INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ADVOCACY PROGRAM
As an NGO in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Images for Inclusion is a leading voice for Indigenous Peoples' rights on the international stage. Through our Indigenous Peoples Rights Advocacy Program, we actively participate in United Nations conferences, dedicated to securing the recognition, protection, and promotion of these fundamental rights. This program involves:
Preparing comprehensively: This involves in-depth study, legal advisories, and direct consultation with Indigenous Peoples. This process crucially ensures compliance with the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), thereby ensuring advocacy is informed and representative.
Delivering impactful statements: Compelling written and oral statements are presented to articulate the concerns and rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Engaging in critical dialogues: Participation in dynamic debates, dialogues, and relevant panel discussions contributes to key conversations and shapes outcomes.
Building Strategic Partnerships: Networking is crucial to our success. We build vital connections with a wide range of stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and traditional authorities from all seven socio-economic regions, other non-governmental organizations that share our commitment, experts from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and when necessary, government officials. These collaborations are essential for ensuring that the rights of Indigenous Peoples are upheld in accordance with international standards.
Our advocacy is firmly rooted in key international instruments, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007), which outlines the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including their right to self-determination, land and territories, cultural and traditional practices, and participation in decision-making processes. It also provides a universal framework for the survival, dignity, and well-being of Indigenous Peoples, including the fundamental right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC); and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) General Recommendation No. 39 (2022), which specifically addresses the rights of Indigenous women and girls to promote equality and their right to enjoy their human rights.
We invite you to listen to our 21 interventions delivered between 2022 and 2025 (present), listed below, all of which feature interpretation available in the language of the page you are viewing (English or Spanish). This extensive body of work includes 10 presentations at the UN Human Rights Council (four delivered via video), 7 at the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva, and 4 at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 2025 — 60TH SESSION — UNITED NATIONS — GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
The Human Rights Council (HRC) is a human rights body within the United Nations system responsible for promoting the human rights globally.
60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). IFI’s intervention during the “Annual half-day panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples”— convened by the Human Rights Council. Speaking time is 1.5 minutes for all.
Theme: "The rights of Indigenous Peoples in the context of a just transition to sustainable energy systems, including in relation to critical minerals”. Held at the Assembly Hal, Palais des Nations. Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Geneva, Switzerland.
60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC). IFI’s intervention during the General Debate. Speaking time is 1.5 minutes for all.
Theme: “Human rights bodies and mechanisms”. Held at the Assembly Hal, Palais des Nations. Thursday, September 25, 2025. Geneva, Switzerland.
EXPERT MECHANISM ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (EMRIP) UNITED NATIONS — GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
EMRIP is a subsidiary body of the HRC composed of seven independent experts who monitor and address violations of Indigenous Peoples' rights. Its mandate is to provide expertise and advice on Indigenous Peoples' rights and to assist states in achieving the ends of UNDRIP.
18th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 11: Proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approval. July 17, 2025. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
18th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 10: Future work of the Expert Mechanism, and follow up to thematic studies and advice. July 17, 2025. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
18th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 3: Study and advice on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to data, including data collection and disaggregation. July 14, 2025. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
17th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 3: Study and advice on Constitutions, laws, legislation, policies, judicial decisions, and other mechanisms. July 11, 2024. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
16th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 8: The impact of the legacies of colonialism on LGBTQIA+ members of Indigenous Peoples. July 20, 2023. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
16th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). Item 3: Study on the impact of militarization on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. July 17, 2023. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
*This video is in English only due to the absence of interpretation. A transcript in Spanish is available in this PDF.
15th Session EMRIP. Item 9: Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Chair of the UNPFII, the Board of Trustees of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, and members of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Human Rights Committee on UNDRIP implementation. July 07, 2022. Palais des Nations, GENEVA, Switzerland.
