The Indigenous World 2026: UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples is part of the Human Rights Council’s system of Special Procedures. These are independent human rights experts with mandates to assess, report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. The mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, celebrating its 25^th year of existence this year, monitors situations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights worldwide, addresses individual allegations through communications, undertakes country visits, issues thematic and country reports and promotes good practices. It was last renewed by the Council in September 2025 (HRC res. 60/4^[1]).

The current Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert K. Barume, was appointed by the Human Rights Council in December 2024 and took office on 1 January 2025. Dr. Barume is an expert in international human rights law from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a former Chairperson of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as former Expert on Indigenous Peoples’ issues for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He is the first person from Africa to hold this mandate.

He is assuming his mandate in a highly challenging global environment marked by unprecedented challenges to human rights as universal values, the questioning of multilateralism, a new scramble for strategic or transition mineral, and defunding of the UN – particularly programmes focussed on human rights, equality, and social inclusion.

This article is part of the 40^th 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

2025 Thematic Studies

Recognition of Indigenous Peoples (A/HRC/60/29^[2])

The Special Rapporteur dedicated his first report to the Human Rights Council to States’ obligations to recognise Indigenous Peoples as distinct rights-holders under international law. This choice was informed by ongoing challenges experienced by numerous States, particularly within Asia and Africa, in effectively implementing the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The report recommends that States implement three cumulative sequential steps to fully recognise Indigenous Peoples in accordance with international law.

First, a State must acknowledge the specific historical injustices experienced by Indigenous Peoples as the foundation for their rights protected under the UNDRIP, which aims to promote equality and inclusive societies. By doing so, a State ensures that Indigenous Peoples enjoy all rights on an equal footing with other citizens. This is not about putting Indigenous Peoples into a privileged position. In taking this action, the Special Rapporteur emphasises that the State would be endorsing the term “Indigenous Peoples” as a human rights concept. When a community self-identify as Indigenous Peoples, it is essentially seeking remedies for historical injustices grounded in racial discrimination, including the loss of ancestral lands and dangers to their cultural identity.

Secondly, a State should enact formal constitutional or legal provisions that explicitly incorporate international standards concerning Indigenous Peoples' rights into its domestic legal system. Some countries have met this objective through constitutional amendments, while others have enacted specific Acts of Parliament in conjunction with national policies or directives. The Special Rapporteur clarified that Indigenous Peoples' rights are inherent, originate from international law, and are binding on States; recognition does not establish these rights.

Finally, a State should take legal or administrative steps to clearly identify or distinguish Indigenous Peoples from other social groups. Indigenous Peoples should not be regarded simply as minorities, economically disadvantaged/poor groups, or marginalised communities. They constitute distinct groups who have experienced, or continue to experience, particular human rights violations that have profound dehumanising effects and result in intergenerational trauma. This is precisely why the Special Rapporteur advised against conflating Indigenous Peoples with local communities. It is important to recognise that not all local communities have experienced these specific human rights violations. To that end, the Special Rapporteur recommends that “States [and all stakeholders] should refrain from conflating Indigenous Peoples with local communities. When both terms are used in documents, a footnote should be included to clarify that the use of the term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ next to the term ‘local communities’ does not imply that the two groups enjoy the same rights under international law.”

Indigenous Peoples’ lands, territories and resources: interim report (A/80/181^[3])

This interim report submitted by the Special Rapporteur to the 80^th session of the General Assembly, focuses on Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their lands, territories, and resources. It affirms that Indigenous Peoples’ land, territory and resource rights are inherent, derive from self‑determination and non‑discrimination, include full property rights, and are permanent, and therefore not subject to temporal limitations. These rights underpin culture, food, health, and livelihoods. States must recognise customary ownership, provide restitution for dispossession, and ensure free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), rejecting regressive doctrines such as Brazil’s marco temporal.

Rising demand for Indigenous territories, due to carbon markets, conservation targets, and the transition‑minerals boom, has intensified persecution of Indigenous Peoples’ land rights defenders. The report links killings, harassment, and prosecutions to the opposition to projects advanced without FPIC. It calls for robust safeguards so that climate and biodiversity action do not reproduce land grabs under a “green” label.

The Special Rapporteur's land report further demonstrates the connection between Indigenous Peoples' territories and both national and international security. The report highlights that numerous Indigenous Peoples reside on or near international borders. Their territories are frequently subject to forced occupation by extremist and armed groups, as well as international trafficking networks involved in drugs and migration. Indigenous Peoples’ territories are also often at the centre of major geopolitical interests. These factors have led numerous States to militarise Indigenous Peoples’ territories. Often, Indigenous communities are perceived not as victims of outside occupation, but as collaborators or supporters of State adversaries. As a result, they are excluded from security systems and frequently face criminalisation.

