We focus on defending indigenous peoples’ land rights, promoting inclusion in climate action and participation in local and international decision-making processes.
We focus on defending indigenous peoples’ land rights, promoting inclusion in climate action and participation in local and international decision-making processes.
Land rights
Loss of land and natural resources threaten the survival of indigenous peoples. IWGIA empowers indigenous peoples to operationalise territorial self-governance and advocate for securing their land rights. Read more about land rights here.
Territorial selfgovernance
Land grabbing undermines the economic security, sociocultural cohesion and human dignity of indigenous peoples around the world. So, indigenous peoples’ lands are vulnerable for natural resource exploitation. IWGIA supports that indigenous peoples are empowered to claim territorial self-governance.
Indigenous peoples often share collective land rights, but the ownership of land is not properly documented or officially recognised.
Therefore indigenous peoples’ lands are vulnerable for natural resource exploitation.
Land grabbing undermines the economic security, sociocultural cohesion
and human dignity of indigenous peoples around the world.
For indigenous peoples losing land means losing culture, history and identity.
The future of indigenous peoples depends on their inclusion in processes that affect their lives. IWGIA supports indigenous peoples in benefiting from human rights mechanisms and the UN system. Read more about global governance here.
Inclusion in global processes
The protection of indigenous peoples’ rights depends on their inclusion in processes that affect their lives and future.
IWGIA supports indigenous peoples in accessing and benefiting from the UN system and global agendas.
Indigenous peoples worldwide are organising themselves.
IWGIA has promoted inclusion of indigenous peoples' rights in the
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).
The linking of international commitments and national laws and is one of the biggest challenges for indigenous peoples.
IWGIA empowers indigenous peoples to flag their cases in relevant international forums and bring documentation to support their cases.
Indigenous peoples worldwide face the direct consequences of climate change. IWGIA promotes the inclusion of indigenous peoples in global, national and local climate action. Read more about climate action here.
Global climate action
The Paris Agreement and the Global Goals provide new opportunities for indigenous peoples.
IWGIA supports that the knowledge, experiences and rights of indigenous peoples will be
truly uncluded in international climate action.
Indigenous peoples live in our world’s most biodiversity-rich areas and rely on existing ecosystems.
Climate change disrupts indigenous peoples’ way of living and damage their livelihoods.
Indigenous peoples should, therefore, be heard and included in national climate action. And their contributions to climate mitigation should be acknowledged and respected.
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting, protecting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights. Read more.
Indigenous World
IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for indigenous peoples worldwide. Download here.