The adoption of General Recommendation 39 (GR 39) in October 2022 was the culmination of decades of tireless advocacy by Indigenous women leaders and organizations worldwide seeking a binding instrument to address their rights. Our statement at the 15th Session of EMRIP provided essential, timely input to this global effort. By speaking directly to members of the CEDAW Committee and other UN bodies present, we ensured the specific concerns of Mapuche women and girls—including the need for disaggregated data and protections against political violence—were integrated into the momentum that led to GR 39's final adoption. Building on this global milestone, our subsequent efforts focused on advocating for the translation of the new international standard into national action. This intensive work successfully secured a key recommendation within the UNPFII 2025 Final Report, demonstrating our commitment to enforcing this landmark instrument. The recommendation specifically states:“The Forum invites Chile to implement General Recommendation No. 39 (2022) by adopting the necessary legislation and public policies. It also urges Chile to replicate these positive developments with other Indigenous Peoples in its territory and to present progress to the Forum at its twenty-fifth session."
PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES (UNPFII)
— UNITED NATIONS — NEW YORK
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples Issues (UNPFII) is a high-level advisory body to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) addresses human rights issues affecting Indigenous Peoples. Its mandate includes addressing Indigenous Peoples issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights. It provides expert advice and recommendations, raises awareness, and promotes the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which is an international human rights instrument that outlines the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including their right to self-determination, land and territories, cultural and traditional practices, and participation in decision-making processes.
UNPFII 24th Session: Item 5 (d) Human rights dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; annual review of progress on the implementation of General Recommendation No. 39 (2022). April 28, 2025. NEW YORK Headquarters.
UNPFII 24th Session: Item 4 Discussion on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum (economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights), with reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. April 25, 2025. NEW YORK Headquarters.
UNPFII 23rd Session: Item: 5 (d) Human rights dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and EMRIP; annual review of progress on the implementation of General Recommendation No.39 (2022). April 22, 2024. New York Headquarters.
UNPFII 22nd Session: Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach. April 24, 2023. NEW YORK Headquarters.
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 2024 — FIRST MEETING ON ENHANCING THE PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES —ROOM XX — UNITED NATIONS — GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
The First and Second Intersessional Meeting of the Human Rights Council, focused on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the Council, represented a historic milestone. This gathering not only reaffirmed the commitment to the universal principles of the UN Charter but also sought to rectify historical exclusions, allowing the voices, cultures, and concerns of Indigenous Peoples to be fully heard.
2nd Meeting, First Intersessional Meeting on the Participation of Indigenous Peoples - Human Rights Council (HRC) / Session 2 – Accreditation Principles. July 18, 2024. Geneva, Switzerland.
3rd Meeting, First Intersessional Meeting on the Participation of Indigenous Peoples - Human Rights Council (HRC) / Session 3 – Accreditation Criteria. July 19, 2024. Geneva, Switzerland.
3rd Meeting, First Intersessional Meeting on the Participation of Indigenous Peoples - Human Rights Council (HRC) / Session 4 – Accreditation Mechanism. July 19, 2024. Geneva, Switzerland.
4th Meeting, First Intersessional Meeting on the Participation of Indigenous Peoples - Human Rights Council (HRC) / Conclusions and Recommendations, including Programme of Work for the Second Intersessional Meeting. July 19, 2024. Geneva, Switzerland.
INTERVENTIONS BY VIDEO AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL — SECOND MEETING ON ENHANCING THE PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. ROOM XX, UN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
By addressing the persistent challenges that limit Indigenous Peoples access and participation in Unite Nations processes, this meeting significantly contributed to the realization of their rights, including self-determination, self-identification, and self-representation, thereby enriching the global dialogue on human rights.
Video Intervention at the Second intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council. Intersession Meeting Session 3 - Venues of Participation (Guiding Question 3). October 18, 2024.
Second Intersessional Meeting of the Human Rights Council on Concrete Ways to Enhance the Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Work of the Council. Intersessional Meeting Session 4 – Modalities of Participation (Guiding Question 4). October 18, 2024.
Video Intervention at the Second Human Rights Council Intersessional Meeting on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council. Intersessional Session 5: Prevention and Combating Reprisals (Guiding Question 5). October 18, 2024.
* No English or sign language interpretation was provided for this intervention. A transcript in English is available in this PDF.
Video intervention at the Second Intersessional Meeting of the Human Rights Council on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council. Intersessional Meeting Conclusions and recommendations to be made to the Human Rights Council. October 18, 2024.