UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples visits Denmark and Greenland

IWGIA welcomes the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, to Denmark and Greenland from 10-19 March.
IWGIA welcomes the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, to Denmark and Greenland from 10-19 March.
Agnes Karao Mgema, from the Parakuyo patoralists group in Tanzania, took the floor. She is the chair of Nalepo, a community based organisation that has mobilised their community to support girls from families that failed to take them to school, as well as those who were forced to drop out and
...The situation for Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh in many ways echoes the situation of other Indigenous Peoples in Asia: they face heavy militarization; they are stigmatized as anti-national for wanting to be included in decisions affecting their lives – such as industrial development taking
...This fact-finding mission report looks into human rights violations as well as abuses in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) of Nepal. following recent reports by BuzzFeed, The Kathmandu Post and other media, as well as other organisational reports, claiming the World Wide Fund for Nature
...The transition from the use of traditional energy sources to renewable energy solutions is rapidly becoming a necessity if humanity is to address the climate emergency we face. However, this pursuit cannot happen at the expense of human rights, including the loss of land, livelihoods and rights
...How can indigenous peoples survive the dismantling of public policies and rights acquired by decades of work in Brazil? This process, resulting from setbacks to democracy, as described by the authors, shows that this is an emergency situation. There is a need to seek alternatives and for
...IWGIA’s latest human rights report examines the sociocultural impacts two particular projects – the Lake Turkana Wind Power project and Olkaria Geothermal Power plants – are having in several Indigenous communities in Kenya.
On Human Rights Day, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights together with the ...
If we calculate all the risks, 90 million Adivasis are struggling for their survival, losing access to forests and suffering the gravest threat of being alienated from their forest lands and traditional habitations.
This book is an attempt to understand the relationship between Adivasis
...“We will surrender our lives but not our land, hills and forests,” says representatives of Datobeda village, Jharkhand, India
IWGIA participated in the first part of the 65th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ in Gambia (21/10-10/11) and participated in a side-event on how to strengthen the voice of indigenous peoples and communities in Africa and in the ACHPR. We also supported a member of the
...In the current global economic consensus of neoliberalism, maximizing profit is prioritized on behalf of respecting international human rights regulations. Ensuring multinational enterprises implement adequate corporate responsibility in Peru has been troublesome. This report describes issues
...On Friday 9 August, the world marks the International Day of Indigenous Peoples. The day celebrates the significant progress and achievements worldwide for indigenous peoples and their rights.
København – 29. juli: I sidste uge blev en 68-årige leder af Waiãpa folket fundet død i en flod nær hans landsby i det nordlige Brasilien. Drabet skete samtidig med, at omkring 50 guldgravere – heraf nogle svært bevæbnet – er blevet spottet i Waiãpernes lukkede reservat. Drabet er et nyt
...Emyra Waiãpi, a 68-year-old indigenous leader, was stabbed to death last week as around 50 gold miners, a dozen of whom were heavily armed, entered the remote Waiãpi indigenous reserve in the northern Brazilian state of Amapá, which borders French Guiana, reported multiple Brazilian and
...pubThe world today faces many challenges: a global climate and biodiversity crisis, rising inequality, shrinking civic space in many countries, and increasing distrust in international institutions and national political systems. Indigenous peoples make up five percent of the world’s population
...The global rush for natural resources is one of the biggest threats against indigenous peoples’ as they often live in remote areas which are still rich on natural resources. Unfortunately, indigenous peoples are increasingly being criminalised – or even killed – when defending their rights. In
...The report on the current state of Indigenous Peoples’ Lands, Territories and Resources (LTR) was prepared by the Indigenous Peoples Major Group (IPMG) to inform the implementation of global commitments to Sustainable Development and the various related processes for transformational change. It
...Rising tensions between states and indigenous peoples are reaching a tipping point, and with an ever-shrinking civic space worldwide, the topics of criminalisation of Indigenous Rights Defenders’ activities and their organisations; land rights issues; and access to justice are more important
...Press release: On 24 April 2019, at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York, IWGIA will release The Indigenous World 2019, an extensive, one-of-a-kind yearbook presenting a comprehensive, global overview of the developments indigenous peoples’ experience.
