Respecting, including and promoting Indigenous Peoples’ issues

29/04/2021

The 20th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (19–30 April 2021) has been an opportunity to browse through some of FAO’s publications on issues affecting Indigenous Peoples.

FORTHCOMING (MAY 2021): Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems: Insights on sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change
This publication, co-published by FAO and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, includes a compilation of eight Indigenous Peoples food systems' profiles carried out across the world. Attention is given to their climate resilience and sustainability elements, portraying Indigenous Peoples’ food systems contributions to the global debate on sustainable food systems.

The Indigenous World 2021 – book by the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)
According to this year’s edition – which includes an article on FAO – throughout 2020, Indigenous Peoples were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they proved their resilience by setting up their own networks and solutions, connecting communities to help transfer information and goods, and implementing traditional methods of protection. The publication also highlights the creation of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems to inform the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. 

FORTHCOMING (MAY 2021): White/ Whipala Paper: Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems
As requested by Indigenous Peoples, the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems led the drafting of the White/ Whipala Paper: Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems – a technical document, submitted to the Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit and approved as a technical document to inform the UN Food Systems Summit. This paper incorporates inputs from more than 50 Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations and presents the characterization of Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems.

Sustainable Development Goal 16 & Indigenous Peoples’ Collective Rights to Land, Territories & Resources
Criminalisation and violence towards Indigenous Peoples are even more worrying in times of pandemics, when they are already in a more vulnerable situation due to the virus and the lack of effective access to health services, as well as lowered protection in laws and regulations that apply to Indigenous Peoples. This document, presented at this year’s UN Permanent Forum, provides an insight on the criminalisation of and violence against Indigenous Peoples.

Forest governance by Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: An opportunity for climate action in Latin America and the Caribbean
This report proposes a set of investments and policies to reactivate the economies of Indigenous and tribal territories, while ensuring collective territorial rights, expanding compensation for environmental services and revitalizing Indigenous Peoples’ culture and traditional knowledge. This publication is also available in a device-friendly format.

Territorial management in Indigenous matrifocal societies
Case studies on the Khasi, Wayuu, Shipibo-Conibo and Moso peoples
This publication  brings together four case studies on Indigenous societies with a matrilineal or matrilocal social organization system, seeks to contribute to the understanding of the territorial management systems of Indigenous Peoples and their close relationship to political and social organization systems.

COVID-19 and Indigenous Peoples
This document provides a series of recommendations to governments on how to face COVID-19 impacts on Indigenous Peoples, including insuring their health through health assistance, and establishing short-term social protection measures and  specific funds targeting Indigenous Peoples’ issues.

FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples 
The purpose of this policy document is to provide FAO with a framework to guide its work on Indigenous Peoples by supporting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169 (Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989), the most powerful and comprehensive international instruments recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Free Prior and Informed Consent: An Indigenous Peoples’ right and a good practice for local communities
This manual provides information about the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and how it can be incorporated into projects and programmes, ensuring that Indigenous Peoples’ rights are respected. 

Further reading

• #indigenous women, visible women – Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger
• Women’s land rights and agrarian change: Evidence from indigenous communities in Cambodia
• Indigenous women, daughters of Mother Earth
• Forest governance by indigenous and tribal peoples: An opportunity for climate action in Latin America and the Caribbean
• Respecting free, prior and informed consent – Practical guidance for governments, companies, NGOs, indigenous peoples and local communities in relation to land acquisition
• Indigenous food systems, agroecology and the Voluntary Guidelines on tenure
• Indigenous peoples' food systems & well-being
• Indigenous peoples' food systems: the many dimensions of culture, diversity and environment for nutrition and health
• Indigenous and Tribal peoples: Building on biological and cultural diversity for food and livelihood security
• The Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and Indigenous Peoples
• Shifting cultivation, livelihood and food security: New and old challenges for indigenous peoples in Asia

Other forthcoming titles

• Labelling and certification schemes for Indigenous Peoples' foods
• Compendium of community and indigenous strategies for climate change adaptation. Focus on addressing water scarcity in agriculture
• Empowering indigenous forest-dependent communities to manage and monitor forest resources

Additional resources

FAO Indigenous Peoples website