Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations

The participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations has significantly evolved over the past few decades, marking a substantial shift towards greater recognition and inclusion of their rights and voices at the international level. This journey formally started with the Study on the Problem of Discrimination against Indigenous Populations, produced by Jose R. Martínez Cobo, the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities (1981-1983). A milestone in this process was the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, a result of extensive collaboration and advocacy by Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration affirms the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples, and recalls that ways and means of ensuring participation of Indigenous Peoples on issues affecting them shall be established.

Indigenous Peoples continue to shape their participation in the United Nations. They engage actively with the organization through various Indigenous Peoples’ mechanisms. UN bodies and entities have also opened important spaces for their participation. 

A new process of enhancing their participation in the United Nations, including in the Human Rights Council, was initiated with the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014. The Council held two intersessional meetings on this issue in 2024, and there continues to be potential for further progress.

Indigenous Peoples’ representatives and institutions duly established by themselves can currently seek accreditation to sessions of the Human Rights Council. As decided by the Council in resolutions 54/12, 57/15 and 60/13, Indigenous Peoples may participate in the interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the annual panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Additional information

• General information on accreditation to the Human Rights Council
• Discussions and outcomes of the two intersessional meetings on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council (27 March 2025)
• Participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN is crucial for advancing their rights (24 September 2024)
• Second intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council (17 and 18 October 2024)
• Stocktaking report compiling existing procedures on the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the United Nations, highlighting existing gaps and good practices. (July 2024)
• First Intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council (18 and 19 July 2024)
• Expert workshop on possible ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council (21 to 24 November 2022)