On 23 March 2019, more than 150 Fulani pastoralists were killed in their village in Ogossagou in Mopti region in central Mali. The attack started at dawn and was carried out with guns and machetes in a brutal manner. Men and women, young and old were killed, and the victims included many
...Informes alternativos para el 3er Ciclo del Examen Periódico Universal del Estado de Chile: principales afectaciones a los derechos humanos referidas a Naciones Originarias, personas migrantes, niñez y adolescencia, sexualidades y géneros, violencia institucional y derechos
...At least 43 percent of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world today are endangered. Many of these belong to indigenous peoples and if something doesn't change soon, UNESCO predicts that we will lose as many as 3,000 indigenous languages by the end of this century. In an effort to raise public
...Recent reports by UN experts and human rights organisations document an alarming increase in violent attacks against and criminalisation of indigenous peoples defending their rights to their traditional lands and natural resources.
The 4th and 5th of March, IWGIA participates in the conference "Claiming Civic Space Together" in Copenhagen, and you are invited too.
The solidarity statement in favour of recognising the Cek Bocek community as an indigenous people made by the participants at Asia Peoples Pact’s IPHRD Exchange held November 2018 in Indonesia.
Millions of people may soon become trespassers on their own land due to a newly amended land use law in Myanmar. The Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law covers almost a third of the country’s territory, most of which is located in traditional indigenous/ethnic areas. IWGIA is greatly
...Human rights defenders are dying, attacked and criminalized all over the world. This is happening at an increasingly alarming rate. In 2017, over 400 people were killed while protecting their community’s land or natural resources. Approximately half of these were indigenous peoples. The
...I 2017 blev over 400 miljø- og menneskerettighedsforkæmpere dræbt og heraf er cirka halvdelen oprindelige folk. I anledning af IWGIA's 50års jubilæum sætter IWGIA's administrerende direktør Julie Koch fokus på den stigende kriminalisering af oprindelige folk.
IWGIA and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) has together submitted this statement to draw attention to the worsening cases of violence against indigenous women at the UNSCW committee. Read the full statement in the following part.
2018 er året hvor International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) kan fejre 50 års jubilæum i vores forsvar af oprindelige folks rettigheder. På denne side kan du finde flere informationer af, hvad vi har opnået og hvilke trusler som oprindelige folk står overfor den dag i
...This year the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) celebrates 50 years of defending indigenous peoples' rights and we want to share with you some of the facts we are proud of and some of the issues that affect the world's 370 million indigenous peoples.
One day in March 2018, indigenous human rights activist and former member of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Joan Carling, woke up to the news that she had been placed on a terrorist list by the Duterte administration in the Philippines, together with over 600
...In the Far East of Russia, the indigenous Udege people have for decades fought to protect their land with support from IWGIA. In July, their long struggle was finally rewarded as an area nearly four times the size of Yosemite National Park has been awarded World Heritage Status.
IWGIA fully supports the press release published by the Indigenous Peoples Major Group that strongly condemns the persistent and gross human rights violations committed in Colombia and express solidarity with the indigenous peoples in the country.
The 9th of August is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples and this page provides a brief overview of the most important international agreements related to indigenous peoples and some general facts about indigenous peoples.
In July 2018, The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) had its 11th session and IWGIA was present and made a statement about the worrying tendencies of an increased criminalization of indigenous environmental and human rights defenders. Read the full statement in this
...The Indigenous World 2018 finds that one of the biggest global threats against indigenous peoples is land-grabbing. Indigenous peoples in Nepal are experiencing this first hand as their livelihood is threatened when they are evicted from their ancestors’ land due to large-scale investments and
...The rising tensions between states and indigenous peoples are reaching a tipping point and The Indigenous World 2018 adds to the documented records, highlighting the increase in attacks and killings of indigenous peoples while defending their lands. The
...Indigenous leaders and UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Ms. Tauli-Corpuz have been put on a terror list, issued by Philippines State Prosecutor, February 21st.
