using the INDICO registration system.
Important details for UNPFII participation and registration
IPOs may be accredited as observers to attend sessions of the UNPFII. Based on past practice at the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, academic institutions may also be permitted to attend. Academic institutions’ work must be related to Indigenous Peoples and relevant to the UNPFII. Think tanks are not considered to be academic institutions.
The Permanent Forum has also agreed that Indigenous Parliamentarians and National Human Rights Institutions may be invited to attend.
Online registration is mandatory for all participants by the deadlines. Registrations by email cannot be accepted.
For more information on the 24th Session of the UNPFII, visit the website.
Note: The United Nations does not charge fees for participation in the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues’ sessions. The United Nations will not pay for any expenses in connection with the participation of IPOs, Academia, NGO representatives in the sessions of UNPFII. Such arrangements and costs are the exclusive responsibility of participants.
