25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights \u00b7 UN Special Rapporteur's Mandate<\/title>\r\n<style>\r\nbody { margin: 0; background: #FAFAF6; }\r\n<\/style>\r\n<\/head>\r\n<body>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Lora:ital,wght@0,400;0,500;0,600;0,700;1,400;1,500&family=Inter:wght@300;400;500;600;700&display=swap');\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article {\r\n --unpfii-bg: #FAFAF6;\r\n --unpfii-bg-alt: #F2EBDC;\r\n --unpfii-text: #1F2A2E;\r\n --unpfii-text-soft: #5C6770;\r\n --unpfii-accent: #A6603F;\r\n --unpfii-accent-2: #5A6B3E;\r\n --unpfii-border: #E5DFD3;\r\n --unpfii-white: #FFFFFF;\r\n\r\n font-family: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;\r\n color: var(--unpfii-text);\r\n background: var(--unpfii-bg);\r\n line-height: 1.7;\r\n font-size: 17px;\r\n max-width: 1100px;\r\n margin: 0 auto;\r\n padding: 0;\r\n overflow-wrap: break-word;\r\n -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *::before,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *::after {\r\n box-sizing: border-box;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h1,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h2,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h3,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h4 {\r\n font-family: 'Lora', Georgia, \"Times New Roman\", serif;\r\n font-weight: 600;\r\n color: var(--unpfii-text);\r\n letter-spacing: -0.005em;\r\n line-height: 1.25;\r\n margin: 0;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article p { margin: 0 0 16px; 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The mandate is one of the central mechanisms dedicated to monitoring, documenting, and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.<\/p>\r\n <p>Over the past twenty-five years, successive mandate holders have played a transformative role in shaping global understanding and enforcement of Indigenous Peoples' rights. Through a combination of country visits, communications, thematic reporting, and close engagement with Indigenous Peoples, the mandate has shed light on urgent human rights concerns and systemic patterns of discrimination.<\/p>\r\n <p>Convened by the Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert Barume, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), and the Permanent Missions of Mexico and Guatemala, the panel brought together current and former mandate holders, Indigenous leaders, government representatives, and UN agencies to take stock of the legacy, examine persistent and emerging challenges, and contribute recommendations for the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Historical timeline<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">The five Special Rapporteurs<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/rodolfo-stavenhagen-04.png\" alt=\"Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001-2008).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">1st Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Rodolfo Stavenhagen<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2001 \u2013 2008<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Mexico<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-06.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur (2008-2014).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">2nd Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">S. James Anaya<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2008 \u2013 2014<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">United States<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-03.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur (2014-2020).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">3rd Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2014 \u2013 2020<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Philippines<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-01.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, fourth Special Rapporteur (2020-2024).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">4th Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2020 \u2013 2024<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Guatemala<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-06.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume, current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (since 2025).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">5th Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Albert K. Barume<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">Since 2025<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Voices of the panel<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">The 16 voices that shaped the dialogue<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Institutional opening<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Welcome from the current Special Rapporteur, remarks from the United Nations, the sponsoring States, and an international Indigenous organization.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">5th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (since 2025) \u00b7 Panel moderator<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-01.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume, current UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The 25th anniversary of the mandate is an important milestone that invites reflection on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the future. We cannot take for granted what we have achieved; it needs to be safeguarded.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ilze Brands Kehris<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights \u00b7 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ilze-brands.png\" alt=\"Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Due diligence should not, however, substitute for consent, nor can it legitimize projects that proceed against the will of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Khaled Khiari<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Assistant Secretary-General \u00b7 Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) \u00b7 Co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/khaled-khiari.png\" alt=\"Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Peace is inherently holistic. It is not only the absence of conflict, but the presence of rights, justice, self-determination, cultural integrity, and a sustainable relationship with land, territories, and resources.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ambassador Jennifer Feller<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy \u00b7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (sponsoring State of the mandate)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-feller.png\" alt=\"Ambassador Jennifer Feller, Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We must redouble our efforts at a moment when, regrettably, these issues are losing visibility relative to other crises that have also become very prominent in our discussions at the United Nations.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Presidential Coordinator \u00b7 Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA) \u00b7 Guatemala (sponsoring State of the mandate)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ana-perez.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez, Presidential Coordinator, Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (Guatemala).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This anniversary is not only a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still persist, remembering that this is an ongoing and shared process.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Joan Carling<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Executive Director \u00b7 Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/joan-carling.png\" alt=\"Ms. Joan Carling, Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We are not only celebrating an institutional milestone, we are recognizing a lifeline. For many of us as indigenous defenders, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been one of the few mechanisms we can turn to when our lives, our rights, and our futures are under threat.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Conversation with former Special Rapporteurs<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Roundtable with three former mandate holders and the next generation of Indigenous leadership at the United Nations.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid unpfii-2026-speakers-grid-rapporteurs\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Prof. S. James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-01.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"What I did understand the mandate to be able to do was to draw attention to indigenous peoples' concerns and elevate indigenous peoples' voices, elevate them before government officials, elevate them here within the UN system, and before the media.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">3rd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Video message<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-01.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2014-2020).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We are not just talking here about individual human rights (which most human rights instruments address), we are talking about collective rights, which is very crucial to their identity and continuing survival as indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-01.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, fourth Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"There is power, and we must use it to save the lives of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Incoming member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-tauli-corpuz.png\" alt=\"Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz, incoming member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The three mandates need to demonstrate how they are different and how they contribute to the different aspects of fulfilling indigenous peoples' rights. If you are able to clarify the different domains that the three mandates have, you can see that they are mutually supportive.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Interventions from the floor<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Interventions from sister mechanisms, territorial organizations and parliamentary representation across the seven sociocultural regions.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Anexa Alfred Cunningham<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Chair \u00b7 Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/anexa-alfred.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Anexa Alfred, Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This mandate cannot be understood without the strength, the resilience and the very voice of indigenous peoples, whose active participation has given meaning, legitimacy and depth to this work.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Katisha Pau<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Women's representative \u00b7 Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs \u00b7 Indigenous Youth Caucus<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/katisha-pau.png\" alt=\"Katisha Pau, representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the Indigenous Youth Caucus.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"There is no reconciliation without self-determination. There is no development without free, prior and informed consent. And there is no justice without the full implementation of our inherent human rights.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Dr. Sara Olsvig<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Inuit Circumpolar Council<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sara-olsvig.png\" alt=\"Dr. Sara Olsvig, Inuit Circumpolar Council.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This mandate is important also for those of us who live in the so-called global north, in so-called developed nations. We still see a massive implementation gap when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Hon. Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Chair \u00b7 Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities \u00b7 African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/litha-musyimi.png\" alt=\"Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana, Chair of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The interpretive work of the mandate, particularly on principles such as free, prior, and informed consent, self-determination, and land and resource rights, has reinforced and complemented the regional standards and their application.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Sharida Reuben<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sharida-reuben.png\" alt=\"Ms. Sharida Reuben, Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Our people have spent over two decades in the courts seeking the recognition of our ancestral lands. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains critically important to ensuring that indigenous voices and lived realities are heard.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Mariana Yumbay<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Member of Parliament \u00b7 Ecuador<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/mariana-yumbay.png\" alt=\"Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We value the sustained work of the Special Rapporteur over these 25 years, particularly in the promotion, monitoring and development of the international standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Key themes<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">Six threads that ran through the debate<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-themes\">\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 01<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">A 25-year legacy: the mandate as a pillar of the international system<\/h3>\r\n <p>Since its creation in 2001, the five Special Rapporteurs have carried out 51 official country visits, produced 62 thematic reports, and sent more than 1,000 communications to States, companies, and other duty-bearers. The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007 transformed the mandate into an instrument of advocacy, normative interpretation, and accountability that today is widely known and actively used by Indigenous Peoples themselves in every region of the world.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 02<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Land rights and free, prior and informed consent<\/h3>\r\n <p>Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and rights to land cut across the entire day as a central normative axis. Several speakers pointed to the persistence of extractive activities (mining, lithium, agribusiness, renewable energy) moving forward without full consultation, as well as the inadequacy of legal frameworks that formally recognize Indigenous territories but fail to protect them in practice against external pressures.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 03<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Criminalization and protection of Indigenous defenders<\/h3>\r\n <p>For Indigenous organizations, the mandate has functioned as a true \"lifeline.\" Joan Carling and Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay shared specific cases in which an urgent communication from the Special Rapporteur was decisive in releasing Indigenous defenders arbitrarily detained. Criminalization through anti-terrorism laws, militarization of territories, and lethal violence against defenders are intensifying rather than receding.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 04<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Coordination of the three UN Indigenous mechanisms<\/h3>\r\n <p>The Special Rapporteur, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) constitute three distinct yet complementary mandates. Speakers underscored the urgency of deepening coordination among them \u2014without diluting their singularity\u2014 particularly in the face of the ongoing reform process within the UN system.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 05<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Implementation gap: from formal recognition to reality<\/h3>\r\n <p>The concept of the \"implementation gap,\" coined by Rodolfo Stavenhagen, remains the underlying challenge: the distance between the norms adopted and their effective application on the ground. Sara Olsvig recalled that this gap also exists in States of the so-called \"global north\"; Sharida Reuben and Mariana Yumbay bore witness to its faces from Guyana and Ecuador.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 06<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">The mandate in a context of multilateral pushback<\/h3>\r\n <p>The commemoration arrives at a moment of pressure on the rules-based international order, with budget cuts and political resistance to human rights mechanisms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz raised the transitional role that philanthropy and the private sector can play; speakers converged on one conclusion: defending the mandate is defending 25 years of legacy and opening the path to the next 25.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Full transcript<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">Read the panel interventions<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordions-controls\">\r\n <button type=\"button\" class=\"unpfii-2026-toggle-all\" onclick=\"(function(b){var arts=document.querySelectorAll('.unpfii-2026-accordion');var anyClosed=Array.from(arts).some(function(a){return !a.open;});arts.forEach(function(a){a.open=anyClosed;});b.textContent=anyClosed?'Collapse all':'Expand all';})(this);\">Expand all<\/button>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>1. Opening segment<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Barume \u00b7 Brands Kehris \u00b7 Khiari \u00b7 Feller \u00b7 P\u00e9rez \u00b7 Carling<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Moderator<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-02.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume during his opening remarks at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Dr. Albert K. Barume during the opening of the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Ladies and gentlemen, those of you who are in the room and those following online, it is an immense pleasure for me, as the current UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to welcome you all to this side event entitled \"25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Mandate.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>The 25th anniversary of the mandate is an important milestone that invites reflection on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the future. Today, we will hear from former mandate holders, indigenous leaders, government representatives, and UN agencies, and collectively reflect on the major accomplishments and contributions of the mandate, celebrate the leadership and resilience of indigenous peoples, and highlight the collective efforts that have advanced the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>Equally important, this is an opportunity for us to examine the challenges and continuing gaps in implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), so that together we can shape a forward-looking strategy, strengthen the mandate as well as its relevance, and most importantly, its impact on the world. We cannot take for granted what we have achieved; it needs to be safeguarded.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are fortunate to have with us an impressive line-up of speakers who will contribute to our reflections, and I thank them all for being here. And without further delay, let me give the floor to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Madame Ilze Brands Kehris. Welcome, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ilze Brands Kehris<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights \u00b7 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ilze-brands-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Ilze Brands Kehris during her intervention.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Excellencies, Special Rapporteur Albert Barume, indigenous peoples' representatives, distinguished participants. It is an honour to be with you today as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This anniversary offers us the opportunity to reflect on, and to recognize, the courage, perseverance, and leadership of indigenous peoples who, often at great personal risk, continue to stand up for human rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>We gather today at a moment that is both symbolic and urgent. Twenty-five years ago, the establishment of this mandate marked a profound shift in the international human rights system. Since then, the mandate has functioned as a critical and independent mechanism to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples and strengthen accountability.<\/p>\r\n <p>Through country visits, communications with states and other actors, thematic reports, interpretation of legal standards, and sustained engagement with indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur has addressed structural discrimination, documented patterns of human rights violations, and helped close long-standing protection gaps. But despite this progress, serious challenges persist. Across all regions, we continue to document widespread and, in many contexts, escalating violations of indigenous peoples' rights, as we have heard during this week's human rights dialogue at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.<\/p>\r\n <p>One major driver is the combination of economic incentives and development models that continue to prioritize short-term profit over human rights. From coal mines to lithium extraction, from logging concessions to large-scale infrastructure and renewable energy projects, extractive activities continue to move forward in many countries without the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples' advocacy is often wrongly framed as an obstacle to development rather than a legitimate exercise of rights and an opportunity to make processes more fair and sustainable.<\/p>\r\n <p>The consequences are grave: criminalization, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, evictions, and, in too many cases, killings, attacks, and other forms of violence. Often at the forefront of environmental protection and community leadership, indigenous women and girls face intersecting forms of discrimination and violence.<\/p>\r\n <p>Extractive projects and climate-related displacement increase the risks of sexual violence, trafficking, loss of livelihoods, and barriers to health and education. This bleak picture reflects persistent failures by states to uphold their obligations and by the business sector to respect human rights. At the same time, outdated development models continue to sideline indigenous cultures, knowledge systems, and collective land rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>Looking ahead, three priorities stand out in which the mandate can continue to play a critical role, also complementing the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>First, assisting states with ensuring that laws, policies, and development strategies are fully aligned with international human rights standards, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and that the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples is respected both in law and in practice.<\/p>\r\n <p>Second, speaking out against the criminalization of indigenous peoples and their representatives. Safeguarding civic space and protecting indigenous human rights defenders is not optional; it is a legal and moral obligation.<\/p>\r\n <p>Third, highlighting businesses' responsibility to respect the rights of indigenous peoples, including through meaningful human rights due diligence to prevent and address negative impacts. Due diligence should not, however, substitute for consent, nor can it legitimize projects that proceed against the will of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Dear colleagues, friends, this anniversary should serve as a renewed commitment to the mandate. As one of the three key United Nations mechanisms on indigenous rights, the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples' Rights adds unique value, especially in terms of protection. Member states' political and financial support will be critical to ensuring the mandate's continued impact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Let me conclude by expressing my deep appreciation to current and former Special Rapporteurs, including Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay in the room, to indigenous leaders and organizations, and to all partners who have engaged constructively with this mandate over the past 25 years. Your work has not only advanced the rights of indigenous peoples; it has strengthened the international human rights system as a whole. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for her reflections and recommendations, and most importantly, let me use this opportunity to thank the Office for the unwavering support to the mandate. It is now my pleasure to give the floor to Mr. Khaled Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. You have the floor, sir.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Khaled Khiari<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Assistant Secretary-General \u00b7 Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/khaled-khiari-02.png\" alt=\"Mr. Khaled Khiari during his intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Khaled Khiari speaking on behalf of DPPA.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Mr. Moderator, Your Excellencies, indigenous representatives, distinguished delegates, colleagues, I am honoured to join you today as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, for the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. To mark the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, allow me to start by commending all past and present mandate holders and indigenous partners for their leadership and impact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Today's milestone invites us not only to celebrate progress, but also to renew our shared commitments to advancing indigenous peoples' rights. It can serve as a catalyst to deepen cooperation among United Nations entities, member states, and indigenous peoples. It can help ensure that the mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains strong, responsive, and grounded in indigenous realities.<\/p>\r\n <p>For DPPA, the mandate is directly relevant to our conflict prevention work. The Special Rapporteur's analysis and engagement inform our early warning, strengthen our conflict-sensitive approaches, and reinforce inclusive mediation and political dialogue. Earlier this week, during a side event that DPPA co-sponsored with Australia, Norway, and OHCHR, interventions by member states and indigenous representatives underscored the central role of indigenous governance, rights-based approaches, and meaningful participation in conflict prevention, especially in contexts where mineral extraction risks exacerbating tensions over land, resources, and exclusion. For the first time, as we have the opportunity to co-chair the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, DPPA is leveraging system-wide coordination to turn this shared vision into tangible results. We raise awareness about an understanding long championed by indigenous peoples, that peace is inherently holistic.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is not only the absence of conflict, but the presence of rights, justice, self-determination, cultural integrity, and a sustainable relationship with land, territories, and resources. These dimensions cut across political, social, economic, environmental, and humanitarian spheres, and no single institution can address them in isolation. Delivering on this potential requires strong system-wide coordination.<\/p>\r\n <p>This is where the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues can make a difference. Through a collective approach, we can enhance coherence across policy, programming, and advocacy throughout the United Nations system. Thereby, we can ensure that collaboration with indigenous peoples is meaningful and sustained, including through a more consistent implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for his remarks, and let me take the opportunity once more to thank the Inter-Agency Support Group for the effective cooperation and support it has continued to provide to not only indigenous peoples, but also the UN mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n <p>Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur is part of the Human Rights Council Special Procedures, and as such, it depends on sponsoring countries, states that initiate and renew its mandate. I am grateful to Mexico and Guatemala for consistently sponsoring and supporting the mandate. It is my privilege to give the floor to Ambassador Jennifer Feller, Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ambassador Jennifer Feller<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy \u00b7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-feller-02.png\" alt=\"Ambassador Jennifer Feller during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Jennifer Feller representing Mexico, sponsoring State of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Many thanks, Mr. Special Rapporteur. My thanks also to the Assistant Secretaries-General for being here with us, to my ally Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache of Guatemala, and to Ms. Carling for joining us at this event.<\/p>\r\n <p>For Mexico, it is always an honour to co-sponsor with Guatemala this event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are deeply grateful to the Special Rapporteur and his office for convening this space of reflection on such a significant date, one that marks not only the adoption of the resolution that gave rise to this mandate, but is also the Day of San Marcos in Mexico, which welcomes the rainy season. And the rainy season, from what I can see, is also set to begin tomorrow here in New York (if it has not already begun), which gives us all the more reason for joy.<\/p>\r\n <p>Twenty-five years ago, the creation of this mandate represented a decisive step in the international community's recognition of the historical injustices faced by indigenous peoples. Having this mechanism, a monitoring mechanism, is very important for Mexico, because it helps us continue taking firm steps to promote and protect the rights of our indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate has consolidated itself as a most important cornerstone of the International Human Rights System. Over these years, the Special Rapporteur has driven forward the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I had the privilege of being here in 2007, when the Declaration was adopted, as part of the Mexican delegation.<\/p>\r\n <p>It has been a very important milestone, because it has enabled the Special Rapporteur, complementing this Declaration, which remains the most important umbrella the United Nations has for the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples, to continue identifying national experiences, best practices, thematic reports, and country visits in areas such as the recognition of the right to land, the right to free, prior and informed consent, and political participation, among many other rights that have been progressively consolidated. Likewise, through its recommendations, the mandate has guided many States on effective measures to prevent human rights violations and to guarantee comprehensive reparations.<\/p>\r\n <p>For Mexico, this mandate has been (I insist) a fundamental ally. At the national level, our country also recognizes the value of constructive dialogue with the Special Procedures and with the International Human Rights System, and we reaffirm our commitment to the effective implementation of their recommendations. Mexico has just approved a constitutional reform of Article 2 which not only reaffirms the importance of guaranteeing the human rights of indigenous peoples, but also recognizes them as subjects of public law, thereby ensuring their effective participation in decision-making.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Chief Justice of our Supreme Court is the first indigenous Mexican to hold that position. We also have legislators from indigenous peoples, and as such we will continue to be enriched by the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur and of other mandates that converge on issues as important as climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the building of more sustainable and equitable development models. We also wish to keep strengthening cooperation among States, international organizations and indigenous peoples in order to keep advancing this agenda and to ensure that the Rapporteur's recommendations continue to be translated into concrete action.<\/p>\r\n <p>We must redouble our efforts at a moment when, regrettably, these issues are losing visibility relative to other crises that have also become very prominent in our discussions at the United Nations. I close by reiterating Mexico's firm commitment to this mandate and to the agenda of the rights of indigenous peoples. We will continue working very closely with Guatemala and other allied countries, as well as with all the States and actors present here who have supported us so consistently. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador Feller, for those kind words. I now pass the floor to the representative of the second sponsoring state, Guatemala, and I pass the word to Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez, Presidential Coordinator of the Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples. You have the floor, Madam.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Presidential Coordinator \u00b7 Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA) \u00b7 Guatemala<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ana-perez-02.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache representing Guatemala, sponsoring State of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>A special greeting to Dr. Barume, to all the members joining us on this high-level panel, to the representatives of indigenous peoples, and to all participants. It is an honour for Guatemala to participate in the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Special Rapporteur's mandate, which stands as a testament to the success of indigenous peoples' persistence and to the institutionalization of measures ensuring that States uphold the rights they have secured. For Guatemala, this mandate holds special significance within the framework of the Peace Accords and the rights to identity of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Our country contributed to the debates that led to its creation, drawing from a national experience marked by deep scars, but also by hope, dialogue, and the reconstruction of peace. The multilateral negotiations that gave rise to the mandate are part of a broader process in which the establishment of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982 was key. This forum opened nearly two decades of dialogue between governments and specific protection mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n <p>It was within this same context that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was drafted. The path, of course, has not been easy. This anniversary is not only a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still persist, remembering that this is an ongoing and shared process.<\/p>\r\n <p>The on-site visits by Special Rapporteurs to Guatemala (a diverse country where the Maya, Garifuna, Xinca, Afro-descendant, and mestizo peoples coexist) have been of great importance. First, because they demonstrate the United Nations' concern regarding the situation in our country. Second, because during each visit, indigenous peoples are heard, and the Rapporteurs then meet with State actors to seek mechanisms for the fulfilment of the rights enshrined in international instruments concerning indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>And third, upon concluding the field visits, the Rapporteurs prepare a report with specific recommendations. This best practice helps ensure that Guatemala and indigenous peoples have clarity regarding the rights and the degree of compliance. The criminalization and persecution of many indigenous women and men leaders continues.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are proud of the presence of the former Special Rapporteur, Mr. Jos\u00e9 Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, a Maya Kaqchikel and Guatemalan indigenous leader, whose work reflects Guatemala's commitment in these areas. In his 2020 statement during the hearings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case known as the Maya Kaqchikel People and Others v. Guatemala, Special Rapporteur Cal\u00ed demonstrated the racism and systematic discrimination against indigenous peoples in the exercise of their freedom of expression and access to community radio stations. The judgment issued at that time directs all countries not to discriminate against indigenous peoples in the exercise of their rights and demonstrates the fundamental role of Special Rapporteurs.<\/p>\r\n <p>Guatemala reiterates its support for the mandate and the current Special Rapporteur, Mr. Albert Barume, recognizing his essential role within the system of Special Procedures. Our country will continue to support efforts to provide him with the tools necessary to address the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in the seven sociocultural regions. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the representative of Guatemala for her statement. Last but not least, I would like to give the floor to Joan Carling, a renowned human rights defender and Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International, an organization that works more specifically against the criminalization of indigenous peoples. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Joan Carling<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Executive Director \u00b7 Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/joan-carling-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Joan Carling during her intervention on the criminalization of indigenous defenders.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Joan Carling, indigenous defender and Executive Director of IPRI.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you. As we mark the 25th year of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we are not only celebrating an institutional milestone, we are recognizing a lifeline. For many of us as indigenous defenders, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been one of the few mechanisms we can turn to when our lives, our rights, and our futures are under threat.<\/p>\r\n <p>There have been many moments when urgent interventions from the Special Rapporteur have made the difference between prolonged injustice and the possibility of freedom. I recall the case of my fellow indigenous defender from the Philippines, Mr. Windel Bolinget, who was falsely accused of murder, a clear case of criminalization linked to his work leading the Cordillera Peoples Alliance in defence of ancestral land and self-determination. The public statement issued by the Special Rapporteur calling for his protection and due process was covered by national media and was critical.<\/p>\r\n <p>It helped bring international scrutiny, and ultimately the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. This was not just a legal victory; it was a reaffirmation that truth and justice can prevail when there is accountability. We have seen similar impacts elsewhere.<\/p>\r\n <p>In Guatemala, the intervention of the Special Rapporteur was decisive in the release of an indigenous defender who had been unjustly detained for several years. These are not isolated cases. They represent the real, tangible impact of sustained engagement, of independent monitoring, and of a mandate that listens to indigenous voices.<\/p>\r\n <p>But while we recognize these gains, we must also confront the difficult truth: the risks faced by indigenous defenders are not decreasing, they are intensifying. In fact, my organization, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, or IPRI, was co-founded by me and Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz based on her report as Special Rapporteur on the systemic and increasing criminalization of indigenous peoples; and there is no indigenous organization addressing this serious problem for indigenous peoples on a global scale. Across the world, the race for land, minerals, energy, and so-called green resources is accelerating, driven by climate action and sustainable development. Mining, agribusiness, and renewable energy projects are being imposed on us as if our lives and well-being did not matter. So it is no surprise that we, as indigenous peoples on the front lines, defending our lands, our rights, and our future, and asserting our free, prior, and informed consent, are met not with good-faith engagement, but with repression.<\/p>\r\n <p>Indigenous defenders are threatened, arrested, and detained on false charges. National security and anti-terrorism laws are increasingly used to silence our voices. Our territories are being militarized, and it creates a chilling effect where fear, intimidation, and violence weaken our ability to govern ourselves and defend our rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>As we continue to defend our rights, we are being labelled as criminals, as terrorists, as anti-development. Many of our defenders face arbitrary detention, violence, and far too many lose their lives. In most cases, there is no justice and accountability. There is only impunity. This is why the Special Rapporteur remains not only relevant, but essential. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>2. Institutional video: 25 years of the mandate<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Commemorative video narration<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I sincerely thank Ms. Joan for her statement. Let me thank all the speakers for their contributions and for their statements in this opening segment of this event. Before we proceed to the next panel, I would like to invite you, for a few minutes, to look back through a short video at the 25 years of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur. Technology, if you are ready, please proceed.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Commemorative video narration<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Audiovisual piece screened during the panel<\/span>\r\n <p>When we look at human rights, it is not always easy to see the impact of what we do. A meeting here, a conversation there, another report \u2014 what difference does it make on the ground?<\/p>\r\n <p>The 25th anniversary of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples gives us a chance to step back and to look at the bigger picture; to see the progress made, the milestones reached, and find the motivation and energy we need for the next 25 years. On this exact date, 25 years ago, the UN Commission on Human Rights created the mandate. At that time, the wording referred to \"indigenous people,\" not yet \"indigenous peoples.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>Mexican anthropologist Rodolfo Stavenhagen became the first Special Rapporteur. He helped shape the role of the mandate through country visits, thematic reports, and responses to allegations of violations. His work focused on land rights, poverty, structural discrimination, and the recognition of indigenous peoples, including in Africa and Asia. At that time, there was not yet a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, Stavenhagen called attention to the gap in implementation of human rights for indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/rodolfo-stavenhagen-02.png\" alt=\"Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001-2008).\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first mandate holder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Professor James Anaya became the next to hold the mandate. He took over a few months after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which gave the mandate a clear normative framework. It also led to a renewed mandate explicitly directing the Special Rapporteur to promote the Declaration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-05.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya during his tenure as Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Prof. S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Professor Anaya made a tremendous contribution in advancing the interpretation of the Declaration, especially the duty to consult indigenous peoples and obtain their free, prior, and informed consent, and carried out numerous country visits to all regions of the world to advance the implementation of the Declaration, along with an overview of the situation of indigenous peoples in the Asian region. Within the UN system, he worked to build complementarity and coherence between the Special Rapporteur, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/team-anaya-2014.png\" alt=\"Rapporteur James Anaya's team in 2014, during his mandate.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Rapporteur James Anaya meeting with incoming Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. 2014, Tucson, Arizona.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>In 2014, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz became the first woman and the first indigenous person from Asia to hold the mandate. She brought a long-time experience of advocating for indigenous peoples' rights and focused on the operationalization of the UNDRIP. She placed indigenous peoples' rights firmly within global discussions of sustainable development, climate change, and biodiversity, and critically examined conservation policies and biodiversity initiatives that harmed indigenous communities. Vicky elevated global attention to criminalization and risks faced by indigenous human rights and environmental defenders, and tirelessly raised the situation of indigenous women.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/tauli-corpuz-honduras.png\" alt=\"Victoria Tauli-Corpuz during an official mission as Special Rapporteur.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz during an official visit to Honduras.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>In 2020, Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay became the fourth Special Rapporteur, in a particularly challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his first major report examined and highlighted the unequal impact of the crisis on indigenous peoples. He also continued scrutiny of conservation and climate-related policies, and emphasized the rights of groups often overlooked, including urban and mobile indigenous peoples, indigenous persons with disabilities, and the situation of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation or initial contact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Dr. Albert Barume assumed the mandate in January 2025 at a time of growing pressure on human rights and on multilateralism itself. His initial thematic focus has been on land rights and on the fundamental duty of states to recognize indigenous peoples. Given the pressure and risk of regression on indigenous peoples' rights, he focuses on bringing the mandate closer to indigenous peoples, including through non-official visits to indigenous communities and by establishing regional legal teams to help expand the operational capacity and impact of the mandate. His first official country visit to Botswana in 2025 noted a positive shift in government policy on indigenous peoples, placing Botswana as a champion on indigenous rights in the African region and beyond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/cuatro-relatores.png\" alt=\"The four Special Rapporteurs gathered at the panel: Albert K. Barume, James Anaya, Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay and Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Five Special Rapporteurs. 25 years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>The collective action of these five Special Rapporteurs leaves us with an impressive legacy developed over 25 years: 51 official country visits and related reports that, in detail, analyze and provide recommendations on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in those countries; 62 thematic reports that provide in-depth analysis and contextual interpretation of indigenous peoples' rights; more than 1,000 communications sent to governments, companies, and other duty-bearers to raise concerns and demand accountability for human rights violations.<\/p>\r\n <p>So what has changed over the past 25 years? Today we have a Declaration that sets the minimum standards for the rights of indigenous peoples, which is authoritatively interpreted and broadly understood. The concept of indigenous peoples with a right to self-determination is solidly anchored in international law, and indigenous peoples in Africa and Asia are broadly recognized and fully part of the global indigenous movement. Violations of indigenous peoples' rights still persist, but indigenous peoples know and demand their rights as recognized in international law, and they know how to use the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and other mechanisms to claim justice and demand accountability. This is the impact of 25 years of work, and the foundation for the next 25.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>3. Roundtable: conversation with former Special Rapporteurs<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Anaya \u00b7 Cal\u00ed Tzay \u00b7 Tauli-Corpuz (video) \u00b7 Tauli-Corpuz (J.)