The Indigenous World 2026: Indigenous Navigator: Self-Determined Development
The Indigenous Navigator[1] is an online portal providing access to a set of tools developed by and for Indigenous Peoples. By using the Indigenous Navigator, Indigenous organisations and communities, duty bearers, NGOs, journalists and others can access the national and community surveys that are used to collect data on the situation of Indigenous Peoples. The data collected in the surveys can be used to advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and to systematically monitor the level of recognition and implementation of these rights. By documenting and reporting their own situations, Indigenous Peoples can enhance their access to justice and development.
The Indigenous Navigator framework encompasses over 150 structure, process, and outcome indicators that monitor central aspects of Indigenous Peoples' civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), ILO Convention 169 (ILOC169) and other relevant human rights instruments. In addition, the framework enables monitoring of the Outcome Document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Three new thematic modules[2] on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence have been developed[3] and will be available for public use on the Indigenous Navigator portal in 2026. The surveys are developed in close consultation with Indigenous Peoples and their representatives and thus informed by the experiences of Indigenous Peoples. The new modules continue to use the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) human rights indicator methodology to facilitate a human rights-based monitoring.
The Indigenous Navigator, initiated in 2014, has been developed and carried forward by a consortium consisting of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), Tebtebba – Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education (Tebtebba), the Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This consortium currently works in partnership with the European Commission.
This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here
Collecting disaggregated data about the situation of Indigenous Peoples
Throughout 2025, and with financial support from the European Commission and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Indigenous Navigator partners have continued to collect data from across Asia, Africa and Latin America.[4] In 2025, a total of five community surveys and four national surveys were completed and published.[5] This brings the total number of published, public[6], community surveys to 325 and national surveys to 37 covering 30 countries.[7],[8]
The Indigenous Navigator not only serves as a tool to collect disaggregated data; it also makes it possible to compare the data from the national and community surveys to identify implementation gaps between the Indigenous rights a country has committed to uphold and how effectively these commitments are being met in practice. As the comparable data across countries and regions are gathered through the Indigenous Navigator, the global situation of Indigenous Peoples is documented and used to advocate for respect of their rights.
In 2025, the Indigenous Navigator tools have been expanded and diversified with new modules to cover specific details on critical emerging thematic domains identified as priorities within the international Indigenous Peoples movement. The three new modules focus on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Human Rights, and Environmental Due Diligence.
In addition to the data collection using the primary surveys, the new modules on Climate Change and Biodiversity were piloted at national and community levels. The Climate Change survey was piloted In Nepal and Bangladesh and the Biodiversity survey was piloted in Colombia, Peru and Indonesia.[9] The experiences from the pilot processes provided critical Indigenous-led field testing, significantly strengthening the usability, contextual relevance, and practical application of the survey tools. The new modules will be implemented by allied organisations and Indigenous communities from 2026 onwards.
International advocacy through the Indigenous Navigator
In 2025, the Indigenous Navigator organised a series of side events where partners and Indigenous Peoples representatives presented project outcomes as well as their perspective on the use of the Indigenous Navigator’s tools on the ground. As part of this, Indigenous representatives engaged in key fora and conversations concerning the role of data generation in the context of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
The Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development (IPMG).[10] member of the Indigenous Navigator Steering Committee, has continued to advance recognition of community‑based data initiatives, including the Indigenous Navigator, as key mechanisms for generating rights‑based and community‑owned data. IPMG actively engaged with the UN Collaborative on Citizen Data,[11] contributing substantive inputs to the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data,[12] adopted in 2025. Their engagement stressed the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty (Principle 8), the right of Indigenous Peoples to control their own data (Principle 7), and the need to uphold Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in all data‑related processes. IPMG also called for the creation of a technical working group focused specifically on improving data disaggregation by ethnicity, a longstanding gap in global and national statistical systems. This momentum has contributed to a broader and growing movement among Indigenous Peoples working to strengthen Indigenous‑led approaches to data governance and sovereignty.
IPMG attended and presented the Indigenous Navigator at the 2025 Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Conference, held in Canberra, Australia, from 31 March to 3 April 2025.[13] The conference brought together a diverse community of Indigenous data practitioners and experts who shared initiatives aimed at reclaiming control over data related to their peoples, territories, and governance systems. The Indigenous Navigator presentation highlighted tools, community experiences, and lessons learned on Indigenous‑driven data collection, management, and use in global advocacy processes.
