Mapping Indigenous Peoples in United Nations Environmental Process
Full report available in multiple languages below
Executive Summary
This report offers the first comprehensive mapping of the participation of Indigenous Peoples across global environmental movements, taking a specific look at United Nations’ policy and scientific processes related to climate change, biodiversity, desertification, and the environment. It examines the institutional presence and engagement of Indigenous Peoples within six core multi-lateral processes: the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). It deepens these findings with insights from an in-person Indigenous Gathering in Aotearoa/New Zealand and in-depth interviews with Indigenous leaders. Using this information, it proposes targeted recommendations to strengthen the participation and presence of Indigenous Peoples within global environmental movements.
Although Indigenous Peoples have been participating within the United Nations since 1923, progress on the institutionalization of Indigenous Peoples participation has largely accelerated following the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) in 2007. In the context of UN policy and scientific processes related to climate change, biodiversity, desertification, and the environment, this trend has continued. Concerted advocacy by Indigenous Peoples has led to the creation of the first Permanent Subsidiary Body related to the protection and preservation of traditional knowledge (Article 8J within the CBD), the operationalization of the only space between Indigenous Peoples’ and state representatives that upholds the values of equality and self-selection (the Facilitative Working Group of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform within the UNFCCC), and the creation of dedicated Caucuses to de-conflate the terms of Indigenous Peoples and of local communities (within the UNCCD). Despite these important wins, structural barriers– whether, procedural, logistical, and epistemic–persist within the UN system preventing Indigenous Peoples from fully achieving their visions of self-determination, as reaffirmed within the UN Declaration.
Reviewing the number of accredited Indigenous Peoples organizations within the UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD, UNEA, IPCC, and IPBES, as well as those Indigenous organizations that are accredited under multiple conventions, a helpful snapshot of the institutionalized presence of Indigenous Peoples emerges:
Accredited Indigenous Peoples organizations are a small fraction of overall accredited organizations (highest overall accredited organizations within the CBD).
The highest percentage of non-Indigenous accredited observers are from environmental non-government organizations, business-related organizations, and research institutions, often originating in the global North.
Among accredited Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, the regional distribution is different, with the highest representation from Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by North America and Asia. Limited representation exists from Africa, Pacific, Russia, and Arctic.
To amplify the presence of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Peoples’ Caucuses have been created, functioning with different levels of institutionalization and support, some for over a decade.
The implications of these findings are clear: Indigenous Peoples and their organizations are underrepresented and face significant, structural barriers to participate, including procedural and linguistic (accreditation, overreliance on English, etc.); logistical (high costs of accommodation, travel, visas, etc.); and epistemic and tokenistic (colonial spaces, etc.). These experiences are exacerbated by the specific context that Indigenous Peoples experience in their ‘national’ circumstances, including a lack of formal recognition and willingness to respect their rights. To address this, bridge the divide between international and national discussions, and to strengthen the cohesion and effective of an International Indigenous climate justice movement, four strategic priorities emerged:
Invest in training, mentorship, and capacity strengthening: Build sustained pathways for Indigenous leadership, with emphasis on youth engagement, technical expertise, and negotiation skills.
Develop technical positions and policies: Strengthen Indigenous-informed policy positions on issues such as climate finance, data governance, and biodiversity conservation.
Expand collaboration and partnership: Foster equitable relationships across civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector while safeguarding Indigenous rights and protocols.
Organize strategic convenings and solidarity actions: Create Indigenous-led spaces for cross-regional dialogue and coordination across environmental regimes.
The report concludes by reflecting on the clear limitations to the reliance on UN-processes for effective Indigenous Peoples’ participation and advocacy. An exploration of Indigenous Peoples and their regions from the seven UN socio-cultural regions is introduced as a future component of this research. Ultimately, this report underscores the essential role that Indigenous Peoples’ participation holds in global scientific and policy processes focused on the environment. This participation is not simply a question of inclusion, but of justice, knowledge, and survival. As the planet faces accelerating ecological and political crises, Indigenous Peoples’ visions of relationality, reciprocity, and responsibility offer transformative alternatives to extractive and colonial systems of governance. Strengthening Indigenous leadership in global processes is essential—not only for Indigenous Peoples, but for all future generations.
Please download to read the full report in English.
Other languages available below:
