On April 20-May 1, 2026, the 26th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) will take place at the UN Headquarters in New York. This year’s session theme will focus on "Ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ health, including in the context of conflict.”
After decades of Indigenous leaders pushing for inclusion and representation at the United Nations, on July 28, 2000, the UNPFII was established as a high-level advisory body to the UN Economic and Social Council by resolution 2000/22. Since 2002, the UNPFII has been meeting annually.
The UNPFII can be utilized by Indigenous Peoples to raise awareness, bring policy change to other UN bodies, and influence how Indigenous rights are implemented at the local and national levels. Over the past 25 years, the UNPFII has coordinated and commissioned over 65 studies and reports and 60 publications. Members of the Forum have worked on drafting policies for UN agencies and have made recommendations to other UN bodies.
Some of the greatest achievements over the past two decades have been the networking and alliances built among Indigenous delegates and representatives from all over the world. The relationships, partnerships, and friendships built are core to the global Indigenous rights movement. Aside from the official talks, interventions, panels, official side events, and parallel events, what really also needs to be elevated are the side conversations in the hallways between delegations, UN agencies, funders, and State representatives. This is where true change happens.
1. Join the conversation!
What are the pressing issues affecting your Indigenous community?
Create a short video and post it on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Facebook using #UNPFII #UNPFII25 #WeAreIndigenous #Proud2BIndigenous #SomosIndígenas #NousSommesAutochtones
Share your photos from this year's and the past UNPFIIs using the same hashtags.
2. Watch the Livestream of the UNPFII.
Opening ceremony of the Forum will be streamed at webtv.un.org.
Monday, April 20, 2026 11:00am.
3. Attend a UNPFII side event.
The full list of side events will be posted here for delegates who will be attending the UNPFII.
Join Cultural Survival at these events below:
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 10:00–11:15
UN Headquarters NYC Room: CR-5
Reprisals Against Indigenous Human Rights Defenders: The Misuse of Security and Restrictive Legislation
Organizer: International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia
Languages: English, Russian
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 13:15-14:30
UN Headquarters, NYC Room: CR-F
Defending the Defenders: Protecting Indigenous Defenders in a Context of Escalating Criminalization, Violence, and Threats
Indigenous rights defenders and environmental protectors face unprecedented levels of violence globally due to their actions in defense of territory, which seek to protect the lives and health of all living beings. Extractive projects have devastating physical and mental health consequences for communities in those territories, and defenders face additional violations of their right to health: land and environmental defenders continue to be criminalized, disappeared, and killed at alarming rates, with Indigenous defenders disproportionately represented among the victims despite comprising only 6.2% of the world's population. This event will feature a moderated discussion with Indigenous defenders and civil society organizations working on Indigenous defenders’ protection. It will highlight the escalating threats and amplify Indigenous voices and testimonies on protection needs and community-led strategies, with particular emphasis on the disproportionate impact of this violence on Indigenous women defenders.
Speakers:
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Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez, Member of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
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Dr. Anexa Alfred Cunningham (Miskitu), UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Member
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Mariana Kiimi Ortiz (Ñuu Savi/Mixteca), Cultural Survival Adocacy Program Assistant
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José Silva (Wayuu), Indigneous Rights Defender from Colombia
- Moderator: Alicia Moncada (Wayuu), Cultural Survival Director of Advocacy and Communications
Organizer: Cultural Survival
Languages: English, Spanish
4. Follow Discussions from the Indigenous Media Zone.
The Secretariat of the Permanent Forum (SPFII) and the Department of Global Communications (DGC), in partnership with Cultural Survival, is organizing an Indigenous Media Zone during the 25th session of the Permanent Forum in 2026. This will allow Indigenous media, journalists and platforms an opportunity to report on the session through Indigenous worldviews, perspectives and languages and organize media events around the theme of the session. Further, in line with the International Decade on Indigenous Languages, the Indigenous Media Zone will aim to encourage the participation of Indigenous media practitioners in a wide variety of Indigenous languages from different regions. Several panels and interviews will be livestreamed on facebook.com/culturalsurvival and www.youtube.com/@culturalsurvival1972.
A preliminary schedule is available here.
The Indigenous Media Zone will be located in the UN Correspondents Association Room (3rd floor, Secretariat building, S-310) from Monday to Friday, April 20-24, 2026, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.
5. Attend a Parallel Event (open to the public)
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 9AM-4PM
Indigenous Peoples Craft Fair
UN Church Center (2nd Floor),
777 United Nations Plaza, NY, NY
Link to more information here.