<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the technology. I would like to invite to the floor former Special Rapporteur James Anaya and Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay. Please join the podium. Before we proceed, I would like to ask all of you the favour of standing for one minute in memory of the first Special Rapporteur, Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n <p>Thank you. We are going to go straight to business. Let me start with Professor James Anaya. Professor, you held the mandate from 2008 to 2014. What were the main challenges and opportunities during your mandate, and what key lessons did you learn from holding it?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Professor S. James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-02.png\" alt=\"Professor James Anaya during his intervention at the roundtable.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Professor S. James Anaya during the roundtable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Dr. Barume, Special Rapporteur. Good afternoon, Special Rapporteur, former Special Rapporteur Cal\u00ed Tzay, Ambassador. Good afternoon to everybody present.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is a pleasure for me to be here, and I appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation about the Special Rapporteur mandate and a little bit about my experience. One of the things I did learn (before I get to the challenges) was the importance of the support of people like the ones in the room today, indigenous peoples in particular; the cooperation in all aspects of the work, the country visits, the communications, the thematic reports, and the cooperation of governments, of course, was essential to that work. And it was, of course, governments like Mexico, and Guatemala, I should mention, that were key to establishing the mandate in the first place. As far as challenges, I will go back to maybe some of the highlights or lessons learned, but I do want to mention a couple of challenges.<\/p>\r\n <p>I mentioned governments and how they were able to support the mandate and help get it off the ground, but many governments have also presented challenges to the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate does require the cooperation of various governments to be able to go into a country, to be able to issue a report, even to make a public statement. That requires some level of cooperation with governments, and that was not always forthcoming, and so working with the representatives of governments in Geneva here and others, building relationships, was essential to doing the work. Many might not know that in order to do an official visit to a country, it requires an invitation from a government, and so, as Rapporteurs, we ask for an invitation. That sounds strange, but that is what we do. We ask for an invitation, and sometimes that invitation is not forthcoming, and so there are creative ways to get around that, but it is not really the same as doing an official visit. So that kind of cooperation was often a challenge, having that cooperation. Also, the sheer volume of the work.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate covers the human rights of indigenous peoples throughout the world, and as you know, and as we have heard here at the Forum, there are issues that indigenous peoples face in every country where they live, on a daily basis. Using the mandate and the position of the Rapporteur effectively required a great deal of strategy and a great deal of strategic engagement with the different actors, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the work.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, back to what I learned about the mandate briefly. Ultimately, I felt its greatest role, at least in my experience, was to be a vehicle for elevating the voices of indigenous peoples. The Rapporteur, as my colleagues certainly can attest, cannot force governments to do the right thing. We have (or I had, and our current one has, and our Rapporteur colleagues had) the power of persuasion perhaps; but it ultimately depends on the cooperation of all concerned, for government behaviour to change, for things on the ground to change.<\/p>\r\n <p>But what I did understand the mandate to be able to do was to draw attention to indigenous peoples' concerns and elevate indigenous peoples' voices, elevate them before government officials, elevate them here within the UN system, and before the media, and I thought that that was really, for me at least, in my experience, what I saw as the main contribution of the Rapporteur, something I did not realize, going in, would be a significant part of that work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Professor James Anaya. I now turn to Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay. You held the mandate from 2020 to 2024, including during the pandemic. Same question. What were the challenges, opportunities, and lessons that you drew? You have the floor, Ambassador.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024) \u00b7 Maya Kaqchikel \u00b7 Guatemala<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-02.png\" alt=\"Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay during the roundtable with former Special Rapporteurs.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay recounting the origins of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Many thanks, Special Rapporteur Barume. It is also an honour for me to be here today, alongside two great figures, not only academics but also defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Before sharing with you the challenges, the milestones and the lessons, I think it is necessary to tell (in two minutes) the story of how the mandate came into being. Much has been said about this, but I want to tell you, in less than two minutes, that in the year 2000 there were two crazy people in Geneva, arguing in the snake cafeteria (\"la Serpentine,\" as it is known there) about what would happen when the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted: which mechanism would oversee compliance with it.<\/p>\r\n <p>And I wanted to do this because I remembered the tribute that Dr. Barume paid to Dr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, one of these two people, who passed away last year. Many of these figures slip into anonymity, with no one knowing what they did, as was also the case with Dr. Augusto Willemsen D\u00edaz, who was responsible for drafting the Mart\u00ednez Cobo report. And I am referring to Mario Ibarra.<\/p>\r\n <p>Mario Ibarra was in Geneva with another person, discussing this situation, and on the napkins of the cafeteria the first draft of the resolution establishing the mandate was written. That was the first challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>Which country was going to take up the resolution? It was presented to the Mission of Guatemala, and they said: \"Are you crazy?\" It was presented to the Mission of Mexico (and this is not a reproach, it is history), and they told us (because I was the other crazy one who was there): \"you are crazy.\" We went to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, to all the countries that were friends of indigenous peoples at the time, and they all told us the same thing: \"you are crazy.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>Until the Minister of Human Rights of Guatemala, Dr. V\u00edctor Hugo Godoy, came along, and we showed him the draft resolution. \"What a great idea!\" he said. Then it was shown to Ambassador Padilla, who was Guatemala's Ambassador at the time. And what did he say? That we were crazy.<\/p>\r\n <p>\"No,\" said the Minister, \"he is the crazy one: this is a great idea.\" And, well, there is a great deal of history behind it. The resolution was tabled, but it did not pass in 2000 because we did not have enough votes; it went through thanks to a request from the then Minister-Counsellor, Carla Rodr\u00edguez, that no no-action motion be moved, so that the debate could be reopened the following year.<\/p>\r\n <p>And the following year provided the opportunity to build every possible consensus, and the creation of the mandate was achieved, by consensus. That is what I wanted to share. It was the first challenge we faced.<\/p>\r\n <p>This was not during my own term, but it was the first challenge. I remember well that it was under the chairmanship of Ambassador Leandro Despouy, in 2001, that approval of the mandate was secured. And what have been the challenges for me as Rapporteur? First, understanding the United Nations mechanism, because being inside the system is very different from being there as an NGO. That was the first challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>The second challenge was that, in the middle of the pandemic, travel was impossible. Lessons: the mandate carries considerable power and, as Joan Carling said, a communication from the Special Rapporteur can save lives in countries in Latin America, Asia or Africa.<\/p>\r\n <p>That is a lesson I learned in 2020 (having to maintain communication electronically, by WhatsApp), because travel was impossible. I remember one case very clearly: eight people who were imprisoned were saved, plus another thirty-two also imprisoned, who were lined up for execution and who were going to die. Within twenty-four hours, through our action, their lives were saved.<\/p>\r\n <p>There is power, and we must use it to save the lives of indigenous peoples. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, first of all, for that piece of history. I do not know how many of you in this room knew that little story of where the mandate came from. I will not ask for a show of hands, but I did know it myself. Thank you, Ambassador.<\/p>\r\n <p>We will now take a few minutes to listen to a video message by the third Special Rapporteur, Mrs. Tauli-Corpuz, who unfortunately could not be here, but as we all know, she is a lifelong activist for indigenous peoples and has done, as the video showed, a tremendous and unique contribution to the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">3rd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2014-2020) \u00b7 Video message<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in her video message to the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>There is a group of people who have their own type of oppression and discrimination that others necessarily do not have. And as indigenous peoples, we are one of those, mainly because we asserted our right to continue our own identities, speak our own languages, and practice our own cultures. And this has not been regarded by the colonizers, nor the states that came after the colonizers, as consistent with the dominant world.<\/p>\r\n <p>And that is why the indigenous peoples asserted and worked very hard to have the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples drafted, negotiated, and finally adopted. I was one of those who started the drafting process, and I can clearly remember many of the struggles that we had to face, not only from states but also from other human rights advocates or movements. There were those who viewed asserting indigenous peoples' rights as just creating sectoralism, or, in a particular sector, just asserting their own interest.<\/p>\r\n <p>If we have to assert our rights, mainly because of the circumstances that we are facing, then it is okay. And the whole idea of collective rights: we are not just talking here about individual human rights (which most human rights instruments address), we are talking about collective rights, which is very crucial to their identity and continuing survival as indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are talking here about land. Land is not just individually owned for most indigenous peoples. Generally, communal ownership is the one that prevails, especially when we are talking of natural resources.<\/p>\r\n <p>And of course, the responsibility of taking care of the land and protecting it lies with each and every person in the community. The women's movement might say that we did not address the issue of indigenous women, but we were very clear from the very beginning that indigenous women have very specific situations of their own, which had to be addressed by a declaration like this. So we brought in the issue of indigenous women.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, when they speak of rights, indigenous peoples' rights come in, and so do the institutions that are carrying out the implementation of these human rights (like the women's institutions, UN Women, the UN Commission on Population and Development), because we have to bring in indigenous peoples' rights as a major part of the work. So in that way, I would say that we have enriched the human rights discourse, and we have brought to international attention the situation of some of the most discriminated and oppressed peoples. And with the adoption of the Declaration, we are always working towards ensuring that states who have adopted this Declaration, the member states of the UN, are implementing it in the right way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you. Thank you, technology, for sorting that out. Let us return to our interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteurs. Professor James, before we went back to the video I was asking a question, the same one I will put to the Ambassador: in the current global context, where there is a pushback on the rules-based international order, what would be your recommendations and thoughts on how the mandate of the Special Rapporteur can continue to maximize its impact for the rights of indigenous peoples? Professor, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Professor James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014) \u2014 Second intervention<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-04.png\" alt=\"Professor James Anaya conversing during the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Professor Anaya in conversation with the current Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you for that question, Dr. Barume. One of the biggest manifestations of this pushback on human rights is the lack, or relative lack, of resources, or fewer resources devoted to the mandate and to other human rights mechanisms within the system. One of the strategies that could be further developed to address that, in the case of the mandate of the Rapporteur, would be to, I think, enhance coordination with the other mechanisms, particularly the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>I see one of the members and the President of the Expert Mechanism here. As many of you know, the Expert Mechanism has the capacity to do country visits, and one of its mandates, among its mandates, is to promote the Declaration. I think to have streamlined work and perhaps increased efficiencies between both the Special Rapporteur mandate and the Expert Mechanism, enhancing coordination would be one strategy.<\/p>\r\n <p>Also, I would say, enhancing coordination with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Now, there is already some level of coordination, but perhaps more directed, more specific coordination, aimed at concrete, targeted tasks on the ground within various countries. Another strategy, I think, is to devote greater energies to assisting governments to implement the great volume of recommendations that previous mandate holders, and the current Special Rapporteur, have made.<\/p>\r\n <p>You saw that there are, what, some 50 reports out there, and each of those has a series of recommendations, many of them very targeted to governments. I think building upon that prior work could be an important strategy today, working with indigenous peoples in the countries in which they live to press governments to implement those recommendations that are already there. That way, the mandate could help, in a very directed way, to address what we commonly call now, and what the late Rodolfo Stavenhagen referred to, as the implementation gap: that gap between the norms and the actual implementation on the ground. And that gap is manifested today in the lack of following or adherence to the recommendations, the many recommendations that the Rapporteurs have made.<\/p>\r\n <p>So I think working on implementing those recommendations, exercising targeted energies towards that implementation, would be an important strategy in today's context.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Professor Anaya. Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, same question. How, in the current context, can we continue to make the mandate relevant and useful to indigenous peoples?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024) \u2014 Second intervention<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-04.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay in dialogue with the current Special Rapporteur.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Cal\u00ed Tzay in dialogue with the current Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Well\u2026 I think that, to keep the mandate of the Special Rapporteur relevant \u2014beyond what Professor Anaya has already mentioned\u2014, I believe it is about drawing closer to States, and above all letting them know that the Rapporteurs, or the system of Special Procedures, are not judges. They will not pass judgment: they will analyse information, they will produce recommendations; and beyond that, they will also serve as advisors to those same States on how to implement the recommendations that have been developed.<\/p>\r\n <p>Beyond this, and taking into account Professor Anaya's experience, I believe that the academic visits we carry out are also opportunities to inform States: that we arrive there, in the States, in the territories where indigenous peoples live, not only to make known what the mandate is and what the Declaration is, but also to provide advice to those same States. And when I speak of \"States\", I am referring to all three branches of government.<\/p>\r\n <p>I remember very well (and this is nothing confidential) that in Mexico I went on academic visits two or three times\u2026 I carried out academic visits, and I extended a special invitation to the Supreme Court of Justice of Oaxaca (whose representative is here with us; he was one of those representatives, and is now serving as an advisor to the Supreme Court). I think it was a great step forward, because the State of Oaxaca is the first State to recognize legal pluralism and to recognize the application of indigenous law as positive law.<\/p>\r\n <p>I believe that there are many things that can continue to be done so that the Special Rapporteur mandates not only remain essential, but also so that, amid all the challenges currently underway in the UN Reform, that reform does not end up undermining, above all, the rights of indigenous peoples. I believe what we must work on is making the United Nations System understand that the reforms must not undermine human rights, and above all not the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador. Thank you, Ambassador. I am glad to have Jennifer with us on the podium. For those of you who might not know Jennifer, Jennifer is the daughter of the third Special Rapporteur, Vicky Tauli-Corpuz. Jennifer, I have a question for you. As a new generation of indigenous leaders, and as an incoming member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, if one was to ask you the same question, and if you were to implement the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur in the current global context, what would be your way of taking it? You have the floor, Jennifer.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Incoming member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-tauli-corpuz-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz during her intervention at the roundtable.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz speaking at the roundtable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Albert, and thank you to Jim and to Francisco. I think I will be singing along with the choir here and talking about the importance of coordination, maintaining the three bodies, and implementation. I had a conversation with my mother before I traveled here to New York, and this is exactly what she said to me: the three things they had.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is almost as if we had compared notes beforehand. This is a particularly precarious time for the three mandates specific to indigenous peoples within the UN, with the reform process underway.<\/p>\r\n <p>The idea of coordination is absolutely important, but I would go a step further and say complementarity as well. The three mandates need to demonstrate how they are different and how they contribute to the different aspects of fulfilling indigenous peoples' rights. The Special Rapporteur is a protective mandate, so it deals with cases, especially those that are submitted through communications and that it hears about in country visits, and that is very different from the role of the Expert Mechanism, which is analogous in a way to a treaty body and provides interpretation, further clarity, on what the obligations are in relation to the Declaration.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is on the development side of things, and it has an integrative role (integrates everything), and it also coordinates the UN entities and promotes the fulfilment of the rights of indigenous peoples. If you are able to clarify the different domains that the three mandates have, you can see that they are mutually supportive, so there needs to be coordination in the implementation of all of the recommendations, and each of the mandates plays a role. Now, of course, funding is an issue, and I am really happy to know that, at least with the mandate of Albert, although the budget has been reduced, philanthropy is stepping in to support some of the work, so maybe that could be a transitional measure in a way.<\/p>\r\n <p>While the UN is reducing funds, it would be important for philanthropy, the private sector, and others to step in in order for the mandates to be able to continue to fulfil their role. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>4. Interventions from the floor<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Alfred \u00b7 Pau \u00b7 Olsvig \u00b7 Musyimi-Ogana \u00b7 Reuben \u00b7 Yumbay<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Jennifer, for those thoughtful reflections. I will now open the floor to participants to share some experience and recommendations, but we have very, very limited time, so those who will not be able to speak, I encourage you to follow, including those following online. I would like you to upload your experience by using a code behind me.<\/p>\r\n <p>Is there any code that is being flashed on the screen? Please use it to put in any comment or recommendation that you might have. I would like to give the floor to a few people before we open it to others, and the first on my list is Mrs. Anexa, the Chair of EMRIP. Please, if you can, take a maximum of two minutes. You have the floor, Madam Chair.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mrs. Anexa Alfred<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Chair \u00b7 Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/anexa-alfred-02.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Anexa Alfred Cunningham, Chair of EMRIP, during her intervention.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Anexa Alfred Cunningham, Chair of EMRIP.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Mr. Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n <p>On behalf of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, I wish to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to the organizers of this commemorative event, as well as to the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is an honour to take the floor at the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the mandate, a mandate that invites us not only to reflect on its trajectory, but also to recognize the profound impact it has had on the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples at the global level. On a personal note, allow me also to pay a special tribute to Professor James Anaya, who held the mandate of Special Rapporteur and was my teacher and academic mentor, and who, to a great extent, has been a key figure on the path that has led me to take on this role.<\/p>\r\n <p>We also wish to convey our most sincere congratulations to all the mandate holders. Over these 25 years, their work has been marked by independence, integrity, and a firm dedication to justice for indigenous peoples. This anniversary is also a moment to recognize their courage in bringing violations to light, in documenting complex realities, and in keeping the dignity of indigenous peoples always at the centre of their work.