The 24th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)[14] convened experts, advocates, and Indigenous leaders at the UN Headquarters in New York from 21 April to 2 May 2025. On 21 April, the Indigenous Navigator side event “Monitoring the implementation of the UNDRIP: experiences, reflections and challenges using the Indigenous Navigator tools and framework” was held. Through the panel discussion, speakers from the Philippines, Kenya, Bangladesh, Suriname, and Sápmi presented firsthand accounts of using the Indigenous Navigator to document and drive local initiatives. The discussions provided a critical platform for sharing lived experiences, data-driven insights, and reflections on the challenges Indigenous Peoples face in asserting their rights. Further, the event underscored the role of the Indigenous Navigator tools and framework in gathering disaggregated data, empowering communities, and advancing evidence-based advocacy for Indigenous rights. During her closing remarks, Tove Søvndahl Gant, member of the UNPFII, emphasised that the Indigenous Navigator empowers communities by identifying priority issues, addressing climate change impacts, facilitating government dialogue, and highlighting gaps in national data to advocate for state accountability on fundamental human rights.
Following the invitation to the Indigenous Navigator during the 23rd session,[15] the global coordinator of IPMG delivered a statement on behalf of the Indigenous Navigator during Agenda Item 3 of the 24th session on the theme “Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges”. She presented the Indigenous Navigator and highlighted that the data collection process, coupled with discussions and reflection within the communities, had become an eye opener on the history and struggles of their community. Further, she highlighted that analysis of the data from community surveys indicates a lack of recognition of the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples to their lands, territories and resources, a lack of access to basic services as well as a lack of FPIC on matters that affect Indigenous Peoples. She emphasised that the Indigenous Navigator is an Indigenous-led initiative to advance not only data governance and sovereignty but also Indigenous self-determined development.[16]
The Global Land Forum 2025 (GLF) took place in Bogotá, Colombia from 15-20 June 2025.[17] It was preceded by the inaugural Global Indigenous Land Forum (GLF-IP) held in Kwet Kina, Cauca, Colombia from 13-15 June 2025. During the GLF-IP and GLF, the Indigenous Navigator provided support to Indigenous partners, input towards the Indigenous Declaration adopted by the GLF-IP and later the GLF within the Bogotá declaration, and organised a breakout session entitled “Indigenous Navigator: A Tool to Monitor the Implementation of Indigenous Peoples rights” as a Lab during the GLF. The Lab attracted a full room and developed into a broader discussion about the use of data in advocacy, and particularly in relation to the lands, territories and resources of Indigenous Peoples. The GLF adopted the Kwet Kina Declaration,[18] a powerful rights-based manifesto demanding full recognition of Indigenous Peoples' land rights and autonomy.
The UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia-Pacific was held on 15-19 September 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand.[19] Approximately 40 Indigenous delegates participated in the Forum. On 18 September, in collaboration with Tebtebba and DIHR, AIPP convened a spotlight session entitled “Indigenous Navigator: Environmental and Human Rights Due Diligence with a Focus on Indigenous Peoples”.[20] The session, attended by approx. 100 persons, aimed to raise awareness of the importance of Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence (HREDD) in the context of business activities affecting Indigenous Peoples and their territories while promoting the use of Indigenous-led data in environmental and human rights due diligence processes. Speakers from the consortium partners—AIPP, DIHR, and Tebtebba—introduced the new HREDD module and explained how this module can be used alongside community-based tools to monitor due diligence processes at the local level. The event generated significant interest among participants. Many expressed their interest in conducting due diligence surveys in their communities, and several Indigenous Peoples’ representatives showed enthusiasm for learning how to implement the Indigenous Navigator survey.
The 4th Asia Environmental Human Rights Defenders’ (EHRD) Forum, themed “Conservation, Biodiversity and Human Rights”, took place from 27-29 October 2025, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.[21] The Forum was convened by the OHCHR, UN Environment Programme, and UN Women, together with co-organising partners, among others AIPP. A parallel Indigenous Navigator session on “Legal Frameworks and Grievance Mechanisms for Access to Justice” took place on 28 October. The session explored the legal frameworks and grievance mechanisms that protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and their EHRDs. It also introduced the Indigenous Navigator framework. The session was co-organised by Indigenous Navigator partners—AIPP, The Inter‑Mountain Peoples Education and Culture in Thailand Association (IMPECT), Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP), Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), IWGIA, and the Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders Asia Network. IWGIA presented how the Indigenous Navigator supports advocacy for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and how it advances access to justice, and discussed ongoing support for the initiative, emphasising the Indigenous Navigator’s role in promoting the recognition and implementation of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and ensuring access to justice. Moreover, an engagement space was organised in the afternoon session on 28 October for participating organisations. AIPP and its partner organisations shared the background and activities of the Indigenous Navigator with the audience.
