The Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic could have serious effects on indigenous peoples’ wellbeing, livelihoods and health. FAO urges governments, academia, NGOs, international community and indigenous peoples authorities to take specific measures that ensure the respect to indigenous peoples’ rights during the pandemic and that includes an intercultural approach when dealing with the emergency, safety and health aspects of the response. Based on the UN Declaration of Indigenous Peoples Rights and on WHO messages, The FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit makes the following recommendations:

The overarching goals of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security are to achieve food security for all and support the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security. The Guidelines are meant to benefit all people in all countries, although there is an emphasis on vulnerable and marginalized people. The Guidelines serve as a reference and set out principles and internationally accepted standards for practices for the responsible governance of tenure. They provide a framework that States...

Chaired by Canadian Ambassador to Italy and Permanent Representative Alexandra Bugailiskis, the Informal Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples in Rome was launched at its first meeting that took place on 14 November 2019, at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in Rome. Seventeen FAO member countries participated in the first meeting of the Group of Friends of Indigenous Peoples with the main objective of advocating for Indigenous issues and to exchange experiences of work with Indigenous peoples.