<\/p>\r\n <p>But above all, we recognize that this mandate cannot be understood without the strength, the resilience and the very voice of indigenous peoples, whose active participation has given meaning, legitimacy and depth to this work. The Expert Mechanism is proud to collaborate with the Special Rapporteur and with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as a complementary mechanism within the United Nations System. Although our mandates are distinct, we share a single objective: to advance the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Together, these three mechanisms form a coherent, robust and indispensable framework within the United Nations System. Their strength rests on their independence, their complementarity, and their capacity to reinforce one another. I reiterate our gratitude and our commitment to continue working closely, respectfully and in a coordinated manner, to strengthen this 25-year legacy and to advance towards the full realization of the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Madam Chairperson of EMRIP. I give now the floor to Katisha Pau, the women's representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Katisha Pau<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs \u00b7 Indigenous Youth Caucus \u00b7 First Nations, Canada<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/katisha-pau-02.png\" alt=\"Katisha Pau speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Katisha Pau speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>I raise my hands to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to the Special Rapporteur, and to all indigenous peoples that are gathered here today. The reports issued by the Special Rapporteurs and developed by them have raised the bar for indigenous rights globally, at the state and international level. I want to thank our current Special Rapporteur for your ongoing work, and those who have walked before you. I thank you and uplift you as well.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Declaration represents the minimum standard for the survival, dignity, and well-being of indigenous peoples globally, and in British Columbia, Canada, we saw a historic step forward by legislating the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Action Plan, and the creation of the Declaration Act Secretariat. This was in co-development with our First Nations peoples and grounded in the Declaration, which has since been placed under threat.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Province of British Columbia recently attempted to suspend core provisions of DRIPA, including the requirement to align laws with the Declaration. This is the weakening of a human rights framework that was meant to guide true reconciliation. Suspension or delay is an unacceptable response to the upholding of indigenous rights and title. We are witnessing a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\r\n <p>When indigenous peoples' rights are recognized at state courts, when they begin to shape decisions about land, water, and resources, the government response should seek deeper implementation in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples. Instead, we are met with hesitation and legal manoeuvring. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has been clear: there can be no amendments, no suspensions, and no weakening of DRIPA. The path forward is full implementation, led by indigenous peoples, as guided by the mandate of our Special Rapporteurs.<\/p>\r\n <p>Our province has announced that they will be meaningfully working with indigenous peoples to enact our inherent rights by aligning all laws with the Declaration while upholding free, prior and informed consent. In this sense, we must establish a distinctions-based, independent indigenous oversight mechanism to monitor implementation and to ensure a meaningful, accountable process in full alignment with the UN Declaration. To call on Canada and on all member states, we say this:<\/p>\r\n <p>Now is the time to protect indigenous rights at a domestic and global level, and this means supporting the mandate of our Special Rapporteurs by implementing their recommendations. We can work together. These mandates help indigenous peoples and states find a way forward. These mandates can help us work together and assist us in ending the unilateral decision-making that continues to define our realities.<\/p>\r\n <p>We will continue to stand in defence of our lands, our waters, and our future generations as our ancestors have before us, and we will continue to uphold our own governing structures while holding governments accountable to the commitments that they have made, not just in this room but at home. There is no reconciliation without self-determination. There is no development without free, prior and informed consent. And there is no justice without the full implementation of our inherent human rights. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>And I will call on Sara Olsvig to please keep to two minutes. We have time constraints. Sara, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Sara Olsvig<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Inuit Circumpolar Council \u00b7 Inuit People \u00b7 Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sara-olsvig-02.png\" alt=\"Dr. Sara Olsvig during her intervention on behalf of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Sara Olsvig on behalf of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Good afternoon, Dr. Barume, and first of all, a big, big thank you, good afternoon, to all former mandate holders as well. This has been an absolute pleasure to be here today and learn about the history of the mandate, but also to see the important work that has been done by this Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples mandate. And I concur very much with what has been said in the panel, and especially by Professor Anaya, on the need to continue working more directly with states, and as Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay also said, guiding the states to implement what has been presented by the mandate as recommendations.<\/p>\r\n <p>Speaking on behalf of Inuit and Kalaallit Nunaat, Greenland, we have seen the massive impact of the visit of the Special Rapporteur, initiated by Ms. Vicky Tauli-Corpuz in 2020, interrupted very abruptly by the press conference of the Prime Minister of Denmark the evening before Ms. Tauli-Corpuz was to travel to Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland, after having done the consultations in Copenhagen among Greenlanders in Denmark. It was picked up by Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay three years later, as the country visit was then concluded. And we have seen the impact of the country visit, not only in terms of real, tangible recommendations to the state, to the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark and Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland), but also in a greater awareness among our people of our rights as an indigenous people. And I want to highlight also how we have seen Dr. Barume pick up on that, in terms of taking notes and clearly seeing the importance of continuation of some of the themes that came up in the report of Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, including the reproductive health of indigenous women and girls. We live in a so-called developed nation, and I want this intervention from my side to be about that, very briefly: this mandate is important also for those of us who live in the so-called global north, in so-called developed nations. We still see a massive implementation gap when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples in our state, the Kingdom of Denmark. Many good things have been done.<\/p>\r\n <p>We have self-government, which is also, I think, an important thing to mention. But the gap in understanding the rights that are enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and understanding the difference between the ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration, still exists. And it exists within the system, it exists among social workers, it exists in the health system, and we have a massive work ahead of us to inform and ensure that the recommendations are both understood and implemented.<\/p>\r\n <p>And as we said from the Inuit Circumpolar Council at the Human Rights Council session in 2023, when the country report was presented, we are ready to work collaboratively and constructively with the state to ensure that the understanding really also reaches people on the ground. The women, for example, in the cases of the IUDs, which continues to lack a human rights perspective on the individual and collective rights aspects of a programme that was meant to decrease our population growth and still has consequences today. So many things have been done in our state and nation, but providing the expert recommendations from your side as the mandate holders to the system is so important, and the distinctness of the mandate from other mandates we must protect.<\/p>\r\n <p>So, with this, I thank you all, and I look forward to the continued cooperation with our state and with you to implement the recommendations that have been put forward.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Dr. Sara, for those very profound comments. And I will give the floor to Honourable Dr. Musyimi-Ogana, who is the Chair of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Working Group on Indigenous Populations \/ Communities, who happens to be attending the Forum. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Chair \u00b7 Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities \u00b7 African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/litha-musyimi-02.png\" alt=\"Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Litha Musyimi-Ogana, Chair of the Working Group of the African Commission.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Chairperson. On behalf of the African Union family, and in particular the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, I would like to start by congratulating you and the former Rapporteurs of this mandate for the work they have done over the last 25 years. Twenty-five years is a long period to have survived, and so we want to associate ourselves with this event.<\/p>\r\n <p>Thank you, Moderator, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I join in recognizing this important milestone, marking 25 years of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. From the perspective of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, this mandate has been central to the evolution and international protection framework for indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Its methods of work, including country visits, communications, and thematic reporting, have not only documented violations, but also shaped responses by states and other actors across diverse contexts. Indeed, this is exactly what the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights does on the African continent. In the African regional system, these developments have found clear resonance.<\/p>\r\n <p>Through its jurisprudence and the work of the Working Group, the African Commission has engaged closely with many of the same issues, including land dispossession, the impact of extractive industries, and barriers to meaningful participation in decision-making. Ladies and gentlemen, since assuming the mandate of the Working Group in 2022, I have observed that the relationship between the Commission and the Special Rapporteur is both practical and continuous. This is reflected, first, in normative convergence: the interpretive work of the mandate, particularly on principles such as free, prior, and informed consent, self-determination, and land and resource rights, has reinforced and complemented the regional standards and their application.<\/p>\r\n <p>Secondly, in institutional cooperation and participation: the engagement of successive mandate holders with the Commission, including in 2023, when my brother, Mr. Joseph Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, participated in one of our continental workshops, helped to ensure that regional experience informs global human rights discourse. Thirdly, in continuity across mandates: your holding this position, Mr. Barume, brings a direct institutional link, having previously served as one of the Working Group members in the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Your continued engagement with the Commission, including participating in sessions and the recent validation process on the mapping of indigenous populations on the African continent, has strengthened coherence between regional and international approaches.<\/p>\r\n <p>This cooperation is particularly important in the light of challenges identified in the past 25 years. While progress has been made in clarifying standards and elevating indigenous voices, significant gaps remain in implementation. I am very pleased to say that your trip to Botswana, which preceded my own trip to Botswana, opened some important doors, where His Excellency the President of Botswana, President Duma Gideon Boko, agreed to be the champion for indigenous peoples in Africa. This kind of resonance brings our working together closer and is very meaningful.<\/p>\r\n <p>Allow me to conclude by saying that, within the Addis Ababa Roadmap, we have identified a number of areas on which we can work together, and we look forward to doing so in the near future. I know we are pressed for time, but allow me, at this juncture, on behalf of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, to congratulate you and the United Nations on your 25th anniversary. I thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Madam Chairperson of the Working Group of the African Commission, and I will give the floor to Sharida Reuben from the Upper Mazaruni District Council, speaking on behalf of a grantee of the Voluntary Fund. You have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Sharida Reuben<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Upper Mazaruni District Council \u00b7 Akawaio and Arekuna Peoples \u00b7 Guyana<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sharida-reuben-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Sharida Reuben during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Sharida Reuben, of the Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Special Rapporteur. On behalf of the Upper Mazaruni District Council, the representative body of the Akawaio and Arekuna peoples of the Upper Mazaruni District in Guyana, I greet you all. As we reflect on the 25 years of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we acknowledge the importance of this role in bringing global attention to issues that are central to our lives, particularly land rights, free, prior, and informed consent, and the impacts of extractive industries.<\/p>\r\n <p>From where we stand, these issues persist today. Our people have spent over two decades in the courts seeking the recognition of our ancestral lands. In 2022, the High Court affirmed that we have occupied these lands since time immemorial.<\/p>\r\n <p>However, the necessary steps have not been taken to fully protect these rights in practice, and the matter remains under appeal. Notably, the government has appealed aspects of the ruling, while we have also been compelled to appeal due to the lack of full and exclusive protection of our territories. This reflects a broader challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>Some lands are still not titled, and in other cases, titles do not fully reflect our traditional territories. This creates uncertainty and leaves our lands vulnerable to external pressures, particularly from mining. We also continue to see gaps in how FPIC is applied in practice.<\/p>\r\n <p>While it is recognized in UNDRIP, consultations are not always timely, inclusive, or based on full information. In some cases, such as in Jawalla Village, mining activities have taken place on titled indigenous lands without the FPIC of the Akawaio people, with resulting threats to livelihood and security. For us, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains critically important to ensuring that indigenous voices and lived realities are heard, and that these realities inform international attention and action.<\/p>\r\n <p>Looking ahead, we see some areas where this mandate could have even greater impact. First, stronger follow-up to recommendations, so that they lead to meaningful changes on the ground. Second, deeper engagement with indigenous governance structures, including district-level bodies like ours, which are closely connected to what is happening in our territories.<\/p>\r\n <p>And finally, continued attention to land rights and the full implementation of FPIC will remain essential. As we reflect on the past 25 years, we also look forward to this mandate continuing to make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of our indigenous people. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the representative of the grantee of the Voluntary Fund. I now give the floor to Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mariana Yumbay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Member of Parliament \u00b7 Ecuador<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/mariana-yumbay-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador, during her intervention.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Good afternoon to all of you. I am Mariana Yumbay, Member of Parliament of Ecuador. Distinguished Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert Barume, please accept our warm greetings and our appreciation for your visit to Ecuador, which has enabled you to witness first-hand the persistence of serious violations of the rights of indigenous peoples. I must also recall that, in their time, we received the visits of Professor James Anaya, of our brother Francisco Cal\u00ed, and (may he rest in peace) of Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, all of whom visited us; but that itself is proof that in our countries, regrettably, we have been enduring a persistent violation of our rights, which is why your presence and your visit to our country have been so essential. We value the sustained work of the Special Rapporteur over these 25 years, particularly in the promotion, monitoring and development of the international standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in areas such as territorial rights, free, prior and informed consent, our own justice systems, and protection against the persecution and criminalization of indigenous leaders, women and men alike.<\/p>\r\n <p>Within this framework, these actions, together with the struggle of indigenous peoples themselves, have made it possible to incorporate our rights into the Constitution of the Republic and into a number of secondary laws. Nevertheless, in Ecuador and in other countries, a profound gap remains between formal recognition and reality. Structural patterns persist: exclusion, institutional racism, the expansion of extractive activities without free, prior and informed consultation, the criminalization of those who defend our self-government systems and the free expression of community media, and the weakening of our own systems of self-government. This situation translates into persistent poverty, displacement and multiple forms of violence against our peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>In this context, we call for urgent and reinforced action by the Special Rapporteur, in coordination with the Expert Mechanism and other international mechanisms, working together in a coordinated manner in order to demand from the Ecuadorian State and other States the effective fulfilment of their international obligations. It is imperative that concrete and verifiable measures be adopted, with an intercultural approach, to guarantee full respect for our rights and to close the historical gaps of exclusion. Indigenous peoples are not passive subjects under State guardianship; we are pre-existing peoples with the right to self-determination and to a life of dignity.<\/p>\r\n <p>We ask that work also be carried out in a coordinated manner with organizations across different countries, and we, for our part, will continue to resist, with your advocacy alongside us. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>5. Closing<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Final remarks by the Special Rapporteur<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Closing remarks<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-05.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume closing the 25th anniversary panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Special Rapporteur Barume closing the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Regrettably, that brings us to the end of this event. As you can see, we did not even have interpretation in the closing minutes. But allow me to say three brief things by way of conclusion.<\/p>\r\n <p>First, to thank the panellists here, the two former Special Rapporteurs, and through Jennifer to thank the third Special Rapporteur. I am grateful, humbled, honoured and inspired by what has been shared. I wish we had had more time to reflect, because these contributions are deeply important for me as I work to adapt the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to the current global context.<\/p>\r\n <p>Second, I would like to thank the colleagues who were behind all of this, and the partners that supported this event and continue to support the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <p>And third, I want to thank all of you once again for being here. Thank you and good afternoon.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-closing\">\r\n <h2>25 years of the mandate<\/h2>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-closing-text\">The 25th anniversary does not close a cycle: it opens one. At a moment when the rules-based international order is under pressure, sustaining the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples means preserving a singular tool of protection, of normative interpretation, and, above all, of genuine listening to Indigenous voices.<\/p>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-footnote\">Edited transcript of the side event held on 23 April 2026 during the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<\/body>\r\n<\/html>\r\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 23 April 2026, within the framework of the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the side event “25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Special Rapporteur’s Mandate” was held at the UN Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5251,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seminars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5224"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5260,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions\/5260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

