Over the past 20 years, the WGIP has collaborated with a wide range of actors, first and foremost with representatives of Indigenous populations/communities. A strong collaboration and partnership with the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) was initiated in 2000 and developed over the years, with IWGIA providing essential financial and technical resources to support the work of the WGIP.
From the very start, therefore, an effective three-way partnership between the WGIP, African Indigenous representatives and IWGIA underpinned the mandate of the WGIP. A progressive conceptual framework emerged and placed Indigenous rights firmly on the continental agenda.
This publication presents and celebrates the legacy of the WGIP’s work between 2000 and 2020. The first part highlights how the three-way partnership valued, enabled and ensured Indigenous consultation and participation. The second shows how the WGIP acted as a driver in setting regional human rights standards. The third presents an overview of the awareness and sensitisation activities that were carried out to promote Indigenous rights and how they brought about change in several countries.
This report is informed by and builds on a study commissioned by IWGIA that involved conducting a series of interviews with people closely involved with the work of the WGIP over the 20-year period.
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs - is a global human rights organisation dedicated to promoting and defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Read more.
