Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples and IUCN

IUCN has a long history of working with Indigenous peoples both to promote recognition of their rights at policy level and to support their conservation activities on the ground. IUCN endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2008 and regularly monitors and reports on its contributions to the implementation of the Declaration. IUCN Resolutions and field-based work emphasise Indigenous peoples' rights to the lands, territories and natural resources they have traditionally owned, occupied and used, and the need to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples in all conservation initiatives and policy developments that affect them.

Together, the IUCN Human Rights in Conservation Team (HRCT) and the Commission on Environmental, Social and Economic Policy (CEESP) support IUCN in advancing Indigenous peoples self-determined priorities throughout policy fora, programmes and projects.

Who are indigenous peoples

IUCN recognises Indigenous Peoples as those set out in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 (1989) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP):

1. tribal peoples in independent countries whose social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other sections of the national community, and whose status is regulated wholly or partially by their own customs or traditions or by special laws or regulations;
2. peoples in independent countries who are regarded as indigenous on account of their descent from the populations which inhabited the country, or a geographical region to which the country belongs, at the time of conquest or colonisation or the establishment of present state boundaries and who, irrespective of their legal status, retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions.

Self-identification as indigenous or tribal shall be regarded as a fundamental criterion for determining the groups to which the provisions of this Convention apply.

ILO Convention 169, 1989

An IUCN Indigenous Peoples’ organisation strategy

As a distinct and mobilised constituency within IUCN, IPO Members have also developed a self-determined strategy identifying joint priorities for advancing their rights and issues in conservation and engaging with each other and within IUCN moving forward. These priorities focus particularly on leveraging IUCN’s convening power, knowledge generation, standard setting and policy engagement in regard to indigenous issues.  The strategy outlines actions to:

• Increase indigenous participation in IUCN’s governance;
• Participate in IUCN’s global policy engagement processes;
• Promote the recognition of rights in relation to lands and territories, natural and cultural resources;
• Promote the creation of a system of indigenous protected areas that strengthens the use, management and conservation of natural resources by indigenous peoples;
• Address issues related to cultural heritage;
• Address the rights and participation of indigenous women; and
• Support indigenous organisation institutional strengthening.