{"id":5224,"date":"2026-05-16T04:37:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T02:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site?p=5224"},"modified":"2026-05-17T07:01:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T05:01:24","slug":"25-years-advancing-indigenous-peoples-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site?p=5224","title":{"rendered":"25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: The Impact, Lessons Learnt and Future of the UN Special Rapporteur\u2019s Mandate"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights \u00b7 UN Special Rapporteur's Mandate<\/title>\r\n<style>\r\nbody { margin: 0; background: #FAFAF6; }\r\n<\/style>\r\n<\/head>\r\n<body>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Lora:ital,wght@0,400;0,500;0,600;0,700;1,400;1,500&family=Inter:wght@300;400;500;600;700&display=swap');\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article {\r\n --unpfii-bg: #FAFAF6;\r\n --unpfii-bg-alt: #F2EBDC;\r\n --unpfii-text: #1F2A2E;\r\n --unpfii-text-soft: #5C6770;\r\n --unpfii-accent: #A6603F;\r\n --unpfii-accent-2: #5A6B3E;\r\n --unpfii-border: #E5DFD3;\r\n --unpfii-white: #FFFFFF;\r\n\r\n font-family: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, \"Segoe UI\", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;\r\n color: var(--unpfii-text);\r\n background: var(--unpfii-bg);\r\n line-height: 1.7;\r\n font-size: 17px;\r\n max-width: 1100px;\r\n margin: 0 auto;\r\n padding: 0;\r\n overflow-wrap: break-word;\r\n -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *::before,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article *::after {\r\n box-sizing: border-box;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h1,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h2,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h3,\r\n.unpfii-2026-article h4 {\r\n font-family: 'Lora', Georgia, \"Times New Roman\", serif;\r\n font-weight: 600;\r\n color: var(--unpfii-text);\r\n letter-spacing: -0.005em;\r\n line-height: 1.25;\r\n margin: 0;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.unpfii-2026-article p { margin: 0 0 16px; 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gap: 12px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-timeline-photo { width: 90px; height: 90px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-timeline-name { font-size: 14px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-speakers-grid,\r\n .unpfii-2026-speakers-grid-rapporteurs { grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr); }\r\n .unpfii-2026-themes { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\r\n}\r\n\r\n@media (max-width: 640px) {\r\n .unpfii-2026-section { padding: 44px 18px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-hero { padding: 44px 18px 32px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-timeline { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 28px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-timeline-photo { width: 110px; height: 110px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-speakers-grid,\r\n .unpfii-2026-speakers-grid-rapporteurs { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-accordion summary { padding: 16px 18px; font-size: 17px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-accordion-body { padding: 8px 18px 28px; }\r\n .unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta { display: block; margin: 4px 0 0; }\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\r\n<article class=\"unpfii-2026-article\">\r\n\r\n <header class=\"unpfii-2026-hero\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-hero-eyebrow\">Side Event \u00b7 UNPFII 2026<\/p>\r\n <h1>25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Mandate<\/h1>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-hero-subtitle\">25th Anniversary of the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-hero-meta\">New York \u00b7 Friday, 23 April 2026<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-hero-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <\/header>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker unpfii-2026-section-kicker-hero\">Presentation<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-intro\">\r\n <p>On 23 April 2026, within the framework of the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the side event \"25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Special Rapporteur's Mandate\" was held at the UN Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples was established by the United Nations Human Rights Commission in 2001 and assumed by the Human Rights Council in 2006, marking a historic advancement in the international protection system for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The mandate is one of the central mechanisms dedicated to monitoring, documenting, and advancing the rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.<\/p>\r\n <p>Over the past twenty-five years, successive mandate holders have played a transformative role in shaping global understanding and enforcement of Indigenous Peoples' rights. Through a combination of country visits, communications, thematic reporting, and close engagement with Indigenous Peoples, the mandate has shed light on urgent human rights concerns and systemic patterns of discrimination.<\/p>\r\n <p>Convened by the Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert Barume, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), and the Permanent Missions of Mexico and Guatemala, the panel brought together current and former mandate holders, Indigenous leaders, government representatives, and UN agencies to take stock of the legacy, examine persistent and emerging challenges, and contribute recommendations for the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Historical timeline<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">The five Special Rapporteurs<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/rodolfo-stavenhagen-04.png\" alt=\"Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001-2008).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">1st Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Rodolfo Stavenhagen<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2001 \u2013 2008<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Mexico<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-06.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur (2008-2014).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">2nd Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">S. James Anaya<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2008 \u2013 2014<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">United States<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-03.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur (2014-2020).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">3rd Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2014 \u2013 2020<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Philippines<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-01.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, fourth Special Rapporteur (2020-2024).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">4th Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">2020 \u2013 2024<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Guatemala<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-item\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-06.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume, current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (since 2025).\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-order\">5th Rapporteur<\/span>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-name\">Albert K. Barume<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-period\">Since 2025<\/p>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-timeline-origin\">Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Voices of the panel<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">The 16 voices that shaped the dialogue<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Institutional opening<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Welcome from the current Special Rapporteur, remarks from the United Nations, the sponsoring States, and an international Indigenous organization.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">5th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (since 2025) \u00b7 Panel moderator<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-01.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume, current UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The 25th anniversary of the mandate is an important milestone that invites reflection on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the future. We cannot take for granted what we have achieved; it needs to be safeguarded.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ilze Brands Kehris<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights \u00b7 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ilze-brands.png\" alt=\"Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Due diligence should not, however, substitute for consent, nor can it legitimize projects that proceed against the will of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Khaled Khiari<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Assistant Secretary-General \u00b7 Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) \u00b7 Co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/khaled-khiari.png\" alt=\"Mr. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Peace is inherently holistic. It is not only the absence of conflict, but the presence of rights, justice, self-determination, cultural integrity, and a sustainable relationship with land, territories, and resources.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ambassador Jennifer Feller<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy \u00b7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (sponsoring State of the mandate)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-feller.png\" alt=\"Ambassador Jennifer Feller, Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We must redouble our efforts at a moment when, regrettably, these issues are losing visibility relative to other crises that have also become very prominent in our discussions at the United Nations.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Presidential Coordinator \u00b7 Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA) \u00b7 Guatemala (sponsoring State of the mandate)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ana-perez.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez, Presidential Coordinator, Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (Guatemala).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This anniversary is not only a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still persist, remembering that this is an ongoing and shared process.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Joan Carling<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Executive Director \u00b7 Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/joan-carling.png\" alt=\"Ms. Joan Carling, Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We are not only celebrating an institutional milestone, we are recognizing a lifeline. For many of us as indigenous defenders, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been one of the few mechanisms we can turn to when our lives, our rights, and our futures are under threat.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Conversation with former Special Rapporteurs<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Roundtable with three former mandate holders and the next generation of Indigenous leadership at the United Nations.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid unpfii-2026-speakers-grid-rapporteurs\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Prof. S. James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-01.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"What I did understand the mandate to be able to do was to draw attention to indigenous peoples' concerns and elevate indigenous peoples' voices, elevate them before government officials, elevate them here within the UN system, and before the media.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">3rd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Video message<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-01.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2014-2020).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We are not just talking here about individual human rights (which most human rights instruments address), we are talking about collective rights, which is very crucial to their identity and continuing survival as indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-01.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, fourth Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024).\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"There is power, and we must use it to save the lives of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card unpfii-2026-card-rapporteur\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Incoming member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-tauli-corpuz.png\" alt=\"Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz, incoming member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The three mandates need to demonstrate how they are different and how they contribute to the different aspects of fulfilling indigenous peoples' rights. If you are able to clarify the different domains that the three mandates have, you can see that they are mutually supportive.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block\">\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-title\">Interventions from the floor<\/h3>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-block-desc\">Interventions from sister mechanisms, territorial organizations and parliamentary representation across the seven sociocultural regions.<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-speakers-grid\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Anexa Alfred Cunningham<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Chair \u00b7 Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/anexa-alfred.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Anexa Alfred, Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This mandate cannot be understood without the strength, the resilience and the very voice of indigenous peoples, whose active participation has given meaning, legitimacy and depth to this work.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Katisha Pau<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Women's representative \u00b7 Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs \u00b7 Indigenous Youth Caucus<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/katisha-pau.png\" alt=\"Katisha Pau, representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and the Indigenous Youth Caucus.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"There is no reconciliation without self-determination. There is no development without free, prior and informed consent. And there is no justice without the full implementation of our inherent human rights.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Dr. Sara Olsvig<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Inuit Circumpolar Council<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sara-olsvig.png\" alt=\"Dr. Sara Olsvig, Inuit Circumpolar Council.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"This mandate is important also for those of us who live in the so-called global north, in so-called developed nations. We still see a massive implementation gap when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Hon. Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Chair \u00b7 Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities \u00b7 African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/litha-musyimi.png\" alt=\"Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana, Chair of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"The interpretive work of the mandate, particularly on principles such as free, prior, and informed consent, self-determination, and land and resource rights, has reinforced and complemented the regional standards and their application.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Sharida Reuben<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sharida-reuben.png\" alt=\"Ms. Sharida Reuben, Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"Our people have spent over two decades in the courts seeking the recognition of our ancestral lands. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains critically important to ensuring that indigenous voices and lived realities are heard.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card\">\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-body\">\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-card-name\">Mariana Yumbay<\/h4>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-card-role\">Member of Parliament \u00b7 Ecuador<\/p>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-card-photo-wrap\">\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/mariana-yumbay.png\" alt=\"Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador.\">\r\n <\/div>\r\n <blockquote class=\"unpfii-2026-card-quote\">\"We value the sustained work of the Special Rapporteur over these 25 years, particularly in the promotion, monitoring and development of the international standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\"<\/blockquote>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Key themes<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">Six threads that ran through the debate<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-themes\">\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 01<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">A 25-year legacy: the mandate as a pillar of the international system<\/h3>\r\n <p>Since its creation in 2001, the five Special Rapporteurs have carried out 51 official country visits, produced 62 thematic reports, and sent more than 1,000 communications to States, companies, and other duty-bearers. The adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007 transformed the mandate into an instrument of advocacy, normative interpretation, and accountability that today is widely known and actively used by Indigenous Peoples themselves in every region of the world.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 02<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Land rights and free, prior and informed consent<\/h3>\r\n <p>Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and rights to land cut across the entire day as a central normative axis. Several speakers pointed to the persistence of extractive activities (mining, lithium, agribusiness, renewable energy) moving forward without full consultation, as well as the inadequacy of legal frameworks that formally recognize Indigenous territories but fail to protect them in practice against external pressures.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 03<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Criminalization and protection of Indigenous defenders<\/h3>\r\n <p>For Indigenous organizations, the mandate has functioned as a true \"lifeline.\" Joan Carling and Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay shared specific cases in which an urgent communication from the Special Rapporteur was decisive in releasing Indigenous defenders arbitrarily detained. Criminalization through anti-terrorism laws, militarization of territories, and lethal violence against defenders are intensifying rather than receding.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 04<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Coordination of the three UN Indigenous mechanisms<\/h3>\r\n <p>The Special Rapporteur, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) constitute three distinct yet complementary mandates. Speakers underscored the urgency of deepening coordination among them \u2014without diluting their singularity\u2014 particularly in the face of the ongoing reform process within the UN system.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 05<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">Implementation gap: from formal recognition to reality<\/h3>\r\n <p>The concept of the \"implementation gap,\" coined by Rodolfo Stavenhagen, remains the underlying challenge: the distance between the norms adopted and their effective application on the ground. Sara Olsvig recalled that this gap also exists in States of the so-called \"global north\"; Sharida Reuben and Mariana Yumbay bore witness to its faces from Guyana and Ecuador.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <article class=\"unpfii-2026-theme\">\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-number\">Theme 06<\/span>\r\n <h3 class=\"unpfii-2026-theme-title\">The mandate in a context of multilateral pushback<\/h3>\r\n <p>The commemoration arrives at a moment of pressure on the rules-based international order, with budget cuts and political resistance to human rights mechanisms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz raised the transitional role that philanthropy and the private sector can play; speakers converged on one conclusion: defending the mandate is defending 25 years of legacy and opening the path to the next 25.<\/p>\r\n <\/article>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-section unpfii-2026-section-alt\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-section-kicker\">Full transcript<\/p>\r\n <h2 class=\"unpfii-2026-section-title\">Read the panel interventions<\/h2>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-section-divider\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordions-controls\">\r\n <button type=\"button\" class=\"unpfii-2026-toggle-all\" onclick=\"(function(b){var arts=document.querySelectorAll('.unpfii-2026-accordion');var anyClosed=Array.from(arts).some(function(a){return !a.open;});arts.forEach(function(a){a.open=anyClosed;});b.textContent=anyClosed?'Collapse all':'Expand all';})(this);\">Expand all<\/button>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>1. Opening segment<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Barume \u00b7 Brands Kehris \u00b7 Khiari \u00b7 Feller \u00b7 P\u00e9rez \u00b7 Carling<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Moderator<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-02.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume during his opening remarks at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Dr. Albert K. Barume during the opening of the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Ladies and gentlemen, those of you who are in the room and those following online, it is an immense pleasure for me, as the current UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to welcome you all to this side event entitled \"25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Mandate.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>The 25th anniversary of the mandate is an important milestone that invites reflection on achievements, challenges, and opportunities for the future. Today, we will hear from former mandate holders, indigenous leaders, government representatives, and UN agencies, and collectively reflect on the major accomplishments and contributions of the mandate, celebrate the leadership and resilience of indigenous peoples, and highlight the collective efforts that have advanced the recognition of indigenous peoples' rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>Equally important, this is an opportunity for us to examine the challenges and continuing gaps in implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), so that together we can shape a forward-looking strategy, strengthen the mandate as well as its relevance, and most importantly, its impact on the world. We cannot take for granted what we have achieved; it needs to be safeguarded.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are fortunate to have with us an impressive line-up of speakers who will contribute to our reflections, and I thank them all for being here. And without further delay, let me give the floor to the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Madame Ilze Brands Kehris. Welcome, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ilze Brands Kehris<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights \u00b7 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ilze-brands-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Ilze Brands Kehris during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Ilze Brands Kehris during her intervention.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Excellencies, Special Rapporteur Albert Barume, indigenous peoples' representatives, distinguished participants. It is an honour to be with you today as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This anniversary offers us the opportunity to reflect on, and to recognize, the courage, perseverance, and leadership of indigenous peoples who, often at great personal risk, continue to stand up for human rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>We gather today at a moment that is both symbolic and urgent. Twenty-five years ago, the establishment of this mandate marked a profound shift in the international human rights system. Since then, the mandate has functioned as a critical and independent mechanism to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples and strengthen accountability.<\/p>\r\n <p>Through country visits, communications with states and other actors, thematic reports, interpretation of legal standards, and sustained engagement with indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur has addressed structural discrimination, documented patterns of human rights violations, and helped close long-standing protection gaps. But despite this progress, serious challenges persist. Across all regions, we continue to document widespread and, in many contexts, escalating violations of indigenous peoples' rights, as we have heard during this week's human rights dialogue at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.<\/p>\r\n <p>One major driver is the combination of economic incentives and development models that continue to prioritize short-term profit over human rights. From coal mines to lithium extraction, from logging concessions to large-scale infrastructure and renewable energy projects, extractive activities continue to move forward in many countries without the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples' advocacy is often wrongly framed as an obstacle to development rather than a legitimate exercise of rights and an opportunity to make processes more fair and sustainable.<\/p>\r\n <p>The consequences are grave: criminalization, arbitrary detention, forced displacement, evictions, and, in too many cases, killings, attacks, and other forms of violence. Often at the forefront of environmental protection and community leadership, indigenous women and girls face intersecting forms of discrimination and violence.<\/p>\r\n <p>Extractive projects and climate-related displacement increase the risks of sexual violence, trafficking, loss of livelihoods, and barriers to health and education. This bleak picture reflects persistent failures by states to uphold their obligations and by the business sector to respect human rights. At the same time, outdated development models continue to sideline indigenous cultures, knowledge systems, and collective land rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>Looking ahead, three priorities stand out in which the mandate can continue to play a critical role, also complementing the work of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>First, assisting states with ensuring that laws, policies, and development strategies are fully aligned with international human rights standards, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and that the free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples is respected both in law and in practice.