Statement on the First and Second Human Rights Council Meeting to Enhance Indigenous Peoples' Participation
The First and second intersessional meeting of the Human Rights Council, focused on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples, 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.
Images for Inclusion, represented by Lidia Arriagada-Garcia, joins global advocates at the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room in Geneva, championing enhanced participation for Indigenous Peoples. July 19, 2024. Geneva Switzerland.
Guided by the principles of human rights law, particularly the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, it is fundamental for Indigenous Peoples to have full and meaningful participation in the Human Rights Council’s work. By addressing the persistent challenges that limit their 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.
Lidia Arriagada-García at the UN Human Rights Council. July 18, 2025. Geneva, Switzerland.
This important forum is vital for the lives of Indigenous Peoples, as it allows them to directly articulate their concerns, offer invaluable cultural insights and understanding, and ensure their experiences and rights are not ignored. By facilitating their equitable participation and observer status, it is recognized that Indigenous Peoples existed before political borders and possess distinctive rights as unique rights-holders. This does not undermine the nature of UN bodies; rather, it enriches them, strengthening the Council's ability to comprehensively and effectively address human rights issues and build a more inclusive and just future for all.
Our NGO, Images for Inclusion, is proud of its active participation in this process. We were present at the first intersessional meeting in Geneva (July 18 and 19, 2024).
Our commitment continued at the second meeting (October 17 and 18, 2024), where our four crucial video interventions were presented in the prestigious Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room –former Room XX– (the one with the ceiling sculpture by the prominent contemporary Spanish artist Miquel Barceló), alongside those of other in-person participants. These efforts highlight the relevance of our work in promoting Indigenous Peoples rights.
We also extend our congratulations to Lidia Arriagada García, president of our NGO, who, although unable to attend the second meeting, contributed significantly to COP16 in Colombia. There, through her constant diplomatic work and presence in negotiations, she successfully helped promote the importance of creating a subsidiary body for Indigenous Peoples concerning Article 8j of the Convention on Biological Diversity, thus recognizing the ancestral wisdom of these peoples in biodiversity conservation. These achievements underscore the urgency of continuing and expanding the work of Images for Inclusion.
We invite you to watch all our in person interventions and our online video interventions by visiting our website page: Indigenous Peoples Advocacy Program.
2nd Meeting, First Intersessional Meeting on the Participation of Indigenous Peoples - Human Rights Council (HRC) / Session 2 – Accreditation Principles. July 18, 2024. Geneva, Switzerland.
Additionally, you can access the Joint Report of the co-facilitators and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Right, a key document summarizing the discussions and outcomes of both meetings, including specific recommendations to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council, at the following link: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/59/35.