Group of Friends principles and objectives

 Four main objectives:

- Information-sharing,
- Advocacy,
- Inclusiveness,
- Support.

The Group’s guiding principles:

- Providing cross-regional support to change attitudes towards Indigenous Peoples;
- Promoting a better understanding of the issues related to Indigenous Peoples, their food and knowledge systems, and the work of FAO.
- Sharing country experiences on Indigenous Peoples for food security and nutrition, including on Indigenous Peoples' agri-businesses along the food value chain in various sectors such as fisheries, forestry, biodiversity and tourism.
- Enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in UN meetings, such as the FAO Committees on Agriculture (COAG), Forestry (COFO) and Fisheries (COFI).
- Advocating for integration of issues related to Indigenous Peoples in ongoing policy discussions (e.g., zero draft of CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition to highlight the contributions of Indigenous Peoples' food systems), through coordinated cross-regional statements from the Group.
- Encouraging investments in Indigenous Peoples' food systems, such as through a potential FAO multi-donor trust fund (government donors, resource partners, private sector) for Indigenous Peoples’ activities and participation, through pilot projects.