The Special Rapporteur calls for a paradigm shift through a new approach that sees value in the enhanced self-determination of Indigenous Peoples over their territories and recognises them as partners in both national and international security. Their extensive traditional knowledge of their lands and institutions is a valuable resource that States can use to build sustainable security. He invites consideration of a Security Council resolution on Indigenous Peoples and international security.

Country visit: Botswana (September 2025)

The Special Rapporteur conducted his first country visit to Botswana,^[4] in Africa. He held meetings with the President, senior officials and Indigenous communities in Gaborone, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and multiple settlements. He welcomed a marked policy shift: high‑level political will, an Inter‑Ministerial Committee, signals on lifting subsistence‑hunting bans, and concrete gestures such as authorising the burial of a San elder on ancestral land. He encouraged a strategic, budgeted plan and urged ratification of ILO Convention No. 169 to anchor reforms. A full report is anticipated for the Human Rights Council in September 2026.

The Special Rapporteur found that misconceptions about the human-rights meaning of “Indigenous Peoples” persist, fuelling stigma and obstructing equality before the law. Many self‑identified communities reject the term “Basarwa” as derogatory and are seeking recognition either as “Indigenous Peoples” or by ancestral names. He noted cross‑border realities and called for facilitation of cultural links with neighbours. Constitutional and legal recognition emerged as the top Indigenous priority; officials also acknowledged setbacks, including the 2005 removal of a protective constitutional clause. Formal apology and alignment with international standards were flagged as good practices to consider.

The Special Rapporteur noted three urgent issues on lands and livelihoods: people relocated from customary lands into settlements with inadequate services and deep social harm; San families living as de facto squatters on private farms without public services; and Central Kalahari Game Reserve returnees lacking essential services to make return viable. While a new Community-Based Natural Resource Management bill could help, communities reported weak representation and top‑down control. He urged service provision in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, restitution or equivalent land for relocatees, and reforms that secure customary tenure and benefit‑sharing.

Structural exclusion compounds rights gaps. Indigenous institutions and chiefs lack recognition in the Bogosi/House of Chiefs system; access to justice is impeded by the absence of court interpreters; languages face steep decline; and the education model, especially remote hostels, exposes girls to exploitation and drives drop‑outs. The Special Rapporteur urged a redesign of the Remote Area Development Programme from a rights‑based approach and with disaggregated data, action on labour exploitation and child labour on private farms, and adoption of robust FPIC frameworks as extractive and energy projects expand. He invited regional and donor support to match Botswana’s stated intent with implementation.

Regional legal teams to bring the mandate closer to Indigenous Peoples

To address today's global challenges, the Special Rapporteur has made changes to the mandate. Notably, he has formed regional legal teams of young Indigenous lawyers for the first time, adding them to his external technical team. Teams have been established in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and a fourth team is currently being organised to cover the remaining regions globally. Their role is to respond more quickly to communications, complaints, and requests from Indigenous Peoples within their regions. Each legal regional team includes a senior lawyer and two young Indigenous lawyers. These teams have been formed with three connected goals in mind. First, these regional teams will strengthen Indigenous Peoples' ability to defend their territories, especially as global demand for transition minerals and energy rises. Second, the regional legal teams will help bring the mandate of the Special Rapporteur closer to Indigenous communities. Third, they will offer young Indigenous lawyers valuable firsthand experience of the work of the Special Rapporteur.

Communications and press releases

During 2025, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, jointly with other mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, sent 49 communications^[5] to Member States and other actors in response to information received on alleged violations of the human rights of Indigenous Peoples. These communications on cases are included in the Special Procedures’ joint communications report, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, and publicly available online in the Special Procedures communications database.

For example, in a communication sent to Indonesia^[6] on 25 September 2025, the Special Rapporteur raises grave concerns about systemic violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. These include the State’s continued non‑recognition of self‑identified Indigenous Peoples, the erosion of autonomy and protections in West Papua following the 2021 revision of the Special Autonomy Law, the revival of transmigration with risks of cultural and demographic harm, and the human rights impacts of National Strategic Projects, extractive and “green” energy initiatives carried out without FPIC, often amid militarisation and repression of peaceful protest. It documents emblematic cases: the nickel mining expansion on Kabaena island affecting the Bajau people, the dispossession of the Cek Bocek (Berco) in Sumbawa, exclusion from conservation under Law No. 32/2024, the criminalisation of land defenders, and existential threats to Indigenous Peoples in isolation, while linking these patterns to breaches of UNDRIP and core human rights treaties. The letter requests detailed government explanations and corrective measures across several points, from aligning laws and ensuring FPIC to protecting Indigenous Peoples and defenders, enforcing Constitutional Court No. 35/2012, and regulating business. It urges immediate interim steps to halt violations and ensure accountability.

