Frequently asked questions
Indigenous Peoples
There is no one single definition of Indigenous Peoples at the international level that is applicable to all Indigenous Peoples' communities due to the rich diversity of groups between regions and countries. However, some criteria have been outlined - the most important being self-identification. On an individual basis, an indigenous person is one who self-identifies as belonging to a population of Indigenous Peoples populations (group consciousness) and is recognized and accepted by these populations as one of its members (acceptance by the group).”
Other criteria that have been internationally recognized and are included in the FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples are:
recognition by other groups, or by state authorities, as a distinct collectivity;
priority in time (i.e., having the earliest historical continuity), with respect to occupation and use of a specific territory;
the voluntary perpetuation of cultural distinctiveness, which may include aspects of language, social organization, religion and spiritual values, modes of production, laws and institutions;
an experience of subjugation, marginalization, dispossession, exclusion or discrimination, whether or not these conditions persist.
There are Indigenous Peoples in all regions of the world. Indigenous Peoples live mainly in Asia and the Pacific (more than 70 percent of the world’s Indigenous population).
As defined by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Indigenous Peoples divide the world into seven socio-cultural regions: Africa; Asia; Central and South America and the Caribbean; the Arctic; Central and Eastern Europe, Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia; North America; and the Pacific.
Not all. Some pastoralist peoples self-identify as Indigenous Peoples, according to the criteria outlined above (see FAQ, “Who are Indigenous Peoples?”), in which case, they can benefit from all mechanisms that are in place for Indigenous Peoples.
There are an estimated 120 million pastoralists worldwide, living mainly in lower- and middle- income countries. These include encompassing nomadic pastoralists, transhumant pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and others. They often live under challenging conditions, mostly in arid and semi-arid rangelands or lands that suffer from extreme seasonal frost, snow and drought. In some cases, the challenges they face and a lack of respect for their rights put them in situations of vulnerability similar to those faced by many Indigenous Peoples.
Pastoralists are also recognised stewards of conserving rangeland biodiversity and protecting ecosystem services. Their livelihoods depend upon their intimate knowledge of the surrounding ecosystem and on the well-being of their livestock.
Customary or traditional land tenure systems, extensive land use and production, mobility or freedom of movement, flexibility, adaptability and resilience strategies are at the heart of pastoralism, which are a vital response to unique ecological challenges and provide solutions for more sustainable and equitable development.
The Pastoralist Knowledge Hub is an initiative hosted by FAO, bringing together pastoralists and the main actors working with them to join forces and create synergies for dialogue and pastoralist development. For more information about the Hub, visit: www.fao.org/pastoralist-knowledge-hub/en/.
FAO and Indigenous Peoples
Consistent with its mandate to pursue a world free from hunger and malnutrition, in 2010, FAO adopted its Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples to ensure that the Organization will make all due efforts to fully consider and promote Indigenous Peoples' issues in relevant work.
The central purpose of the policy is to provide a framework to guide FAO’s work with respect to Indigenous Peoples. It provides information about Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods, worldviews and concerns about development, including certain core principles that should be at the heart of joint activities. The policy also defines a series of thematic areas where collaborative opportunities are most feasible. At the same time, a number of mechanisms are suggested that will allow cooperation with Indigenous Peoples to move forward in a more systematic way.
See the FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples at: www.fao.org/publications/card/en/c/2ead5dd4-4fa1-46ef-9a3e-d6296fe39de9/.
The Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI), within the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU), is the focal unit for Indigenous Peoples in FAO. The Unit ensures the coordination of FAO’s work on Indigenous Peoples issues, mainly through the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples Food and Knowledge Systems and the Rome Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples.
PSUI also coordinates FAO’s participation in the United Nations Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).
FAO has also set up an FPIC Task Force (see section on Free, Prior and Informed Consent) and a network of focal points from FAO relevant Regional and Country Offices working on Indigenous Peoples’ issues (see www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/focal-points/en/).
Contact the team at [email protected] for more information
The Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) leads the work of FAO with Indigenous Peoples to:
- Implement the 2010 FAO Policy on Indigenous Peoples in compliance with the 2007 UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP);
- Provide strategic advice and advocacy guidance on Indigenous Peoples to FAO senior management, decentralised offices and technical divisions; and
- Work with member countries, Indigenous Peoples, academic and research institutions to bridge the gap between evidence sharing and policy making.
