Inclusion is Prevention: Indigenous Rights at the Core of Peace

Participants attend the closing meeting of the 25th Session of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. UN Photo/Loey Felipe

For many Indigenous Peoples, land means far more than territory or economic resource. It is identity, memory, culture, spirituality, and community. This understanding shaped discussions throughout the 2026 session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), where more than 1,000 Indigenous leaders, Member States, UN entities, and experts together at UN Headquarters. During the discussions, a consistent message emerged: when Indigenous Peoples are excluded from decisions affecting their land, resources and governance, grievances deepen and instability can follow. When Indigenous Peoples are recognized as partners and rights‑holders, pathways for prevention and sustainable peace become stronger.

Opening of the 25th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, held at UN Headquarters from 20 April until 1 May. UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Held under the theme “Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict,” the Forum underscored how health, land, culture, self‑determination and peace are inseparable. Speakers from different regions and contexts highlighted how structural exclusion, extractive governance and the erosion of Indigenous institutions remain key drivers of grievance and instability. Closing the persistent gap between international commitments and concrete implementation emerged as a priority.

Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari delivering remarks at a side event marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. UN DPPA-DPO Americas Division

In its participation, DPPA aimed to enhance the understanding of the conflict trends affecting Indigenous Peoples and the UN contribution to addressing those challenges and seizing the opportunities that may emerge. As co‑chair of the Inter‑Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues (IASG), alongside DESA, DPPA supported UN system‑wide coherence through a closed dialogue with members of the Permanent Forum. DPPA also contributed to discussions marking the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, reaffirming the importance of accountability, monitoring and early warning in contexts where Indigenous rights are under pressure. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific Khaled Khiari highlighted that peace, as long recognized by Indigenous Peoples, is holistic — rooted in rights, justice, self‑determination, cultural integrity and sustainable relationships with land and resources.

Inclusive Governance and the Global Energy Transition

DPPA, together with Australia, Norway, and OHCHR, co‑organized a thematic side event of the Permanent Forum on “Inclusive Governance: Mineral Demands and Indigenous Peoples” to discuss how the accelerating global demand for critical minerals intersects with Indigenous rights, governance, and peace. Over half of the world’s critical mineral reserves are located on or near Indigenous lands. Speakers explored the opportunities and the risks posed by mineral extraction in connection with the global energy transition.

Speakers from left to right: Sigrid Ina Simonsen, State Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development of Norway; Sara Olsvig, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council; Justin Mohamed, Australia’s Ambassador for First Nations People; Laura Flores, Director for the Americas Division in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO); Patricia Gualinga Montalvo, UN Permanent Forum Member; Hindou Oumarou, President of the Indigenous women & peoples association of Chad, Co-chair of the international Indigenous Peoples forum on climate change; Bina Nepram, Director of the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network & Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice & Peace; Fiorella Triscritti, Political Affairs Officer in the UN DPPA-DPO Americas Division.

Panelists emphasized that Indigenous relationships to land extend far beyond economic value. Land is inseparable from identity, spirituality, intergenerational responsibility, and collective wellbeing. Ignoring these dimensions has repeatedly led to social unrest, environmental harm, and long‑term grievances — undermining not only rights, but also the credibility of the energy transition itself.

Speakers called for the meaningful implementation of the principle of free, prior and informed consent; full adherence to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and stronger accountability frameworks that ensure Indigenous participation in decision‑making — not as an afterthought, but from the outset. Equitable benefit‑sharing, recognition of Indigenous governance systems and protection of human rights defenders were framed as core stability measures, not optional safeguards.

The event underscored that inclusive governance is not a break on development. When Indigenous Peoples are engaged as partners, projects gain legitimacy, risks are reduced and outcomes are more durable.

From Recognition to Action

UN Chairperson of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Aluki Kotierk, speaks at the Indigenous Peacebuilding event held in April 2026. UN DPPA-DPO Americas Division

Beyond the official Forum, DPPA also engaged with Indigenous leaders and experts at the Second Global Summit on Indigenous Peacebuilding, where participants highlighted Indigenous‑led approaches grounded in consensus, restorative justice, stewardship of land and community cohesion. The Permanent Forum took note of these discussions and called on the United Nations to consider proclaiming an International Decade on Indigenous Peoples’ Peacebuilding — a proposal that reflects growing momentum to systematically elevate Indigenous contributions to prevention and peace.

“The path forward is clear,” said Laura Flores, Director for the Americas Division in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO). “Prevention begins long before conflict erupts, and it begins with inclusion. We call on our partners to move from rhetoric to action by implementing the principle of free, prior and informed consent, embedding Indigenous institutions in governance, protecting land and defenders, and ensuring Indigenous Peoples shape the decisions that affect their futures.”

Ms. Flores added that at DPPA, “we are committed to turning these commitments into action.” , in partnership with UN entities, Member States and Indigenous Peoples. “Sustainable peace in Indigenous lands and territories will not be built around Indigenous Peoples, but with them,” she said.