Policy Guide for the ethical and equitable engagement of Indigenous Peoples and their Knowledge Systems within the UNFCCC

This policy guide was developed by means of a review of the relevant literature and a series of listening sessions with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives from the seven socio-cultural regions.

Indigenous Peoples are rights-holders under international law, with political, cultural, and legal authority over their territories, governance systems, and knowledge. Their lands, territories, and resources contain a substantial proportion of the world’s remaining biodiversity and critical carbon sinks, and their governance practices have sustained ecological integrity and resilience over generations.

Yet within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Indigenous Peoples continue to be treated primarily as observer organisations rather than being recognised as distinct rights-holders with clearly affirmed rights under international law. This misalignment between internationally recognised Indigenous Peoples’ rights and climate governance practice undermines both climate justice and the effectiveness of global climate action.

This policy guide addresses that gap.

It offers Parties a structured framework to move from symbolic inclusion and project-based engagement toward the systemic recognition of Indigenous Peoples as central actors in climate governance. It identifies the key barriers that currently constrain Indigenous Peoples’ participation and the rights-respecting approaches to engaging with Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS); showcases practices that demonstrate rights-based approaches; and sets out concrete, actionable recommendations for Parties, the UNFCCC Secretariat, constituted bodies, and climate finance institutions.