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 includes 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 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.
OUR INTERVENTIONS AT THE EXPERT MECHANISM ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (EMRIP) — UN 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.
16ª Sesión Mecanismo de Expertos sobre los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas (MEDPI). Tema 3: Estudio sobre el impacto de la militarización en los derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas. 17 de julio de 2023. Palacio de las Naciones, GINEBRA, Suiza.
*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.
OUR INTERVENTIONS AT THE PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS ISSUES (UNPFII)— UN, NEW YORK
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.
OUR INTERVENTIONS AT HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (HRC)— FIRST MEETING ON ENHANCING THE PARTICIPATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES. ROOM XX, UN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
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
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.