UNESCO advances engagement with Indigenous Peoples

UNESCO convened the official side event “Strengthening Engagement with Indigenous Peoples: Knowledge Systems, Languages, Policy and Practice” on 27 April 2026 during the twenty-fifth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York. Organized with Member States, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, United Nations mechanisms and partner entities, the event brought together Indigenous leaders, government representatives and representatives of international mechanisms, including the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), the International Indigenous Forum on World Heritage (IIFWH), the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) of the UNFCCC, the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and other international Indigenous experts, to help shape the ongoing update of UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples.

Opening the event, Eliot Minchenberg, Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office in New York, reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to dialogue grounded in equity, respect and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). He highlighted the importance of Indigenous languages, cultures and knowledge systems in responding to global challenges and emphasized that the resilience of UNESCO-designated sites is inseparable from the knowledge and stewardship of Indigenous Peoples. The discussions were moderated by Donna Mitzi Lagdameo (UNFCCC Secretariat) and Khalissa Ikhlef (UNESCO LINKS Programme).