<\/p>\r\n <p>Second, speaking out against the criminalization of indigenous peoples and their representatives. Safeguarding civic space and protecting indigenous human rights defenders is not optional; it is a legal and moral obligation.<\/p>\r\n <p>Third, highlighting businesses' responsibility to respect the rights of indigenous peoples, including through meaningful human rights due diligence to prevent and address negative impacts. Due diligence should not, however, substitute for consent, nor can it legitimize projects that proceed against the will of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Dear colleagues, friends, this anniversary should serve as a renewed commitment to the mandate. As one of the three key United Nations mechanisms on indigenous rights, the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples' Rights adds unique value, especially in terms of protection. Member states' political and financial support will be critical to ensuring the mandate's continued impact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Let me conclude by expressing my deep appreciation to current and former Special Rapporteurs, including Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay in the room, to indigenous leaders and organizations, and to all partners who have engaged constructively with this mandate over the past 25 years. Your work has not only advanced the rights of indigenous peoples; it has strengthened the international human rights system as a whole. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for her reflections and recommendations, and most importantly, let me use this opportunity to thank the Office for the unwavering support to the mandate. It is now my pleasure to give the floor to Mr. Khaled Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. You have the floor, sir.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Khaled Khiari<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Assistant Secretary-General \u00b7 Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/khaled-khiari-02.png\" alt=\"Mr. Khaled Khiari during his intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Khaled Khiari speaking on behalf of DPPA.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Mr. Moderator, Your Excellencies, indigenous representatives, distinguished delegates, colleagues, I am honoured to join you today as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, for the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. To mark the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, allow me to start by commending all past and present mandate holders and indigenous partners for their leadership and impact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Today's milestone invites us not only to celebrate progress, but also to renew our shared commitments to advancing indigenous peoples' rights. It can serve as a catalyst to deepen cooperation among United Nations entities, member states, and indigenous peoples. It can help ensure that the mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains strong, responsive, and grounded in indigenous realities.<\/p>\r\n <p>For DPPA, the mandate is directly relevant to our conflict prevention work. The Special Rapporteur's analysis and engagement inform our early warning, strengthen our conflict-sensitive approaches, and reinforce inclusive mediation and political dialogue. Earlier this week, during a side event that DPPA co-sponsored with Australia, Norway, and OHCHR, interventions by member states and indigenous representatives underscored the central role of indigenous governance, rights-based approaches, and meaningful participation in conflict prevention, especially in contexts where mineral extraction risks exacerbating tensions over land, resources, and exclusion. For the first time, as we have the opportunity to co-chair the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, DPPA is leveraging system-wide coordination to turn this shared vision into tangible results. We raise awareness about an understanding long championed by indigenous peoples, that peace is inherently holistic.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is not only the absence of conflict, but the presence of rights, justice, self-determination, cultural integrity, and a sustainable relationship with land, territories, and resources. These dimensions cut across political, social, economic, environmental, and humanitarian spheres, and no single institution can address them in isolation. Delivering on this potential requires strong system-wide coordination.<\/p>\r\n <p>This is where the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues can make a difference. Through a collective approach, we can enhance coherence across policy, programming, and advocacy throughout the United Nations system. Thereby, we can ensure that collaboration with indigenous peoples is meaningful and sustained, including through a more consistent implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Assistant Secretary-General for his remarks, and let me take the opportunity once more to thank the Inter-Agency Support Group for the effective cooperation and support it has continued to provide to not only indigenous peoples, but also the UN mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n <p>Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur is part of the Human Rights Council Special Procedures, and as such, it depends on sponsoring countries, states that initiate and renew its mandate. I am grateful to Mexico and Guatemala for consistently sponsoring and supporting the mandate. It is my privilege to give the floor to Ambassador Jennifer Feller, Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ambassador Jennifer Feller<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Director-General for Human Rights and Democracy \u00b7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-feller-02.png\" alt=\"Ambassador Jennifer Feller during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Jennifer Feller representing Mexico, sponsoring State of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Many thanks, Mr. Special Rapporteur. My thanks also to the Assistant Secretaries-General for being here with us, to my ally Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache of Guatemala, and to Ms. Carling for joining us at this event.<\/p>\r\n <p>For Mexico, it is always an honour to co-sponsor with Guatemala this event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We are deeply grateful to the Special Rapporteur and his office for convening this space of reflection on such a significant date, one that marks not only the adoption of the resolution that gave rise to this mandate, but is also the Day of San Marcos in Mexico, which welcomes the rainy season. And the rainy season, from what I can see, is also set to begin tomorrow here in New York (if it has not already begun), which gives us all the more reason for joy.<\/p>\r\n <p>Twenty-five years ago, the creation of this mandate represented a decisive step in the international community's recognition of the historical injustices faced by indigenous peoples. Having this mechanism, a monitoring mechanism, is very important for Mexico, because it helps us continue taking firm steps to promote and protect the rights of our indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate has consolidated itself as a most important cornerstone of the International Human Rights System. Over these years, the Special Rapporteur has driven forward the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I had the privilege of being here in 2007, when the Declaration was adopted, as part of the Mexican delegation.<\/p>\r\n <p>It has been a very important milestone, because it has enabled the Special Rapporteur, complementing this Declaration, which remains the most important umbrella the United Nations has for the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples, to continue identifying national experiences, best practices, thematic reports, and country visits in areas such as the recognition of the right to land, the right to free, prior and informed consent, and political participation, among many other rights that have been progressively consolidated. Likewise, through its recommendations, the mandate has guided many States on effective measures to prevent human rights violations and to guarantee comprehensive reparations.<\/p>\r\n <p>For Mexico, this mandate has been (I insist) a fundamental ally. At the national level, our country also recognizes the value of constructive dialogue with the Special Procedures and with the International Human Rights System, and we reaffirm our commitment to the effective implementation of their recommendations. Mexico has just approved a constitutional reform of Article 2 which not only reaffirms the importance of guaranteeing the human rights of indigenous peoples, but also recognizes them as subjects of public law, thereby ensuring their effective participation in decision-making.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Chief Justice of our Supreme Court is the first indigenous Mexican to hold that position. We also have legislators from indigenous peoples, and as such we will continue to be enriched by the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur and of other mandates that converge on issues as important as climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the building of more sustainable and equitable development models. We also wish to keep strengthening cooperation among States, international organizations and indigenous peoples in order to keep advancing this agenda and to ensure that the Rapporteur's recommendations continue to be translated into concrete action.<\/p>\r\n <p>We must redouble our efforts at a moment when, regrettably, these issues are losing visibility relative to other crises that have also become very prominent in our discussions at the United Nations. I close by reiterating Mexico's firm commitment to this mandate and to the agenda of the rights of indigenous peoples. We will continue working very closely with Guatemala and other allied countries, as well as with all the States and actors present here who have supported us so consistently. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador Feller, for those kind words. I now pass the floor to the representative of the second sponsoring state, Guatemala, and I pass the word to Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez, Presidential Coordinator of the Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples. You have the floor, Madam.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Presidential Coordinator \u00b7 Commission on Discrimination and Racism Against Indigenous Peoples (CODISRA) \u00b7 Guatemala<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/ana-perez-02.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Ana P\u00e9rez Conguache representing Guatemala, sponsoring State of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>A special greeting to Dr. Barume, to all the members joining us on this high-level panel, to the representatives of indigenous peoples, and to all participants. It is an honour for Guatemala to participate in the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Special Rapporteur's mandate, which stands as a testament to the success of indigenous peoples' persistence and to the institutionalization of measures ensuring that States uphold the rights they have secured. For Guatemala, this mandate holds special significance within the framework of the Peace Accords and the rights to identity of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Our country contributed to the debates that led to its creation, drawing from a national experience marked by deep scars, but also by hope, dialogue, and the reconstruction of peace. The multilateral negotiations that gave rise to the mandate are part of a broader process in which the establishment of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982 was key. This forum opened nearly two decades of dialogue between governments and specific protection mechanisms.<\/p>\r\n <p>It was within this same context that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was drafted. The path, of course, has not been easy. This anniversary is not only a moment of celebration but also an opportunity to reflect on the challenges that still persist, remembering that this is an ongoing and shared process.<\/p>\r\n <p>The on-site visits by Special Rapporteurs to Guatemala (a diverse country where the Maya, Garifuna, Xinca, Afro-descendant, and mestizo peoples coexist) have been of great importance. First, because they demonstrate the United Nations' concern regarding the situation in our country. Second, because during each visit, indigenous peoples are heard, and the Rapporteurs then meet with State actors to seek mechanisms for the fulfilment of the rights enshrined in international instruments concerning indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>And third, upon concluding the field visits, the Rapporteurs prepare a report with specific recommendations. This best practice helps ensure that Guatemala and indigenous peoples have clarity regarding the rights and the degree of compliance. The criminalization and persecution of many indigenous women and men leaders continues.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are proud of the presence of the former Special Rapporteur, Mr. Jos\u00e9 Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, a Maya Kaqchikel and Guatemalan indigenous leader, whose work reflects Guatemala's commitment in these areas. In his 2020 statement during the hearings before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case known as the Maya Kaqchikel People and Others v. Guatemala, Special Rapporteur Cal\u00ed demonstrated the racism and systematic discrimination against indigenous peoples in the exercise of their freedom of expression and access to community radio stations. The judgment issued at that time directs all countries not to discriminate against indigenous peoples in the exercise of their rights and demonstrates the fundamental role of Special Rapporteurs.<\/p>\r\n <p>Guatemala reiterates its support for the mandate and the current Special Rapporteur, Mr. Albert Barume, recognizing his essential role within the system of Special Procedures. Our country will continue to support efforts to provide him with the tools necessary to address the challenges faced by indigenous peoples in the seven sociocultural regions. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the representative of Guatemala for her statement. Last but not least, I would like to give the floor to Joan Carling, a renowned human rights defender and Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International, an organization that works more specifically against the criminalization of indigenous peoples. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Joan Carling<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Executive Director \u00b7 Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/joan-carling-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Joan Carling during her intervention on the criminalization of indigenous defenders.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Joan Carling, indigenous defender and Executive Director of IPRI.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you. As we mark the 25th year of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we are not only celebrating an institutional milestone, we are recognizing a lifeline. For many of us as indigenous defenders, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been one of the few mechanisms we can turn to when our lives, our rights, and our futures are under threat.<\/p>\r\n <p>There have been many moments when urgent interventions from the Special Rapporteur have made the difference between prolonged injustice and the possibility of freedom. I recall the case of my fellow indigenous defender from the Philippines, Mr. Windel Bolinget, who was falsely accused of murder, a clear case of criminalization linked to his work leading the Cordillera Peoples Alliance in defence of ancestral land and self-determination. The public statement issued by the Special Rapporteur calling for his protection and due process was covered by national media and was critical.<\/p>\r\n <p>It helped bring international scrutiny, and ultimately the case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. This was not just a legal victory; it was a reaffirmation that truth and justice can prevail when there is accountability. We have seen similar impacts elsewhere.<\/p>\r\n <p>In Guatemala, the intervention of the Special Rapporteur was decisive in the release of an indigenous defender who had been unjustly detained for several years. These are not isolated cases. They represent the real, tangible impact of sustained engagement, of independent monitoring, and of a mandate that listens to indigenous voices.<\/p>\r\n <p>But while we recognize these gains, we must also confront the difficult truth: the risks faced by indigenous defenders are not decreasing, they are intensifying. In fact, my organization, Indigenous Peoples Rights International, or IPRI, was co-founded by me and Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz based on her report as Special Rapporteur on the systemic and increasing criminalization of indigenous peoples; and there is no indigenous organization addressing this serious problem for indigenous peoples on a global scale. Across the world, the race for land, minerals, energy, and so-called green resources is accelerating, driven by climate action and sustainable development. Mining, agribusiness, and renewable energy projects are being imposed on us as if our lives and well-being did not matter. So it is no surprise that we, as indigenous peoples on the front lines, defending our lands, our rights, and our future, and asserting our free, prior, and informed consent, are met not with good-faith engagement, but with repression.<\/p>\r\n <p>Indigenous defenders are threatened, arrested, and detained on false charges. National security and anti-terrorism laws are increasingly used to silence our voices. Our territories are being militarized, and it creates a chilling effect where fear, intimidation, and violence weaken our ability to govern ourselves and defend our rights.<\/p>\r\n <p>As we continue to defend our rights, we are being labelled as criminals, as terrorists, as anti-development. Many of our defenders face arbitrary detention, violence, and far too many lose their lives. In most cases, there is no justice and accountability. There is only impunity. This is why the Special Rapporteur remains not only relevant, but essential. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>2. Institutional video: 25 years of the mandate<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Commemorative video narration<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I sincerely thank Ms. Joan for her statement. Let me thank all the speakers for their contributions and for their statements in this opening segment of this event. Before we proceed to the next panel, I would like to invite you, for a few minutes, to look back through a short video at the 25 years of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur. Technology, if you are ready, please proceed.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Commemorative video narration<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Audiovisual piece screened during the panel<\/span>\r\n <p>When we look at human rights, it is not always easy to see the impact of what we do. A meeting here, a conversation there, another report \u2014 what difference does it make on the ground?<\/p>\r\n <p>The 25th anniversary of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples gives us a chance to step back and to look at the bigger picture; to see the progress made, the milestones reached, and find the motivation and energy we need for the next 25 years. On this exact date, 25 years ago, the UN Commission on Human Rights created the mandate. At that time, the wording referred to \"indigenous people,\" not yet \"indigenous peoples.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>Mexican anthropologist Rodolfo Stavenhagen became the first Special Rapporteur. He helped shape the role of the mandate through country visits, thematic reports, and responses to allegations of violations. His work focused on land rights, poverty, structural discrimination, and the recognition of indigenous peoples, including in Africa and Asia. At that time, there was not yet a Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, Stavenhagen called attention to the gap in implementation of human rights for indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/rodolfo-stavenhagen-02.png\" alt=\"Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2001-2008).\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Rodolfo Stavenhagen, first mandate holder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Professor James Anaya became the next to hold the mandate. He took over a few months after the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which gave the mandate a clear normative framework. It also led to a renewed mandate explicitly directing the Special Rapporteur to promote the Declaration.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-05.png\" alt=\"Professor S. James Anaya during his tenure as Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Prof. S. James Anaya, second Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Professor Anaya made a tremendous contribution in advancing the interpretation of the Declaration, especially the duty to consult indigenous peoples and obtain their free, prior, and informed consent, and carried out numerous country visits to all regions of the world to advance the implementation of the Declaration, along with an overview of the situation of indigenous peoples in the Asian region. Within the UN system, he worked to build complementarity and coherence between the Special Rapporteur, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/team-anaya-2014.png\" alt=\"Rapporteur James Anaya's team in 2014, during his mandate.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Rapporteur James Anaya meeting with incoming Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz. 2014, Tucson, Arizona.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>In 2014, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz became the first woman and the first indigenous person from Asia to hold the mandate. She brought a long-time experience of advocating for indigenous peoples' rights and focused on the operationalization of the UNDRIP. She placed indigenous peoples' rights firmly within global discussions of sustainable development, climate change, and biodiversity, and critically examined conservation policies and biodiversity initiatives that harmed indigenous communities. Vicky elevated global attention to criminalization and risks faced by indigenous human rights and environmental defenders, and tirelessly raised the situation of indigenous women.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/tauli-corpuz-honduras.png\" alt=\"Victoria Tauli-Corpuz during an official mission as Special Rapporteur.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz during an official visit to Honduras.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>In 2020, Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay became the fourth Special Rapporteur, in a particularly challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his first major report examined and highlighted the unequal impact of the crisis on indigenous peoples. He also continued scrutiny of conservation and climate-related policies, and emphasized the rights of groups often overlooked, including urban and mobile indigenous peoples, indigenous persons with disabilities, and the situation of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation or initial contact.<\/p>\r\n <p>Dr. Albert Barume assumed the mandate in January 2025 at a time of growing pressure on human rights and on multilateralism itself. His initial thematic focus has been on land rights and on the fundamental duty of states to recognize indigenous peoples. Given the pressure and risk of regression on indigenous peoples' rights, he focuses on bringing the mandate closer to indigenous peoples, including through non-official visits to indigenous communities and by establishing regional legal teams to help expand the operational capacity and impact of the mandate. His first official country visit to Botswana in 2025 noted a positive shift in government policy on indigenous peoples, placing Botswana as a champion on indigenous rights in the African region and beyond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/cuatro-relatores.png\" alt=\"The four Special Rapporteurs gathered at the panel: Albert K. Barume, James Anaya, Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay and Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Five Special Rapporteurs. 