PSUI holds the Secretariat of the:
- Global Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ food systems (31 members and 2 collaborators)
- Rome Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples (43 countries)
More details on the pillars of work can be found here: http://www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/ourpillars/en/.
- UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum (UNGIYF)
Indigenous Peoples and their food and knowledge systems offer many lessons for resolving world food security. Indeed, recent scientific evidence and development-based nutrition have shown that Indigenous Peoples' foods are particularly nutritious, climate-resilient and adapted to their environment, making them a good source of nutrition in climate challenged areas.
The agricultural, hunting, gathering, fishing, animal husbandry and forestry practices of Indigenous Peoples often encompass economic, environmental, social and cultural considerations. Many Indigenous Peoples’ have developed knowledge systems, technologies and institutions for the sustainable management of local biodiversity.
Mobilizing the expertise that originates from this heritage and these historical legacies is an important resource for addressing the challenges facing food and agriculture today and in the future.
FAO and Indigenous Peoples’ representatives decided to organize an informal caucus of seven Indigenous Peoples’ focal points to help FAO implement the joint work plan in the respective regions. If you are interested in collaborating with FAO to implement this work plan, contact us ( [email protected]).
For those interested in working on Indigenous Peoples-related issues (including food security and nutrition; rights to land, territories and natural resources; free, prior and informed consent; and others), contact [email protected] or the FAO Indigenous Peoples’ focal point in your region ( www.fao.org/indigenous-peoples/focal-points/en/).
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)
Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is a right that pertains to Indigenous Peoples throughout the world, and has emerged as an international human rights standard based on the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and to their lands, territories and resources properties.
FPIC allows Indigenous Peoples to give or withhold consent to a project that may affect them, giving Indigenous Peoples the chance to negotiate the conditions under which the project will be designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated. Once given, consent can be withdrawn at any stage. Indigenous Peoples can also choose not to pursue an FPIC process; this decision should be respected, and no further contact should be established.
- Free refers to consent given voluntarily and without coercion, intimidation or manipulation. It also refers to a process that is self-directed by the community from whom consent is being sought, unencumbered by coercion, expectations or timelines that are externally imposed.
- Prior means that consent is sought sufficiently in advance of any authorization or commencement of activities, at the early stages of a development or investment plan, and not only when the need arises to obtain approval from the community.
- Informed refers mainly to the nature of the engagement and type of information that should be provided prior to seeking consent and also as part of the ongoing consent process.
- Consent refers to the collective decision made by the Indigenous rights-holders and reached through the customary decision-making processes of the affected peoples or communities. Consent must be sought and granted or withheld according to the unique formal or informal political-administrative structures of each community. Indigenous Peoples must be able to participate through their own freely chosen representatives, while ensuring the participation of youth, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities as much as possible.
FAO has reviewed its Environmental and Social Management Guidelines and Project Cycle, which now makes FPIC compulsory, hence projects are not allowed to go ahead without the implementation of an FPIC process in situations where Indigenous Peoples, their lands, territories or resources may be affected.
To this end, FAO developed a Free, Prior and Informed Consent Manual for Project and Programme Implementation, which provides practical guidance for field practitioners in relation to engagement with Indigenous Peoples, flagging FPIC as good practice when working with local communities.
United Nations and Indigenous Peoples
There are three UN bodies that specifically focus on Indigenous Peoples:
- The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
- The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)
- The Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Human Rights Council requests that UNPFII, EMRIP and the Special Rapporteur to carry out their tasks in a coordinated manner.
These three bodies meet annually to coordinate their activities and share information. Representatives of the UNPFII usually attend the annual session of EMRIP and representatives of the Expert Mechanisms usually attend the Permanent Forum, while the Special Rapporteur attends the annual sessions of both the UNPFII and the EMRIP.
The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), with the mandate to discuss Indigenous Peoples' issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights. UNPFII is also mandated to:
- provide expert advice and recommendations on Indigenous Peoples' issues to the Council, as well as to programmes, funds and agencies of the United Nations, through the Council;
- raise awareness and promote the integration and coordination of activities related to Indigenous Peoples' issues within the United Nations system;
- prepare and disseminate information on Indigenous Peoples' issues.