The side event entitled “Data by and for Indigenous Peoples: Community-Based Monitoring and the Global Review of KMGBF Implementation”[22] was held on 23 October 2025 during the 27th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-27)[23] in Panama City. Hosted by the Indigenous Navigator consortium, the event took place in the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Group meeting room and was attended by approximately 150 participants. The purpose was to demonstrate how Indigenous-led data frameworks such as the Indigenous Navigator and other Community-Based Monitoring and Information Systems (CBMIS) contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), particularly headline indicator 22.1 and complementary indicators under Targets 1, 3, 21, and 22. Speakers included representatives from FPP, Comisión Nacional de Territorios Indígenas (CNTI), International Land Coalition (ILC), Tebtebba and IWGIA, with opening remarks by a representative from the European Commission. The event highlighted the role of Indigenous data in global biodiversity reporting, the importance of equitable data partnerships, and the need for Indigenous Peoples’ full participation in the global review process.
Further, the side event entitled “Community-Based Monitoring of Biodiversity and Human Rights: The Indigenous Navigator’s Biodiversity Module”[24] was held on 28 October 2025, during the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions (SB8(j)-1), also in Panama City. The event was organised by FPP and IWGIA in collaboration with CNTI, PINGOs Forum, IMPECT, AIPP and Tebtebba. The event focused on the Indigenous Navigator’s Biodiversity Module and its application in community-based monitoring. During the panel discussion, a representative from CNTI shared their experience of piloting the Biodiversity Module in Colombia, emphasising how Indigenous-led data collection informs national biodiversity strategies and strengthens territorial governance. The session highlighted the role of Indigenous Peoples in monitoring biodiversity and human rights, and how their data can inform KMGBF implementation. The event also addressed the conditions enabling equitable data partnerships, integration of traditional knowledge indicators, and the importance of safeguarding Indigenous data sovereignty.
The conference “Standing up for Democracy & Rights: Working together to turn hope into action” took place in Copenhagen on 6 and 7 November 2025.[25] In collaboration with the International Civil Society Centre (ICSC) and IWGIA, DIHR organised a Skill and Capacity Lab workshop on the “Use of citizen-generated data for more inclusive decision-making”. The workshop's purpose was to present the Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data (recently endorsed by the UN Statistical Commission, and a process in which the Indigenous Navigator has been involved since 2019) and showcase best practice examples of collecting citizen data. The conference was organised by Nyt Europa and co-organisers in the context of the Danish EU Presidency, aiming to examine how rights, civil society, and the rule of law can defend democratic governance.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – Conference of the Parties (COP) 30, was held in Belém, Brazil in November 2025.[26] The Indigenous Navigator side event “How Indigenous Communities Use Data, Technology, and Human Rights Analysis to Advance Indigenous Environmental Stewardship and Apply the Indigenous Navigator Climate Change Module” took place at the Indigenous Peoples’ Pavilion on 12 November.[27] The event introduced the newly developed Climate Change Survey, which is designed to assess how national frameworks uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples in climate responses, including state obligations to prevent foreseeable harm in line with international human rights standards. The session highlighted insights from recent surveys piloted in Bangladesh and Nepal—and demonstrated how community-generated data can strengthen rights-based advocacy and promote sustainable climate solutions.
Community-led projects, fostering sustainable and self-determined growth
The Indigenous Navigator’s small grants facility provides target Indigenous communities with financial support to define and design projects addressing concrete needs identified through the analysis of the data from the community surveys. These projects are based on the Indigenous communities’ own cultural values, traditional knowledge, and their visions for their own self-determined development, providing support for their own solutions to the most pressing issues. Between 2023 and 2025, 38 community-led projects were developed and implemented by Indigenous communities.[28]
In December 2025, the Indigenous Navigator consortium signed an agreement with the European Commission to support implementation in 25 countries from 2026 to 2028.[29]
Ena Alvarado Madsen, Advisor, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) and coordinator of the Indigenous Navigator.
This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here
Notes and references
[1] Indigenous Navigator. https://indigenousnavigator.org/
[2] Each module includes a national and a community level survey, comparative matrix of the relevant international instruments, guidance and tutorials.
[3] Madsen, Ena Alvarado. “The Indigenous Navigator: Self-Determined Development” in The Indigenous World 2025, edited by Dwayne Mamo, pp 690-698. Copenhagen, Denmark: International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), 2025. https://iwgia.org/doclink/iwgia-the-indigenous-world-2025-eng-online/eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJpd2dpYS10aGUtaW5kaWdlbm91cy13b3JsZC0yMDI1LWVuZy1vbmxpbmUiLCJpYXQiOjE3NDU2MDk2MDQsImV4cCI6MTc0NTY5NjAwNH0.hgvJa9yhC_tm7rH3QUg5awj7j468f2mbhOhNbVRiQUU
[4] Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, and Uganda.
