Publications

Displaying 1 - 10 of 68
UN General Assembly Reports on Social Development |
The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is requested by the Human Rights Council to present two annual reports: one at its regular sessions in Geneva, usually held in September, and another at the General Assembly, typically in October. These annual reports include a description of the activities carried out during the year within the framework of the mandate and often include discussions on specific themes or issues of particular relevance to the rights of Indigenous Peoples. These reports to the General Assembly can be accessed here.
Policy Briefs |
Threats to indigenous peoples’ livelihoods and traditional knowledge Climate change is the greatest challenge facing humanity today. Its effects, however, are disproportionately distributed, in particular affecting vulnerable and socially marginalized population groups. Indigenous peoples are among the first to face the direct impacts of global warming on the ecosystems or landscapes they inhabit, owing also to their dependence upon, and close relationship with the environment and its resources. Examples of the negative impacts include diseases associated with increasing temperatures such as, vector-borne and water-borne diseases; drought and desertification leading to forest fires and the…
Flagship Reports |
Indigenous peoples’ relationship to their lands, territories and resources is at the heart of their identity, well-being and culture. Preservation of the environment, transmitted through traditional knowledge passed down through generations, is at the centre of their existence. As the world is increasingly recognizing the negative impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on health, food security and overall peace and security, the importance of indigenous knowledge and territorial rights is beginning to be more fully acknowledged by society at large. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development offers further opportunities to promote the rights of indigenous peoples to lands…
Flagship Reports |
On 13 September 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The adoption of the Declaration marked the culmination of decades of struggle among indigenous peoples for a universal framework establishing minimum standards to ensure the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world. Over a period of more than 20 years, indigenous peoples and Member States worked together to draft the Declaration, setting a precedent for cooperation and partnership between indigenous peoples and Member States. This collaboration has become an established practice and captures the principle of nothing about us…