News, events and stories on indigenous and tribal peoples

  1. Food security

    Impact of COVID-19 on people’s livelihoods, their health and our food systems

    13 October 2020

    Joint statement by ILO, FAO, IFAD and WHO.

  2. VIRTUAL EVENT : 13 October 2020. 09:00 New York time

    Building back better: Indigenous Peoples’ Voices in the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Inequalities and discrimination experienced by the world’s over 476 million indigenous and tribal peoples are now exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the United Nations General Assembly held its annual discussion on the rights of indigenous peoples, the ILO joined partners of the Indigenous Navigator initiative in hosting a webinar to hear from indigenous representatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America about their perspectives on building an inclusive and sustainable COVID-19 response.

  3. Forced labour

    Justices of the Peace, allies in the fight against forced labour in Peru

    17 February 2020

    As part of its efforts to eliminate forced labour in Peru’s Amazon region, the ILO is working in collaboration with the most affected communities.

  4. © John Isaac / UN Photo 2024

    Rights of indigenous peoples

    Urgent action needed to tackle poverty and inequalities facing indigenous peoples

    03 February 2020

    Thirty years after the adoption of the only international Convention on the rights of indigenous peoples, a new ILO report finds they are still more likely to be poor and face particular hardships in the world of work.

  5. Media advisory

    New report assesses situation of world’s indigenous and tribal peoples

    29 January 2020

  6. News

    ILO shares its orientation tool on coops with indigenous women entrepreneurs at WIPO training

    18 November 2019

  7. Event

    ILO and Partners Celebrate International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples 2019

    The International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples was celebrated in Bangladesh on 6 August 2019 at an event organized by The Indigenous Peoples Forum and Kapaeeng Foundation the ILO, UNDP, Australian Aid, and Royal Danish Embassy all attended the event.

  8. Event

    International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples 2019

    There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across more than 70 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the world’s poor. Yet they protect nearly 80 per cent of the Earth’s biodiversity. The ILO has been engaged with indigenous and tribal peoples’ issues since the 1920s. It is responsible for the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), the only international treaty open for ratification that deals exclusively with their rights.

  9. Side Event at the 18th Session of the UNPFII

    Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169): “Learning and looking ahead”

  10. Side Event at the 18th Session of the UNPFII

    Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change: Emerging Research on Traditional Knowledge and Livelihoods