Rights of indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples have unique, distinctive cultures, languages, legal systems and histories. They share a strong connection to their land and have developed a rich body of traditional knowledge that enriches us all.

However, across the Asia Pacific and around the world, indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable and marginalised peoples.

Indigenous peoples share legacies of forced removal and relocation from their traditional lands, cultural destruction, discrimination, exclusion from decision-making processes and widespread human rights violations.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007, was a milestone achievement, representing more than 20 years of collaboration and negotiation between indigenous peoples, governments and human rights experts.

The challenge is to make its core principles - self-determination; participation in decision-making; respect for and protection of culture; and equality and non-discrimination – an everyday reality for indigenous peoples.

National human rights institutions in the Asia Pacific are working alongside indigenous communities to advance their rights and to promote respect – by government, business and others – for the principles in the Declaration.

Our members use their education, complaint handling, advisory and investigation functions to promote and protect the rights of indigenous peoples.

A number have also undertaken ground breaking national inquiries on indigenous peoples' right to land.

Many use their unique standing with United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms to directly advocate on violations of the rights of indigenous peoples in their countries.

In 2015, the APF launched a new blended learning training course on the rights of indigenous peoples to provide practical support to our members in their important work.