Indigenous People’s rights

Leaders of Indigenous Peoples from the global south assert their right to self-determination

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Published: February 11, 2025
This Article was written by: Katie Hill - My Green Pod
climate change, farming, food, human rights, indigenous, policy

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Main image: ©IFAD, Francesco Cabras

As the international community grapples with unprecedented uncertainty and increasing fragmentation, Indigenous People’s leaders from the global south are gathering (10-11 Feb) in Rome to assert their right to self-determination in their efforts to achieve food security and sovereignty – despite the climate crisis and geopolitical upheaval.

The Seventh Global Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPFI) is a consultative gathering of Indigenous People’s organisations, IFAD and governments, hosted at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) headquarters. The gathering has taken place biannually since 2013.

‘The right to self-determination is fundamental: there can be no food sovereignty or security without the protection of Indigenous territories.

‘Strengthening indigenous governance and recognising the value of traditional food systems are essential steps toward a sustainable and equitable future for all.’

MYRNA CUNNINGHAM
President of the Center for Autonomy and Development of Indigenous Peoples

Climate action

Despite being among the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the climate crisis, climate finance isn’t working for Indigenous Peoples.

They often lack access to funding to adapt to a changing climate and to build resilience to shocks.

Indigenous leaders stake a claim in the pressing need for climate finance that is tailored to their unique challenges and own solutions.

Their self-driven development initiatives can foster climate action towards a more sustainable world, where people and the planet can thrive in harmony.

‘Indigenous People’s right to self-determination is a fountain-right from which flow many other rights, including the right to food and to food sovereignty. Food sovereignty means that Indigenous Peoples should be in control of their own food production and practices, including as a way to pass on culture, knowledge, values, beliefs and sense of belonging. This may also entail a restoration of Indigenous People’s pride in their traditional foods, which was assaulted and destroyed by colonisation.’

ALBERT K. BARUME
Newly appointed Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples

Monsignor Fernando Chica Arellano, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, read a letter from Pope Francis: ‘Land, water, and food are not mere commodities but the very foundation of life and the bond between these peoples and nature. Defending these [Indigenous People’s] rights is not just a matter of justice but a guarantee of a sustainable future for all.’

Ending hunger & poverty

The seventh global meeting of the IPFI brought together 42 delegates from 35 different Indigenous Peoples in 30 countries.

The meeting took place ahead of IFAD’s annual Governing Council (48th session), the highest decision-making body of the only international financial institution and specialised agency in the UN system, where all 180 IFAD Member States will meet to discuss how to scale-up investments in rural areas to eradicate hunger and poverty by 2030.

The IPFI follows a series of regional meetings to capture the diversity of perspectives and recommendations from Indigenous People’s representatives around the world. The Forum serves as a platform for policy oversight, guiding IFAD’s strategic direction and resource mobilisation.

‘Our policy now states very clearly that IFAD works with Indigenous Peoples as equal partners to co-create strategies and design and monitor investments.’

ALVARO LARIO
President of IFAD

The IFAD President stressed the Fund’s commitment to support Indigenous Peoples to actively lead climate projects grounded in their traditional knowledge, identities and cultural values.

Indigenous People’s rights

With an overall investment of $3.2 billion, nearly 40% of IFAD’s portfolio supports Indigenous People’s communities directly, ensuring that projects seek free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) in design and implementation.

IFAD’s executive board approved 14 projects that prioritise Indigenous People’s issues during the last three-year replenishment cycle (2022–2024), exceeding the initial target, set for the first time ever, of 10 projects.

Since the new Policy on Engagement with Indigenous Peoples was approved in December 2022, IFAD has made significant progress in its engagement with Indigenous Peoples. Guided by the update policy, the international financial institution supports the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF), with projects in 42 countries, reaching 53 Indigenous People’s groups.

IPAF is part of IFAD’s focus on enhancing Indigenous People’s access to climate and biodiversity finance, building resilience and strengthening their leadership and participation in global environmental agendas.

‘The realisation of Indigenous People’s rights to self-determination, food security and sovereignty requires that we challenge our mindset.

‘This means, in part, actively questioning the inherited systems that reinforce inequalities and injustices, and also taking action where needed.’

ALVARO LARIO
President of IFAD