Knowledge generation is an important foundation for increasing understanding and for pushing for change. In this database, you can find all of our resources, which include books, manuals, briefings, human rights reports and urgent alerts.
...En 2003, la Commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples (CADHP) a constitué un Groupe de travail sur les Populations/Communautés en Afrique (le Groupe de travail), chargé de conseiller la Commission sur les questions relatives aux droits des populations/communautés autochtones sur
...In 2003, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) established the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa (WGIP) with the responsibility to advise the Commission on matters relating to the rights of indigenous populations/communities on the continent. In
...BULLETIN ÉLECTRONIQUE PAR LE GROUPE DE TRAVAIL SUR LES POPULATIONS ET COMMUNAUTÉS AUTOCHTONES
NOVEMBRE 2017 / NUMÉRO 1
La voix des autochtones est un bulletin électronique annuel publié par le Groupe de travail sur les populations et communautés autochtones (le GTPA ou le Groupe
...UPDATES FROM THE WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS IN AFRICA
NOVEMBER 2017 / ISSUE 1
The Voice of the Indigenous is an annual e-newsletter of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities (WGIP) of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the
...INVESTIGACIÓN: Un nuevo informe temático de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) presenta y sistematiza las principales problemáticas a las que se enfrentan las mujeres indígenas en las Américas.
Desde 1968, IWGIA ha cooperado con organizaciones indígenas e instituciones internacionales para
...Cuando decide apoyar nuestro trabajo, está contribuyendo a promover y proteger los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en el mundo. Tanto si desea hacer una donación única, aportar una donación mensual o hacerse miembro de IWGIA, le agradecemos su apoyo.
IWGIA comparte noticias, alertas urgentes, hojas informativas, investigación, estudios, libros e informes elaborados por nuestro equipo de expertos y aliados.
Cada año informamos sobre la situación de los pueblos indígenas en todo el mundo. Nuestro anuario, El Mundo Indígena, documenta el estado de los derechos de los pueblos indígenas en países de todos los continentes, con informes exhaustivos elaborados por expertos,
...The negotiations of the Paris Rule Book are critical to ensuring that the promises made in the Paris Agreement will be met – including the commitment of governments to respect, protect, and take into consideration existing human rights obligations.
This yearbook gives a comprehensive update on the current situation of indigenous peoples and their human rights situation across the world, and offers an overview of the most significant developments in international and regional processes relating to indigenous peoples during
...Standing tall, head held high, her dignity on full display. That’s the image of an empowered indigenous woman confronting discrimination and violence, saying “enough is enough” to the tragic impact of extractive industries and other development projects in her ancestral territories. The play of
...Indigenous women and girls are the most vulnerable group in Bangladesh. They face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination due to their gender, ethnicity, language, religion, class and geographic location.
The Samburu are a Nilotic community who reside in Northern Kenya. One cultural practice among the Samburu community is Girl-Child Beading. This practice sanctions a non-marital sexual relationship between Samburu men in the ‘warrior’ age group and young Samburu girls (usually between the ages
...This briefing note call attention to the ongoing situation of harassments and arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders in Loliondo in northern Tanzania.It offers an account of the recent events taking place in the area and background information. IWGIA believes that these developments are a
...This urgent alert is based on the forceful evictions of Maasai pastoralists from their homes and grazing lands in Loliondo Division, Ngorongoro District in Northern Tanzania and the gross human rights violations that are being committed. The eviction operation started on the 4th July 2009 and
...The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) addresses in this report State obligations with regard to extraction, exploitation, and development activities concerning natural resources. Through the implementation of its monitoring mechanisms, the Commission has consistently received
...This yearbook gives a global update on the current situation of indigenous peoples and their human rights and provides an overview of the main developments that have affected indigenous women and men in the course of 2015. In 54 country specific reports and 12 articles on international
...This book is dedicated to all the indigenous tribal women and men of India who have sacrificed their lives to protect 'Mother Earth', indigenous identity and culture; to martyrs of the freedom movement; to the thousands of innocent women, men and children who are victims of violence in the
...This report looks at the situation of the Tshwa San living in western Zimbabwe. Information on this small indigenous minority group has so far been limited. Due to unique social and cultural barriers, the Tshwa face a number of constraints and challenges that need to be dealt
...The report explores the evictions of pastoralists and other conflicts over pastoralists’ land in Tanzania, with focus on the past decade.
Although most of these evictions and land based conflicts have been documented, the associated human and legal rights violations have increasingly
...The fact that energy projects are green does not necessarily mean they accept and protect internationally-recognised human rights norms.
This report documents the adverse impact of Kenya’s goal to develop its renewable energy sector on indigenous peoples. It looks particularly at the
...Dedicated to the martyrs of Saranda Forest, who have sacrificed their lives to protect their ancestral land, territory and resources.
This book and the Saranda issue it highlights are of greatest national significance. Gladson Dungdung has performed a profound service by writing
...In the Philippines, diversity within commonality among indigenous peoples is in itself a very complicated situation. Moreover, indigenous peoples understand their rights enshrined in laws more as violations than enjoyment, while local State authorities find difficulty in bridging the gap of
...WE ARE BLAANs
The Blaan is among the 18 major indigenous peoples in Mindanao, collectively referred to as Lumads. They number about 450,0001 concentrated in the mountain ranges of South Cotabato (100,000) and Davao del Sur (95,000) with the third largest but considerably
In early 2013, a working group under the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights undertook research on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in Tanzania. For the duration of two weeks, a delegation formed by the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities met with
...Seven years after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, The Indigenous World 2015 looks at the most significant developments and setbacks for indigenous peoples’ rights at the national and international level during the previous year and at indigenous peoples’
...In early 2015, Maasai and Datoga citizens living in the Morogoro region of Tanzania were victims of deadly, ethnic violence. According to reports from local media, the assaults were instigated by public figures interested in acquiring land, and state authorities have not intervened to protect
...The book addresses cases from each of these continents, examining the experiences of Indigenous peoples with access to remedy when their human rights are affected by corporate activities. By drawing from these experiences it seeks to inform the actions of corporate and State actors in relation
...The present study aims to assess the poverty levels of the various indigenous groups in Nepal. It was developed to address the lack of existing disaggregated data and statistics on the socio-economic status of Nepal’s many indigenous groups. By presenting data on a broad set of socio-economic
...This diverse collection of essays and articles emerged from a workshop held in Oslo in March 2012, hosted by the Norwegian Center for Human Rights and the University of Oslo. The purpose of the workshop was to gather memories of how the international community had decided to examine the
...This handbook provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions on how to document human rights violations, particularly indigenous peoples’ collective rights, and use the data gathered for advocacy.