[5] The Indigenous Navigator’s partners have conducted two cycles of data collection (in 2017/18, 2022/23).
[6] Surveys go through a thorough review process, including uploading, review, revision, approval and publishing. This process is separate from the determination made by the communities with their FPIC on whether the surveys should be public.
[7] The Indigenous Navigator portal hosts national and community level surveys. Data collection in 26 countries is conducted with financial support from the European Commission. Data collection in 4 countries was done with funding from other donors.
[8] The number of completed surveys uploaded to the portal is higher. Some Indigenous communities that have applied the community survey have decided not to make their survey publicly available.
[9] The piloting in Nepal was financed by the EC, the piloting in Bangladesh was financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the piloting in Peru, Colombia and Indonesia was financed by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
[10] Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development. “Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development.” n.d. https://indigenouspeoples-sdg.org/index.php/english.
[11] United Nations Statistics Division. “United Nations Collaborative on Citizen Data.” n.d. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/citizen-data.
[12] United Nations Statistics Division. The Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data (v1.0). 2025. https://unstats.un.org/UNSDWebsite/citizenData/events/The-Copenhagen-Framework-on-Citizen-Data-v1.pdf.
[13] Reconciliation Australia, “Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Conference 2025,” 2025, https://www.reconciliation.org.au/global-indigenous-data-sovereignty-conference-2025/#:~:text=The%20Global%20Indigenous%20Data%20Sovereignty%20%28GIDSov%29%20Conference%202025,future%20pathways%20and%20aspirations%20for%20the%20next%20decade.
[14] United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, “24th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues,” n.d., https://social.desa.un.org/issues/indigenous-peoples/unpfii/24th-session.
[15] Madsen, Ena Alvarado. op. cit. 3.
[16] United Nations, “UN Web TV: United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Twenty‑Fourth Session, Item 3,” video, 2025, 15:40, https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1b/k1bg5ic49y
[17] International Land Coalition, “Global Land Community Sets Sight on Colombia for 2025 Global Land Forum,” 2025, https://www.landcoalition.org/en/latest/global-land-community-sets-sight-on-colombia-2025/
[18] International Land Coalition, “Kwet Kina Declaration by Indigenous Peoples,” 2025, https://www.landcoalition.org/en/latest/kwet-kina-declaration-by-indigenous-peoples/
[19] United Nations, “Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum,” n.d., https://www.rbhrforum.com/
[20] United Nations, “Indigenous Navigator: Environmental and Human Rights Due Diligence with a Focus on Indigenous Peoples,” Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia‑Pacific, n.d., https://www.rbhrforum.com/indigenous-navigator
[21] Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “4th Asia Environmental Human Rights Defenders Forum 2025,” 2025, https://bangkok.ohchr.org/aehrdf2025
[22] Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), “Data by and for Indigenous Peoples: Community‑Based Monitoring and the Global Review of KMGBF Implementation,” official side event at the twenty‑seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA‑27), Panama City, 23 October 2025, https://www.cbd.int/side-events/6795
[23] Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), “Twenty‑Seventh Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA‑27) and the First Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (SB8J‑1), 20–30 October 2025, Panama City, Panama,” 2025, https://www.cbd.int/conferences/panama-2025.
[24] Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), “Community‑Based Monitoring of Biodiversity and Human Rights: The Indigenous Navigator’s Biodiversity Module,” official side event at SB8(j)‑1, Panama City, 28 October 2025 https://www.cbd.int/side-events/6814
[25] Democracy and Rights Hub, “Democracy and Rights Hub,” Nyt Europa, 2025, https://www.nyteuropa.dk/democracy-and-rights-hub
[26] United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), “COP 30 – Belém, Brazil,” n.d., https://unfccc.int/cop30
[27] International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), “COP 30 Programme”. 2025, https://www.iipfccpavilion.org/cop30-programme/host-organisation-description-speakers-languages?rq=Navigator
[28] Indigenous Navigator. “Small Grants | Indigenous Navigator”. n.d. https://indigenousnavigator.org/taxonomy/term/531. See news articles on the Indigenous Navigator website for each project.
[29] European Commission, “EU Strengthens Support for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights with New €7 Million Package,” 9 December 2025, https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/eu-strengthens-support-indigenous-peoples-rights-new-eu7-million-package-2025-12-09_en#:~:text=The%20package%20includes%20%E2%82%AC5%20million%20for%20the%20Indigenous,supported%20the%20initiative%20since%20its%20launch%20in%202014.
Tags: Global governance
