UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has urged member states to uphold their obligations under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. He delivered the appeal at the opening of the 25th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at UN headquarters in New York on Monday. Over 1,000 participants are attending the forum, which has served as a global platform for indigenous concerns for 25 years. Guterres described indigenous peoples as guardians of nature and vital contributors to biodiversity and climate action, citing regions from the Amazon to Australia, Africa to the Arctic. He stressed that their rights are inseparable from their lands, waters, languages, and cultures, warning that harm to one aspect affects all. The UN chief called for full, meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in decision-making, with sustained financial support. He urged immediate action to protect indigenous leaders and human rights defenders from violence and risks. Guterres emphasized the need to empower indigenous women and girls, stating their knowledge and leadership must shape future policies. He noted that displacement, loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, and destruction of sacred sites endanger health, particularly in conflict zones. Aluki Kotierk, an Inuit leader from Canada, was re-elected chair of the forum by acclamation during the General Assembly Hall meeting. Indigenous peoples represent six per cent of the global population but account for nearly 19 per cent of those in extreme poverty. They continue to face discrimination, marginalisation, and exclusion, with widespread health inequities. These include shorter life expectancy, higher rates of chronic illness, and alarming suicide rates. Contamination of land and water, including mercury pollution and climate change, directly contributes to poor health outcomes, according to forum delegates.
The UN chief highlights indigenous peoples' critical role in climate action while their lands are being degraded, yet offers no mechanism to enforce protection. Nigeria's own indigenous communities, like the Ogoni and Ijaw, face identical threats of pollution and displacement without recourse. When global platforms acknowledge systemic harm but stop short of accountability, affected groups remain exposed. Empty recognition without enforcement changes nothing on the ground.
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