Furthermore, in a communication sent to Panama^[7] on 5 November 2025, the Special Rapporteur expressed concerns at allegations received of systematic human rights violations against Indigenous Peoples during social protests that began in April 2025. It describes a State response marked by a state of emergency in Bocas del Toro with suspension of constitutional guarantees (including habeas corpus), internet/telecom restrictions, and the 1,300‑officer “Operación Omega” leading to excessive force, arbitrary arrests, torture, sexual violence, criminalisation, and hate speech against Indigenous leaders, alongside the denial of FPIC and the deactivation of dialogue mechanisms. The letter documents specific incidents, raids and abuses in Ngäbe‑Buglé and Emberá‑Wounaan territories, emblematic gender‑based violence, mass dismissals of Indigenous banana workers, and threats to Indigenous fishers’ subsistence and access to traditional islands.

In 2025, the Special Rapporteur further used press outreach to amplify urgent protection gaps and policy priorities. Early in the year, he welcomed the United States’^[8] decision to grant clemency to Indigenous leader, Leonard Peltier, underscoring long‑standing due‑process concerns and the need for humane treatment of ageing detainees. During COP30^[9] in Belém, he joined UN experts in urging human rights‑based climate action aligned with international legal obligations and later condemned a deadly attack against Guarani and Kaiowá communities in Brazil,^[10] calling for protection, investigations and the finalisation of demarcation. He also welcomed Norway’s^[11] precautionary pause on deep‑sea mining licences until 2029 as a win for oceans, climate stability and Indigenous cultural rights, emphasising the precautionary principle and the need for robust safeguards.

Collaboration with UN entities and regional human rights bodies

Throughout 2025, the Special Rapporteur deepened the mandate’s cooperation with UN mechanisms and regional bodies in order to advance Indigenous Peoples’ rights. He engaged the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) at its 24^th session in New York, delivering a statement in the human rights dialogue, participating in side events and media programmes, and holding bilateral meetings. He urged stronger recognition, protection from criminalisation, and better resourcing of UN mechanisms; he also recommended scheduling the human rights dialogue during the Forum’s first week to maximise participation and impact. He later took part in the 18^th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva, where he also delivered a statement at the plenary and participated in side events and meetings.

At COP30 in Belém, working with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat and fellow UN Special Procedures, the Special Rapporteur co‑signed a joint experts’ call for human rights‑based climate action aligned with international law and engaged Presidency‑led dialogues to foreground Indigenous Peoples’ FPIC, participation, and land rights across mitigation, adaptation and just transition agendas. The Special Rapporteur also addressed the Indigenous Peoples’ Forum at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, reinforcing the centrality of self‑determination and food sovereignty in UN programming.

At the regional level, the Special Rapporteur engaged the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) during its 83^rd session in Banjul and met the Commission’s Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities and Minorities in Africa. He further briefed the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, calling for EU policies that uphold FPIC and align the green transition with international standards. He also worked with different regional presences of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to convene issue‑focussed exchanges: with Kanak representatives via the OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific, and with Eastern African Indigenous and civil society organisations via OHCHR Nairobi.

This article was written by the current Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert K. Barume. He is an expert in international human rights law from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a former Chairperson of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as former Expert on Indigenous Peoples’ issues for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. He is the first person from Africa to hold this mandate.

This article is part of the 40^th 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] Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 6 October 2025, A/HRC/RES/60/4, 6 October 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/60/4

^[2] Recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Albert K. Barume, A/HRC/60/29, 7 August 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/60/29

^[3] Rights of Indigenous Peoples Note by the Secretary-General, A/80/181, 17 July 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/A/80/181

^[4] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “UN expert calls for stronger protections for Indigenous Peoples in Botswana,” 12 September 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/un-expert-calls-stronger-protections-indigenous-peoples-botswana

^[5] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Communication report and search. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TmSearch/Mandates?m=26,286

^[6] “Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples; the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change; the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism,” 25 September 2025. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30378

^[7] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Mandatos del Relator Especial sobre la promoción de la verdad, la justicia, la reparación y las garantías de no repetición; del Relator Especial sobre ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias; del Relator Especial sobre los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas y del Relator Especial sobre las formas contemporáneas de la esclavitud, incluidas sus causas y consecuencias,” 3 November 2025. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30457

^[8] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “Special Rapporteur welcomes presidential clemency for indigenous leader Leonard Peltier,” 24 January 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/special-rapporteur-welcomes-presidential-clemency-indigenous-leader-leonard

^[9] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “COP30 must advance human rights-based climate action in accordance with International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion: UN experts,” 10 November 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/cop30-must-advance-human-rights-based-climate-action-accordance

^[10] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “UN experts condemn deadly attack on Guarani and Kaiowá Indigenous Peoples in Brazil,” 20 November 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/un-experts-condemn-deadly-attack-guarani-and-kaiowa-indigenous-peoples

^[11] UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. “UN experts commend Norway decision to postpone deep-sea mining licensing,” 15 December 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/12/un-experts-commend-norway-decision-postpone-deep-sea-mining-licensing

Tags: Global governance