25 years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>The collective action of these five Special Rapporteurs leaves us with an impressive legacy developed over 25 years: 51 official country visits and related reports that, in detail, analyze and provide recommendations on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in those countries; 62 thematic reports that provide in-depth analysis and contextual interpretation of indigenous peoples' rights; more than 1,000 communications sent to governments, companies, and other duty-bearers to raise concerns and demand accountability for human rights violations.<\/p>\r\n <p>So what has changed over the past 25 years? Today we have a Declaration that sets the minimum standards for the rights of indigenous peoples, which is authoritatively interpreted and broadly understood. The concept of indigenous peoples with a right to self-determination is solidly anchored in international law, and indigenous peoples in Africa and Asia are broadly recognized and fully part of the global indigenous movement. Violations of indigenous peoples' rights still persist, but indigenous peoples know and demand their rights as recognized in international law, and they know how to use the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and other mechanisms to claim justice and demand accountability. This is the impact of 25 years of work, and the foundation for the next 25.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>3. Roundtable: conversation with former Special Rapporteurs<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Anaya \u00b7 Cal\u00ed Tzay \u00b7 Tauli-Corpuz (video) \u00b7 Tauli-Corpuz (J.)<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the technology. I would like to invite to the floor former Special Rapporteur James Anaya and Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay. Please join the podium. Before we proceed, I would like to ask all of you the favour of standing for one minute in memory of the first Special Rapporteur, Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n <p>Thank you. We are going to go straight to business. Let me start with Professor James Anaya. Professor, you held the mandate from 2008 to 2014. What were the main challenges and opportunities during your mandate, and what key lessons did you learn from holding it?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Professor S. James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-02.png\" alt=\"Professor James Anaya during his intervention at the roundtable.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Professor S. James Anaya during the roundtable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Dr. Barume, Special Rapporteur. Good afternoon, Special Rapporteur, former Special Rapporteur Cal\u00ed Tzay, Ambassador. Good afternoon to everybody present.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is a pleasure for me to be here, and I appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation about the Special Rapporteur mandate and a little bit about my experience. One of the things I did learn (before I get to the challenges) was the importance of the support of people like the ones in the room today, indigenous peoples in particular; the cooperation in all aspects of the work, the country visits, the communications, the thematic reports, and the cooperation of governments, of course, was essential to that work. And it was, of course, governments like Mexico, and Guatemala, I should mention, that were key to establishing the mandate in the first place. As far as challenges, I will go back to maybe some of the highlights or lessons learned, but I do want to mention a couple of challenges.<\/p>\r\n <p>I mentioned governments and how they were able to support the mandate and help get it off the ground, but many governments have also presented challenges to the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate does require the cooperation of various governments to be able to go into a country, to be able to issue a report, even to make a public statement. That requires some level of cooperation with governments, and that was not always forthcoming, and so working with the representatives of governments in Geneva here and others, building relationships, was essential to doing the work. Many might not know that in order to do an official visit to a country, it requires an invitation from a government, and so, as Rapporteurs, we ask for an invitation. That sounds strange, but that is what we do. We ask for an invitation, and sometimes that invitation is not forthcoming, and so there are creative ways to get around that, but it is not really the same as doing an official visit. So that kind of cooperation was often a challenge, having that cooperation. Also, the sheer volume of the work.<\/p>\r\n <p>The mandate covers the human rights of indigenous peoples throughout the world, and as you know, and as we have heard here at the Forum, there are issues that indigenous peoples face in every country where they live, on a daily basis. Using the mandate and the position of the Rapporteur effectively required a great deal of strategy and a great deal of strategic engagement with the different actors, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the work.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, back to what I learned about the mandate briefly. Ultimately, I felt its greatest role, at least in my experience, was to be a vehicle for elevating the voices of indigenous peoples. The Rapporteur, as my colleagues certainly can attest, cannot force governments to do the right thing. We have (or I had, and our current one has, and our Rapporteur colleagues had) the power of persuasion perhaps; but it ultimately depends on the cooperation of all concerned, for government behaviour to change, for things on the ground to change.<\/p>\r\n <p>But what I did understand the mandate to be able to do was to draw attention to indigenous peoples' concerns and elevate indigenous peoples' voices, elevate them before government officials, elevate them here within the UN system, and before the media, and I thought that that was really, for me at least, in my experience, what I saw as the main contribution of the Rapporteur, something I did not realize, going in, would be a significant part of that work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Professor James Anaya. I now turn to Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay. You held the mandate from 2020 to 2024, including during the pandemic. Same question. What were the challenges, opportunities, and lessons that you drew? You have the floor, Ambassador.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024) \u00b7 Maya Kaqchikel \u00b7 Guatemala<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-02.png\" alt=\"Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay during the roundtable with former Special Rapporteurs.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay recounting the origins of the mandate.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Many thanks, Special Rapporteur Barume. It is also an honour for me to be here today, alongside two great figures, not only academics but also defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Before sharing with you the challenges, the milestones and the lessons, I think it is necessary to tell (in two minutes) the story of how the mandate came into being. Much has been said about this, but I want to tell you, in less than two minutes, that in the year 2000 there were two crazy people in Geneva, arguing in the snake cafeteria (\"la Serpentine,\" as it is known there) about what would happen when the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted: which mechanism would oversee compliance with it.<\/p>\r\n <p>And I wanted to do this because I remembered the tribute that Dr. Barume paid to Dr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, one of these two people, who passed away last year. Many of these figures slip into anonymity, with no one knowing what they did, as was also the case with Dr. Augusto Willemsen D\u00edaz, who was responsible for drafting the Mart\u00ednez Cobo report. And I am referring to Mario Ibarra.<\/p>\r\n <p>Mario Ibarra was in Geneva with another person, discussing this situation, and on the napkins of the cafeteria the first draft of the resolution establishing the mandate was written. That was the first challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>Which country was going to take up the resolution? It was presented to the Mission of Guatemala, and they said: \"Are you crazy?\" It was presented to the Mission of Mexico (and this is not a reproach, it is history), and they told us (because I was the other crazy one who was there): \"you are crazy.\" We went to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, to all the countries that were friends of indigenous peoples at the time, and they all told us the same thing: \"you are crazy.\"<\/p>\r\n <p>Until the Minister of Human Rights of Guatemala, Dr. V\u00edctor Hugo Godoy, came along, and we showed him the draft resolution. \"What a great idea!\" he said. Then it was shown to Ambassador Padilla, who was Guatemala's Ambassador at the time. And what did he say? That we were crazy.<\/p>\r\n <p>\"No,\" said the Minister, \"he is the crazy one: this is a great idea.\" And, well, there is a great deal of history behind it. The resolution was tabled, but it did not pass in 2000 because we did not have enough votes; it went through thanks to a request from the then Minister-Counsellor, Carla Rodr\u00edguez, that no no-action motion be moved, so that the debate could be reopened the following year.<\/p>\r\n <p>And the following year provided the opportunity to build every possible consensus, and the creation of the mandate was achieved, by consensus. That is what I wanted to share. It was the first challenge we faced.<\/p>\r\n <p>This was not during my own term, but it was the first challenge. I remember well that it was under the chairmanship of Ambassador Leandro Despouy, in 2001, that approval of the mandate was secured. And what have been the challenges for me as Rapporteur? First, understanding the United Nations mechanism, because being inside the system is very different from being there as an NGO. That was the first challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>The second challenge was that, in the middle of the pandemic, travel was impossible. Lessons: the mandate carries considerable power and, as Joan Carling said, a communication from the Special Rapporteur can save lives in countries in Latin America, Asia or Africa.<\/p>\r\n <p>That is a lesson I learned in 2020 (having to maintain communication electronically, by WhatsApp), because travel was impossible. I remember one case very clearly: eight people who were imprisoned were saved, plus another thirty-two also imprisoned, who were lined up for execution and who were going to die. Within twenty-four hours, through our action, their lives were saved.<\/p>\r\n <p>There is power, and we must use it to save the lives of indigenous peoples. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, first of all, for that piece of history. I do not know how many of you in this room knew that little story of where the mandate came from. I will not ask for a show of hands, but I did know it myself. Thank you, Ambassador.<\/p>\r\n <p>We will now take a few minutes to listen to a video message by the third Special Rapporteur, Mrs. Tauli-Corpuz, who unfortunately could not be here, but as we all know, she is a lifelong activist for indigenous peoples and has done, as the video showed, a tremendous and unique contribution to the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">3rd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2014-2020) \u00b7 Video message<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/victoria-tauli-corpuz-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, third Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Victoria Tauli-Corpuz in her video message to the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>There is a group of people who have their own type of oppression and discrimination that others necessarily do not have. And as indigenous peoples, we are one of those, mainly because we asserted our right to continue our own identities, speak our own languages, and practice our own cultures. And this has not been regarded by the colonizers, nor the states that came after the colonizers, as consistent with the dominant world.<\/p>\r\n <p>And that is why the indigenous peoples asserted and worked very hard to have the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples drafted, negotiated, and finally adopted. I was one of those who started the drafting process, and I can clearly remember many of the struggles that we had to face, not only from states but also from other human rights advocates or movements. There were those who viewed asserting indigenous peoples' rights as just creating sectoralism, or, in a particular sector, just asserting their own interest.<\/p>\r\n <p>If we have to assert our rights, mainly because of the circumstances that we are facing, then it is okay. And the whole idea of collective rights: we are not just talking here about individual human rights (which most human rights instruments address), we are talking about collective rights, which is very crucial to their identity and continuing survival as indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>We are talking here about land. Land is not just individually owned for most indigenous peoples. Generally, communal ownership is the one that prevails, especially when we are talking of natural resources.<\/p>\r\n <p>And of course, the responsibility of taking care of the land and protecting it lies with each and every person in the community. The women's movement might say that we did not address the issue of indigenous women, but we were very clear from the very beginning that indigenous women have very specific situations of their own, which had to be addressed by a declaration like this. So we brought in the issue of indigenous women.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, when they speak of rights, indigenous peoples' rights come in, and so do the institutions that are carrying out the implementation of these human rights (like the women's institutions, UN Women, the UN Commission on Population and Development), because we have to bring in indigenous peoples' rights as a major part of the work. So in that way, I would say that we have enriched the human rights discourse, and we have brought to international attention the situation of some of the most discriminated and oppressed peoples. And with the adoption of the Declaration, we are always working towards ensuring that states who have adopted this Declaration, the member states of the UN, are implementing it in the right way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you. Thank you, technology, for sorting that out. Let us return to our interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteurs. Professor James, before we went back to the video I was asking a question, the same one I will put to the Ambassador: in the current global context, where there is a pushback on the rules-based international order, what would be your recommendations and thoughts on how the mandate of the Special Rapporteur can continue to maximize its impact for the rights of indigenous peoples? Professor, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Professor James Anaya<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">2nd Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2008-2014) \u2014 Second intervention<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/james-anaya-04.png\" alt=\"Professor James Anaya conversing during the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Professor Anaya in conversation with the current Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you for that question, Dr. Barume. One of the biggest manifestations of this pushback on human rights is the lack, or relative lack, of resources, or fewer resources devoted to the mandate and to other human rights mechanisms within the system. One of the strategies that could be further developed to address that, in the case of the mandate of the Rapporteur, would be to, I think, enhance coordination with the other mechanisms, particularly the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>I see one of the members and the President of the Expert Mechanism here. As many of you know, the Expert Mechanism has the capacity to do country visits, and one of its mandates, among its mandates, is to promote the Declaration. I think to have streamlined work and perhaps increased efficiencies between both the Special Rapporteur mandate and the Expert Mechanism, enhancing coordination would be one strategy.<\/p>\r\n <p>Also, I would say, enhancing coordination with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Now, there is already some level of coordination, but perhaps more directed, more specific coordination, aimed at concrete, targeted tasks on the ground within various countries. Another strategy, I think, is to devote greater energies to assisting governments to implement the great volume of recommendations that previous mandate holders, and the current Special Rapporteur, have made.<\/p>\r\n <p>You saw that there are, what, some 50 reports out there, and each of those has a series of recommendations, many of them very targeted to governments. I think building upon that prior work could be an important strategy today, working with indigenous peoples in the countries in which they live to press governments to implement those recommendations that are already there. That way, the mandate could help, in a very directed way, to address what we commonly call now, and what the late Rodolfo Stavenhagen referred to, as the implementation gap: that gap between the norms and the actual implementation on the ground. And that gap is manifested today in the lack of following or adherence to the recommendations, the many recommendations that the Rapporteurs have made.<\/p>\r\n <p>So I think working on implementing those recommendations, exercising targeted energies towards that implementation, would be an important strategy in today's context.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Professor Anaya. Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, same question. How, in the current context, can we continue to make the mandate relevant and useful to indigenous peoples?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">4th Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2020-2024) \u2014 Second intervention<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/francisco-cali-04.png\" alt=\"Mr. Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay in dialogue with the current Special Rapporteur.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Cal\u00ed Tzay in dialogue with the current Special Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Well\u2026 I think that, to keep the mandate of the Special Rapporteur relevant \u2014beyond what Professor Anaya has already mentioned\u2014, I believe it is about drawing closer to States, and above all letting them know that the Rapporteurs, or the system of Special Procedures, are not judges. They will not pass judgment: they will analyse information, they will produce recommendations; and beyond that, they will also serve as advisors to those same States on how to implement the recommendations that have been developed.<\/p>\r\n <p>Beyond this, and taking into account Professor Anaya's experience, I believe that the academic visits we carry out are also opportunities to inform States: that we arrive there, in the States, in the territories where indigenous peoples live, not only to make known what the mandate is and what the Declaration is, but also to provide advice to those same States. And when I speak of \"States\", I am referring to all three branches of government.<\/p>\r\n <p>I remember very well (and this is nothing confidential) that in Mexico I went on academic visits two or three times\u2026 I carried out academic visits, and I extended a special invitation to the Supreme Court of Justice of Oaxaca (whose representative is here with us; he was one of those representatives, and is now serving as an advisor to the Supreme Court). I think it was a great step forward, because the State of Oaxaca is the first State to recognize legal pluralism and to recognize the application of indigenous law as positive law.<\/p>\r\n <p>I believe that there are many things that can continue to be done so that the Special Rapporteur mandates not only remain essential, but also so that, amid all the challenges currently underway in the UN Reform, that reform does not end up undermining, above all, the rights of indigenous peoples. I believe what we must work on is making the United Nations System understand that the reforms must not undermine human rights, and above all not the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Ambassador. Thank you, Ambassador. I am glad to have Jennifer with us on the podium. For those of you who might not know Jennifer, Jennifer is the daughter of the third Special Rapporteur, Vicky Tauli-Corpuz. Jennifer, I have a question for you. As a new generation of indigenous leaders, and as an incoming member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, if one was to ask you the same question, and if you were to implement the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur in the current global context, what would be your way of taking it? You have the floor, Jennifer.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Incoming member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/jennifer-tauli-corpuz-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz during her intervention at the roundtable.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Jennifer Tauli-Corpuz speaking at the roundtable.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Albert, and thank you to Jim and to Francisco. I think I will be singing along with the choir here and talking about the importance of coordination, maintaining the three bodies, and implementation. I had a conversation with my mother before I traveled here to New York, and this is exactly what she said to me: the three things they had.<\/p>\r\n <p>It is almost as if we had compared notes beforehand. This is a particularly precarious time for the three mandates specific to indigenous peoples within the UN, with the reform process underway.<\/p>\r\n <p>The idea of coordination is absolutely important, but I would go a step further and say complementarity as well. The three mandates need to demonstrate how they are different and how they contribute to the different aspects of fulfilling indigenous peoples' rights. The Special Rapporteur is a protective mandate, so it deals with cases, especially those that are submitted through communications and that it hears about in country visits, and that is very different from the role of the Expert Mechanism, which is analogous in a way to a treaty body and provides interpretation, further clarity, on what the obligations are in relation to the Declaration.<\/p>\r\n <p>Now, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is on the development side of things, and it has an integrative role (integrates everything), and it also coordinates the UN entities and promotes the fulfilment of the rights of indigenous peoples. If you are able to clarify the different domains that the three mandates have, you can see that they are mutually supportive, so there needs to be coordination in the implementation of all of the recommendations, and each of the mandates plays a role. Now, of course, funding is an issue, and I am really happy to know that, at least with the mandate of Albert, although the budget has been reduced, philanthropy is stepping in to support some of the work, so maybe that could be a transitional measure in a way.<\/p>\r\n <p>While the UN is reducing funds, it would be important for philanthropy, the private sector, and others to step in in order for the mandates to be able to continue to fulfil their role. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>4. Interventions from the floor<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Alfred \u00b7 Pau \u00b7 Olsvig \u00b7 Musyimi-Ogana \u00b7 Reuben \u00b7 Yumbay<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Jennifer, for those thoughtful reflections. I will now open the floor to participants to share some experience and recommendations, but we have very, very limited time, so those who will not be able to speak, I encourage you to follow, including those following online. I would like you to upload your experience by using a code behind me.<\/p>\r\n <p>Is there any code that is being flashed on the screen? Please use it to put in any comment or recommendation that you might have. I would like to give the floor to a few people before we open it to others, and the first on my list is Mrs. Anexa, the Chair of EMRIP. Please, if you can, take a maximum of two minutes. You have the floor, Madam Chair.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mrs. Anexa Alfred<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Chair \u00b7 Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/anexa-alfred-02.png\" alt=\"Mrs. Anexa Alfred Cunningham, Chair of EMRIP, during her intervention.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Anexa Alfred Cunningham, Chair of EMRIP.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Mr. Rapporteur.