Download the report here.

(Accompanying event on April 22 at 5:00pm Eastern Time)

NEW YORK CITY, New York— On Earth Day, the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) is launching a new policy brief, “Indigenous Rights are Vital to a Healthy and Just World.” The brief spotlights the critical role of Indigenous rights— especially the right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)— in halting destructive extractive industries and protecting global ecosystems.

Indigenous communities globally are facing escalating threats to their lives, land, and cultures from extractive industries, rising authoritarianism, and worsening climate disasters. As the primary stewards of the Earth’s biodiversity, Indigenous Peoples possess traditions of collective rights to lands and resources that are continually under threat due to harmful extraction and destructive energy projects. Within this context, the policy brief asserts that Indigenous rights “are not mere ideals but essential and constructive safeguards that must be upheld and actively implemented by governments and international institutions alike.”

The brief outlines how Indigenous rights are crucial to climate action, biodiversity protection, and global justice, and provides case studies of rights violations worldwide. It also offers concrete recommendations to governments to enact policies and procedures to uphold Indigenous rights, remedy rights violations, and advance safeguards for women land defenders.

The release coincides with the twenty-fourth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in New York City. It is accompanied by a special event featuring the leadership of Indigenous women from around the world. Please find the event details below.

Public Event - Protecting Land, Rights, and Future: Indigenous Women on the Frontlines of Climate Action and Earth Defense

Tuesday, April 22, 5:00 - 8:00 pm ET

777 United Nations Plaza, New York City, NY 10017

This is a public event; no UN accreditation is required

Please register and learn more about the speaker here.