This book includes 20 case studies of World Heritage sites from around the world and relevant background articles. The case studies explore and document, from a human rights perspective, indigenous peoples’ experiences with World Heritage sites and with the processes of the World Heritage
...Women – both indigenous and non-indigenous – have actively engaged in international and national REDD+ processes to raise their concerns regarding the potential negative impact of REDD+ on women, and to assert their right to equally participate in negotiations, planning and implementation of
...This report examines the human rights situation of the 41 indigenous peoples living in the Northern and Asian territories of the Russian Federation. While their historical homelands account for two-thirds of the territory of contemporary Russia, these people number a little over 250,000
...Indigenous peoples constitute 5 % of the world’s population but 15 % of the world’s poor. They make up around 1/3 of the world’s extremely poor rural population. Many lack access to, control over and suffer pollution of their water resources, severely damaging their health, livelihood and
...The universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda are crucial for indigenous peoples as they will determine the direction of global sustainability and development efforts over the coming decade. Indigenous peoples make up more than 370 million people
...Many of the areas of highest biological diversity on the planet are inhabited by indigenous peoples. The current and accelerating climatic and environmental changes threaten indigenous peoples’ basis for existence around the world. The post-2015 development agenda offers a unique opportunity to
...Recommendations for the Full Respect of their Human Rights
Prepared by the Rapporteurship on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Inter-America Commission on Human Rights The western hemisphere is home to the largest number of indigenous peoples living in
...This report is the result of a monitoring visit to assess IWGIA’s support to promoting and defending indigenous peoples’ rights in the new constitution and beyond. Indigenous peoples in Nepal, known as adivasi janajati, have for centuries experienced systematic discrimination and
...In June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP). These principles form the first globally-agreed framework for preventing and addressing adverse human rights impacts linked to business activities. While the UNGP do not
...This discussion paper traces the evolution of the concept of indigenous peoples in the UN system and aims at giving a better understanding of why the concept of indigenous peoples is relevant in an Asian context. Due to the lack of a definition of ‘indigenous peoples’ and the fact that the
...This report examines selected cases of violence against women and girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in 2011 and 2012. It also discusses relevant legal contexts and, based on four key principles, provides recommendations to the government and civil society to address violence against
...Indigenous women face a range of problems related to the violation of their rights. This note focuses on the causes and how they can be addressed in the post-2015 development agenda. It has been prepared by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) in collabo-ration with
...Indigenous peoples lack behind on health. The post-2015 development agenda offers a unique op-portunity for indigenous peoples to address what they see as key concerns and priorities. The paper is intended as a discussion paper for stakeholders in the post-2015 process and reflects on the
...If indigenous peoples are to enjoy their universal right to education, there are a number of constraints and concerns that need to be addressed. The post-2015 development agenda offers a unique opportunity for indigenous peoples to address what they see as key priorities and the way forward for
...The post-2015 development framework poses a unique opportunity to address the critical governance issues that are affecting indigenous peoples. This note has been prepared by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)1 in collaboration with Tebtebba. The note is intended as a
...The 2014 edition contains a comprehensive update on the current situation of indigenous peoples in 73 articles written by indigenous and non-indigenous scholars and activists.
The book provides 58 country reports and 15 articles on international processes, reflecting ongoing worldwide
...Professor of Law, Gudmundur Alfredsson writes about the first edition of Land Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Africa: "It is not only a first-class academic presentation but also a practical one, including a series of conclusions and recommendations that are highly relevant to any
...This book reveals that the majority of South East Asian countries already have plural legal systems and to some extent custom is recognized as a source of rights in the constitutions and laws of a number of them. National and international courts have affirmed indigenous peoples' customary
...This report on the Southeast Asia Consultation on Development, Access to Justice and the Human Rights of Indigenous women is intended as a material to be used by indigenous women, advocates, policy-makers and the public for the promotion, protection and respect of the rights of indigenous women
...This guide is a tool for advocacy work and community actions. It focuses on the Asian Development Bank Safeguard Policy Statement of 2009 (ADB 2009 SPS) particularly its safeguard requirements for Indigenous Peoples. In addition, it features the ADB Accountability Mechanism of 2012 and contains
...This briefing paper is prepared as part of the advocacy of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) for the respect, protection and recognition of the human rights of indigenous women. In this paper, the focus is on access to justice for indigenous women in Southeast Asia facing
...The briefing paper analyses how gender relations in Asian indigenous societies have undergone and continue to undergo changes in response to external factors. Finally it draws conclusions and recommendations based on addressing problems through empowering indigenous women in traditional
...This briefing note, published by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and Forest Peoples Programme, is intended to develop discussion and thought about the complexity of the challenges of violence against indigenous women and girls. Work being done by indigenous women’s organisations in Asia
...IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting and defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Read more.
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IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Read The Indigenous World.
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