Report submitted by UNESCO to the 19th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) 13 - 24 April 2020 Executive summary: In 2017, the Executive Board of UNESCO noted with satisfaction its Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples, a policy that harmonises the mandated programme work of UNESCO with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. During 2019, all Sectors of UNESCO engaged in activities related to the IYIL2019. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) served as the lead UN agency for the organization of the International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019, which is covered in a separate report to the UNPFII. In October 2019, the Director General appointed Mexican actress, Ms. Yalitza Aparicio, as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples. Her priorities are on human rights, dignity, indigenous languages, and the rights of domestic workers. Each Sector of UNESCO has contributed to the implementation of the UNDRIP System-wide Action Plan (SWAP). Some Regional Offices have been particularly engaged, owing to their circumstances. Notably, Santiago Office has been working on intercultural and multilingual education including the mobilization of indigenous knowledge systems. Montevideo Office has been concentrating on indigenous engagement in the Man and Biosphere programme, including indigenous knowledge and culture components. Bangkok Office has been engaged in a series of education events including on multilingualism and inclusivity. The Paris Headquarters has focused on indigenous knowledge of biodiversity, ecosystems and climate change. Contributing to the work plan of the UNFCCC Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP). The Natural Sciences Sector hosts the IPBES Technical Support Unit on Indigenous and Local Knowledge (TSU on ILK). This has facilitated numerous dialogues between indigenous peoples and scientific authors. The interaction between IPBES, UNESCO and indigenous peoples is contributing to methodological norms which are relevant across the UN system. The World Heritage Convention has progressively addressed indigenous peoples’ issues in the Operational Guidelines, revised again at the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee held in Baku, Azerbaijan in June. The International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage is a self- constituted body which officially engages with the WH Committee and Centre. This year, there was a major side event with indigenous peoples on the role of languages and knowledge systems in site conservation. The 2003 Convention on Safeguarding Culture Heritage also organized a forum with indigenous peoples during its 14th Session of the Committee in Bogota, Colombia in December 2019. With the support of the Social and Human Sciences Sector, the International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities – ICCAR, has taken resolutions specific to the rights of indigenous peoples and inclusivity. In the celebration of the International Year of Indigenous Languages issues related to multilingualism and linguistic diversity of indigenous peoples have been highlighted by the Communication and Information Sector in cooperation with other sectors. An Intersectoral Working Group on Indigenous Peoples helps share information within UNESCO on indigenous peoples’ engagement, including promotion of the policy. In this report to the 19th session of the UNPFII, we have attempted to provide an overview of how indigenous peoples are engaged in UNESCO’s work and through which mechanisms. UNESCO is unique in the diversity of its mandates and in the decentralization of its operations around the globe. Indigenous peoples engage in specific programmes, activities, platforms, Conventions, Commissions and consultative forums. A. Recommendations of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Recommendation on the preparation of a strategic outcome document of the 2019 International Year at the General Assembly (paragraph 18 of the Report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its Eighteenth session) Recommendation on the elaboration of a report on the implementation of the International Year of Indigenous Languages on the basis of the action plan for organizing it (paragraph 19 of the Report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its Eighteenth session) Recommendation on the development of a platform within the agency to ensure that UNESCO languages programmes provide tangible benefits to indigenous communities and ensure that indigenous peoples are active in all aspects of the work of UNESCO (paragraph 24 of the Report of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its Eighteenth session) Indigenous Peoples are major stakeholders for UNESCO’s mandate, as holders of rich and unique knowledge systems, traditions and languages that constitute an important segment of human cultural diversity. UNESCO recognizes that indigenous peoples can give a valuable contribution to its mandate in the fields of education, natural and social sciences, culture, and communication and, in order to reflect their important in its work, UNESCO has engaged with them in several manners. UNESCO recognizes the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and intends to strengthen the alignment the activities on indigenous peoples with that international standard. The UNESCO Policy on the engagement with indigenous peoples1 aims at guaranteeing that UNESCO’s policies, planning, programming and implementation align with the UNDRIP in all areas of its mandate, that involve or are relevant for indigenous peoples and of potential benefit or risk to them. UNESCO recognizes the importance of and encourages working together with indigenous peoples in the implementation of its programme, and that the latter reflects the needs and 1 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000262748; https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000262748_fre 2 concerns these diverse peoples. For this reason, the organisation has developed several types of engagement with a range of indigenous peoples, communities, organizations, advisers and experts in several areas of its work, including policy-making, and technical consultations, and at different stages of the implementation of the programme, including its inception, and implementation, strengthening stakeholders’ capacities. In order to provide a response to the Recommendation of the UN Permanent Forum, UNESCO initiated a mapping of the different entry points in which indigenous peoples are involved or participate in UNESCO’s work. This baseline helps both UNESCO and indigenous peoples consider the opportunities for further engagement and a systematic approach to participation. 1) Indigenous peoples involvement as experts Indigenous peoples can provide a valuable contribution to UNESCO’s work programme2. For every sector, insights from indigenous experts constitute a critical component to improve the organization’s expertise and the implementation of its mandate. A range of indigenous persons, organizations and networks already participate in the meetings and activities of the Sectors, in most of the countries in which UNESCO has presence. Below are examples on how indigenous experts have been involved in different programmatic activities in UNESCO work. Education The “Inclusion, Mobility, and Multilingual Education Conference” held from 24 to 26 September, 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, included 19 presentations related to indigenous peoples or languages and 24 non-dominant language speakers/indigenous language speakers. The conference committee also included 3 indigenous language speakers as plenary speakers. In order to ensure indigenous peoples’ participation, the conference organizing committee included indigenous peoples from Pakistan, Myanmar and Thailand to be part of the abstract review committee and the conference scholarship committee prioritized indigenous people during the selection process. UNESCO Bangkok also worked with the Mexican Embassy in Thailand to invite indigenous experts from Mexico to share their experience in preserving indigenous languages. In the framework of the Asia Pacific Multilingual Education Working Group (AP MLE WG), many indigenous peoples are individual members or partners who directly work with indigenous peoples to ensure indigenous peoples’ participation. This Working Group, facilitated by the UNESCO Bangkok Office, has permanent mechanisms to address language of instruction issues for ethnolinguistic minority communities (including indigenous peoples) in the region. Indigenous people join our AP MLE WG meetings and activities. 2 UNESCO’s programme is guided by its strategic documents. The Medium-Term Strategy (document C/4) is adopted every six years, and sets out the strategic vision and programmatic framework, including the overarching and strategic programme objectives together with expected outcomes for the Organization. It is built around a mission statement, guiding UNESCO’s action across all its areas of competence. The biennial Programme and Budget (document C/5) defines for each Major Programme and other Programme Sectors and Central Services, the objectives, strategies, expected results and financial allocations, broken down by Main Line of Action (MLA). The expected results are defined for each MLA, complemented, as necessary, by performance indicators and benchmarks. The C/5 document also contains provisions for a certain number of intersectoral platforms. 3 The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America