UNPFII has 16 members, eight of whom are nominated by the member governments, and the other eight directly by Indigenous Peoples' organizations, who are appointed by the President of ECOSOC. The Permanent Forum met for the first time in 2002. During its annual two-week sessions, it reviews and assesses the work of the United Nations system related to Indigenous Peoples and their rights. It considers issues with respect to its mandate, including human rights. It also identifies a specific theme as the overall framework for its sessions, alternating with a review every other year.
Since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007, the Permanent Forum has focused on the implementation of the Declaration and carries out its mandate keeping this in mind. It also focuses on a specific region each year as a means of highlighting the situation of Indigenous Peoples in that region and the challenges they face.
For more information, see: www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2.html
The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) was established in 2007 by the Human Rights Council, of which it is a subsidiary body. It is composed of five experts on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, usually one from each of the world’s five geopolitical regions.
EMRIP’s mandate is to provide the Human Rights Council with thematic expertise, mainly in the form of studies and research, on the rights of Indigenous Peoples as directed by the Council. EMRIP may also make proposals to the Council for its consideration and approval, within the scope of its work, as set out by the Council.
For more information, see: www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Pages/EMRIPIndex.aspx
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples is a special appointment of the Human Rights Council. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established in 2001 by the Commission on Human Rights and renewed by the Human Rights Council in 2007. The Special Rapporteur reports to the Human Rights Council each year.
The Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, inter alia:
- examines ways and means of overcoming obstacles to the full and effective protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, in conformity with his/her mandate, and identifies, exchanges and promotes best practices;
- gathers, requests, receives and exchanges information and communications from all relevant sources, including governments, Indigenous Peoples and their communities and organizations, on alleged violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- formulates recommendations and proposals on appropriate measures and activities to prevent and remedy violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples;
- works in close cooperation and coordination with other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Council, in particular with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, relevant United Nations bodies, the treaty bodies and regional human rights organizations.
In fulfilling this mandate, the Special Rapporteur: assesses the situation of Indigenous Peoples in specific countries; carries out thematic studies; communicates with Governments, Indigenous Peoples and others concerning allegations of violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights; and promotes good practice for the protection of these rights. The Special Rapporteur also reports annually to the Human Rights Council on particular human rights issues involving Indigenous Peoples and coordinates work with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The current United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples is Francisco Cali Tzay, appointed by the Human Rights Council in 2020.
For more information, visit:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-indigenous-peoples
The main and foremost international instrument is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), approved in 2007. This United Nations Declaration is largely based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention 169, which is also one of the main international standards adopted.
There are also other highly important conventions that address issues concerning biological and cultural diversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and various United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) instruments.
1. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the UN General Assembly by 147 countries on 13 September 2007. The UNDRIP recognizes the rights that “constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world” (Article 43), thereby helping to reverse Indigenous Peoples’ historical exclusion from the international legal system.
The Declaration sets the highest international standard on protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, reflecting the commitment of the United Nations Member States to move in this direction. See the Declaration here: at: www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
2. International Labour Organization’s Convention 169
As at 2024, ILO Convention 169, also known as the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention 1989 (No. 169), had been ratified by 24 countries. It is the primary international document recognizing the aspirations of Indigenous Peoples concerning their own economic and political institutions, economic development, and maintenance of their identities, languages, religions, values and customs. This Convention ensures Indigenous Peoples’ control over their legal status, internal structures and environment, and guarantees them rights to ownership and possession of the whole environment they occupy or use.
For more information, see: https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:55:0::NO::P55_TYPE,P55_LANG,P55_DOCUMENT,P55_NODE:REV,en,C169,/Document
3. The Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international agreement established by the United Nations. It was signed by 150 governments in 1992 at the Rio Summit with an aim to preserve biological diversity around the world. The CBD has three main objectives: to conserve biodiversity; to enhance its sustainable use; and to ensure an equitable sharing of benefits linked to the exploitation of genetic resources.
The Programme of Work on the implementation of Article 8 (j) and related provisions of the CBD states that “access to traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities should be subject to prior informed consent or prior informed approval from the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices”.
Read more about the CDB at www.cbd.int/.
4. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
The key contribution of Indigenous Peoples to the cultural diversity of this planet has been recognized in various United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) instruments, spearheaded by the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.
For information, see: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001271/127162e.pdf.