<\/p>\r\n <p>On behalf of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, I wish to begin by expressing our sincere gratitude to the organizers of this commemorative event, as well as to the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is an honour to take the floor at the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of the mandate, a mandate that invites us not only to reflect on its trajectory, but also to recognize the profound impact it has had on the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples at the global level. On a personal note, allow me also to pay a special tribute to Professor James Anaya, who held the mandate of Special Rapporteur and was my teacher and academic mentor, and who, to a great extent, has been a key figure on the path that has led me to take on this role.<\/p>\r\n <p>We also wish to convey our most sincere congratulations to all the mandate holders. Over these 25 years, their work has been marked by independence, integrity, and a firm dedication to justice for indigenous peoples. This anniversary is also a moment to recognize their courage in bringing violations to light, in documenting complex realities, and in keeping the dignity of indigenous peoples always at the centre of their work.<\/p>\r\n <p>But above all, we recognize that this mandate cannot be understood without the strength, the resilience and the very voice of indigenous peoples, whose active participation has given meaning, legitimacy and depth to this work. The Expert Mechanism is proud to collaborate with the Special Rapporteur and with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as a complementary mechanism within the United Nations System. Although our mandates are distinct, we share a single objective: to advance the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Together, these three mechanisms form a coherent, robust and indispensable framework within the United Nations System. Their strength rests on their independence, their complementarity, and their capacity to reinforce one another. I reiterate our gratitude and our commitment to continue working closely, respectfully and in a coordinated manner, to strengthen this 25-year legacy and to advance towards the full realization of the rights of indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Madam Chairperson of EMRIP. I give now the floor to Katisha Pau, the women's representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Katisha Pau<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Representative of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs \u00b7 Indigenous Youth Caucus \u00b7 First Nations, Canada<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/katisha-pau-02.png\" alt=\"Katisha Pau speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Katisha Pau speaking on behalf of the Indigenous Youth Caucus.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>I raise my hands to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to the Special Rapporteur, and to all indigenous peoples that are gathered here today. The reports issued by the Special Rapporteurs and developed by them have raised the bar for indigenous rights globally, at the state and international level. I want to thank our current Special Rapporteur for your ongoing work, and those who have walked before you. I thank you and uplift you as well.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Declaration represents the minimum standard for the survival, dignity, and well-being of indigenous peoples globally, and in British Columbia, Canada, we saw a historic step forward by legislating the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Action Plan, and the creation of the Declaration Act Secretariat. This was in co-development with our First Nations peoples and grounded in the Declaration, which has since been placed under threat.<\/p>\r\n <p>The Province of British Columbia recently attempted to suspend core provisions of DRIPA, including the requirement to align laws with the Declaration. This is the weakening of a human rights framework that was meant to guide true reconciliation. Suspension or delay is an unacceptable response to the upholding of indigenous rights and title. We are witnessing a dangerous precedent.<\/p>\r\n <p>When indigenous peoples' rights are recognized at state courts, when they begin to shape decisions about land, water, and resources, the government response should seek deeper implementation in consultation and cooperation with indigenous peoples. Instead, we are met with hesitation and legal manoeuvring. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has been clear: there can be no amendments, no suspensions, and no weakening of DRIPA. The path forward is full implementation, led by indigenous peoples, as guided by the mandate of our Special Rapporteurs.<\/p>\r\n <p>Our province has announced that they will be meaningfully working with indigenous peoples to enact our inherent rights by aligning all laws with the Declaration while upholding free, prior and informed consent. In this sense, we must establish a distinctions-based, independent indigenous oversight mechanism to monitor implementation and to ensure a meaningful, accountable process in full alignment with the UN Declaration. To call on Canada and on all member states, we say this:<\/p>\r\n <p>Now is the time to protect indigenous rights at a domestic and global level, and this means supporting the mandate of our Special Rapporteurs by implementing their recommendations. We can work together. These mandates help indigenous peoples and states find a way forward. These mandates can help us work together and assist us in ending the unilateral decision-making that continues to define our realities.<\/p>\r\n <p>We will continue to stand in defence of our lands, our waters, and our future generations as our ancestors have before us, and we will continue to uphold our own governing structures while holding governments accountable to the commitments that they have made, not just in this room but at home. There is no reconciliation without self-determination. There is no development without free, prior and informed consent. And there is no justice without the full implementation of our inherent human rights. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>And I will call on Sara Olsvig to please keep to two minutes. We have time constraints. Sara, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Sara Olsvig<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Inuit Circumpolar Council \u00b7 Inuit People \u00b7 Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sara-olsvig-02.png\" alt=\"Dr. Sara Olsvig during her intervention on behalf of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Sara Olsvig on behalf of the Inuit Circumpolar Council.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Good afternoon, Dr. Barume, and first of all, a big, big thank you, good afternoon, to all former mandate holders as well. This has been an absolute pleasure to be here today and learn about the history of the mandate, but also to see the important work that has been done by this Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples mandate. And I concur very much with what has been said in the panel, and especially by Professor Anaya, on the need to continue working more directly with states, and as Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay also said, guiding the states to implement what has been presented by the mandate as recommendations.<\/p>\r\n <p>Speaking on behalf of Inuit and Kalaallit Nunaat, Greenland, we have seen the massive impact of the visit of the Special Rapporteur, initiated by Ms. Vicky Tauli-Corpuz in 2020, interrupted very abruptly by the press conference of the Prime Minister of Denmark the evening before Ms. Tauli-Corpuz was to travel to Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland, after having done the consultations in Copenhagen among Greenlanders in Denmark. It was picked up by Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay three years later, as the country visit was then concluded. And we have seen the impact of the country visit, not only in terms of real, tangible recommendations to the state, to the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark and Kalaallit Nunaat \/ Greenland), but also in a greater awareness among our people of our rights as an indigenous people. And I want to highlight also how we have seen Dr. Barume pick up on that, in terms of taking notes and clearly seeing the importance of continuation of some of the themes that came up in the report of Ambassador Cal\u00ed Tzay, including the reproductive health of indigenous women and girls. We live in a so-called developed nation, and I want this intervention from my side to be about that, very briefly: this mandate is important also for those of us who live in the so-called global north, in so-called developed nations. We still see a massive implementation gap when it comes to the rights of indigenous peoples in our state, the Kingdom of Denmark. Many good things have been done.<\/p>\r\n <p>We have self-government, which is also, I think, an important thing to mention. But the gap in understanding the rights that are enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and understanding the difference between the ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration, still exists. And it exists within the system, it exists among social workers, it exists in the health system, and we have a massive work ahead of us to inform and ensure that the recommendations are both understood and implemented.<\/p>\r\n <p>And as we said from the Inuit Circumpolar Council at the Human Rights Council session in 2023, when the country report was presented, we are ready to work collaboratively and constructively with the state to ensure that the understanding really also reaches people on the ground. The women, for example, in the cases of the IUDs, which continues to lack a human rights perspective on the individual and collective rights aspects of a programme that was meant to decrease our population growth and still has consequences today. So many things have been done in our state and nation, but providing the expert recommendations from your side as the mandate holders to the system is so important, and the distinctness of the mandate from other mandates we must protect.<\/p>\r\n <p>So, with this, I thank you all, and I look forward to the continued cooperation with our state and with you to implement the recommendations that have been put forward.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>Thank you, Dr. Sara, for those very profound comments. And I will give the floor to Honourable Dr. Musyimi-Ogana, who is the Chair of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Working Group on Indigenous Populations \/ Communities, who happens to be attending the Forum. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Chair \u00b7 Working Group on Indigenous Populations\/Communities \u00b7 African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/litha-musyimi-02.png\" alt=\"Honourable Dr. Litha Musyimi-Ogana during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Litha Musyimi-Ogana, Chair of the Working Group of the African Commission.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you very much, Chairperson. On behalf of the African Union family, and in particular the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, I would like to start by congratulating you and the former Rapporteurs of this mandate for the work they have done over the last 25 years. Twenty-five years is a long period to have survived, and so we want to associate ourselves with this event.<\/p>\r\n <p>Thank you, Moderator, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I join in recognizing this important milestone, marking 25 years of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. From the perspective of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, this mandate has been central to the evolution and international protection framework for indigenous peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>Its methods of work, including country visits, communications, and thematic reporting, have not only documented violations, but also shaped responses by states and other actors across diverse contexts. Indeed, this is exactly what the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights does on the African continent. In the African regional system, these developments have found clear resonance.<\/p>\r\n <p>Through its jurisprudence and the work of the Working Group, the African Commission has engaged closely with many of the same issues, including land dispossession, the impact of extractive industries, and barriers to meaningful participation in decision-making. Ladies and gentlemen, since assuming the mandate of the Working Group in 2022, I have observed that the relationship between the Commission and the Special Rapporteur is both practical and continuous. This is reflected, first, in normative convergence: the interpretive work of the mandate, particularly on principles such as free, prior, and informed consent, self-determination, and land and resource rights, has reinforced and complemented the regional standards and their application.<\/p>\r\n <p>Secondly, in institutional cooperation and participation: the engagement of successive mandate holders with the Commission, including in 2023, when my brother, Mr. Joseph Francisco Cal\u00ed Tzay, participated in one of our continental workshops, helped to ensure that regional experience informs global human rights discourse. Thirdly, in continuity across mandates: your holding this position, Mr. Barume, brings a direct institutional link, having previously served as one of the Working Group members in the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Your continued engagement with the Commission, including participating in sessions and the recent validation process on the mapping of indigenous populations on the African continent, has strengthened coherence between regional and international approaches.<\/p>\r\n <p>This cooperation is particularly important in the light of challenges identified in the past 25 years. While progress has been made in clarifying standards and elevating indigenous voices, significant gaps remain in implementation. I am very pleased to say that your trip to Botswana, which preceded my own trip to Botswana, opened some important doors, where His Excellency the President of Botswana, President Duma Gideon Boko, agreed to be the champion for indigenous peoples in Africa. This kind of resonance brings our working together closer and is very meaningful.<\/p>\r\n <p>Allow me to conclude by saying that, within the Addis Ababa Roadmap, we have identified a number of areas on which we can work together, and we look forward to doing so in the near future. I know we are pressed for time, but allow me, at this juncture, on behalf of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, to congratulate you and the United Nations on your 25th anniversary. I thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the Madam Chairperson of the Working Group of the African Commission, and I will give the floor to Sharida Reuben from the Upper Mazaruni District Council, speaking on behalf of a grantee of the Voluntary Fund. You have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Ms. Sharida Reuben<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Upper Mazaruni District Council \u00b7 Akawaio and Arekuna Peoples \u00b7 Guyana<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/sharida-reuben-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Sharida Reuben during her intervention at the panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Sharida Reuben, of the Upper Mazaruni District Council, Guyana.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Thank you, Special Rapporteur. On behalf of the Upper Mazaruni District Council, the representative body of the Akawaio and Arekuna peoples of the Upper Mazaruni District in Guyana, I greet you all. As we reflect on the 25 years of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we acknowledge the importance of this role in bringing global attention to issues that are central to our lives, particularly land rights, free, prior, and informed consent, and the impacts of extractive industries.<\/p>\r\n <p>From where we stand, these issues persist today. Our people have spent over two decades in the courts seeking the recognition of our ancestral lands. In 2022, the High Court affirmed that we have occupied these lands since time immemorial.<\/p>\r\n <p>However, the necessary steps have not been taken to fully protect these rights in practice, and the matter remains under appeal. Notably, the government has appealed aspects of the ruling, while we have also been compelled to appeal due to the lack of full and exclusive protection of our territories. This reflects a broader challenge.<\/p>\r\n <p>Some lands are still not titled, and in other cases, titles do not fully reflect our traditional territories. This creates uncertainty and leaves our lands vulnerable to external pressures, particularly from mining. We also continue to see gaps in how FPIC is applied in practice.<\/p>\r\n <p>While it is recognized in UNDRIP, consultations are not always timely, inclusive, or based on full information. In some cases, such as in Jawalla Village, mining activities have taken place on titled indigenous lands without the FPIC of the Akawaio people, with resulting threats to livelihood and security. For us, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur remains critically important to ensuring that indigenous voices and lived realities are heard, and that these realities inform international attention and action.<\/p>\r\n <p>Looking ahead, we see some areas where this mandate could have even greater impact. First, stronger follow-up to recommendations, so that they lead to meaningful changes on the ground. Second, deeper engagement with indigenous governance structures, including district-level bodies like ours, which are closely connected to what is happening in our territories.<\/p>\r\n <p>And finally, continued attention to land rights and the full implementation of FPIC will remain essential. As we reflect on the past 25 years, we also look forward to this mandate continuing to make a meaningful difference in the daily lives of our indigenous people. Thank you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-moderator-cue\">\r\n <strong>Albert K. Barume \u2014 Moderator<\/strong>\r\n <p>I thank the representative of the grantee of the Voluntary Fund. I now give the floor to Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador. Madam, you have the floor.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Mariana Yumbay<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Member of Parliament \u00b7 Ecuador<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/mariana-yumbay-02.png\" alt=\"Ms. Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador, during her intervention.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Mariana Yumbay, Member of the Parliament of Ecuador.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Good afternoon to all of you. I am Mariana Yumbay, Member of Parliament of Ecuador. Distinguished Special Rapporteur, Dr. Albert Barume, please accept our warm greetings and our appreciation for your visit to Ecuador, which has enabled you to witness first-hand the persistence of serious violations of the rights of indigenous peoples. I must also recall that, in their time, we received the visits of Professor James Anaya, of our brother Francisco Cal\u00ed, and (may he rest in peace) of Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen, all of whom visited us; but that itself is proof that in our countries, regrettably, we have been enduring a persistent violation of our rights, which is why your presence and your visit to our country have been so essential. We value the sustained work of the Special Rapporteur over these 25 years, particularly in the promotion, monitoring and development of the international standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in areas such as territorial rights, free, prior and informed consent, our own justice systems, and protection against the persecution and criminalization of indigenous leaders, women and men alike.<\/p>\r\n <p>Within this framework, these actions, together with the struggle of indigenous peoples themselves, have made it possible to incorporate our rights into the Constitution of the Republic and into a number of secondary laws. Nevertheless, in Ecuador and in other countries, a profound gap remains between formal recognition and reality. Structural patterns persist: exclusion, institutional racism, the expansion of extractive activities without free, prior and informed consultation, the criminalization of those who defend our self-government systems and the free expression of community media, and the weakening of our own systems of self-government. This situation translates into persistent poverty, displacement and multiple forms of violence against our peoples.<\/p>\r\n <p>In this context, we call for urgent and reinforced action by the Special Rapporteur, in coordination with the Expert Mechanism and other international mechanisms, working together in a coordinated manner in order to demand from the Ecuadorian State and other States the effective fulfilment of their international obligations. It is imperative that concrete and verifiable measures be adopted, with an intercultural approach, to guarantee full respect for our rights and to close the historical gaps of exclusion. Indigenous peoples are not passive subjects under State guardianship; we are pre-existing peoples with the right to self-determination and to a life of dignity.<\/p>\r\n <p>We ask that work also be carried out in a coordinated manner with organizations across different countries, and we, for our part, will continue to resist, with your advocacy alongside us. Thank you very much.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <details class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion\">\r\n <summary>5. Closing<span class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-summary-meta\">Final remarks by the Special Rapporteur<\/span><\/summary>\r\n <div class=\"unpfii-2026-accordion-body\">\r\n\r\n <h4 class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-heading\">Dr. Albert K. Barume<\/h4>\r\n <span class=\"unpfii-2026-speaker-affiliation\">Current Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples \u00b7 Closing remarks<\/span>\r\n\r\n <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo\" src=\"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/forum25\/albert-barume-05.png\" alt=\"Dr. Albert K. Barume closing the 25th anniversary panel.\">\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-inline-photo-caption\">Special Rapporteur Barume closing the panel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n <p>Regrettably, that brings us to the end of this event. As you can see, we did not even have interpretation in the closing minutes. But allow me to say three brief things by way of conclusion.<\/p>\r\n <p>First, to thank the panellists here, the two former Special Rapporteurs, and through Jennifer to thank the third Special Rapporteur. I am grateful, humbled, honoured and inspired by what has been shared. I wish we had had more time to reflect, because these contributions are deeply important for me as I work to adapt the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to the current global context.<\/p>\r\n <p>Second, I would like to thank the colleagues who were behind all of this, and the partners that supported this event and continue to support the mandate.<\/p>\r\n <p>And third, I want to thank all of you once again for being here. Thank you and good afternoon.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/details>\r\n\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <section class=\"unpfii-2026-closing\">\r\n <h2>25 years of the mandate<\/h2>\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-closing-text\">The 25th anniversary does not close a cycle: it opens one. At a moment when the rules-based international order is under pressure, sustaining the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples means preserving a singular tool of protection, of normative interpretation, and, above all, of genuine listening to Indigenous voices.<\/p>\r\n <\/section>\r\n\r\n <p class=\"unpfii-2026-footnote\">Edited transcript of the side event held on 23 April 2026 during the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII).<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<\/body>\r\n<\/html>\r\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 23 April 2026, within the framework of the 25th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the side event “25 Years Advancing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: Impact, Lessons Learned, and Future of the Special Rapporteur’s Mandate” was held at the UN Headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5251,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seminars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5224"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5260,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5224\/revisions\/5260"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unsr.albertbarume.org\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}