"These tools help us claim our rights"
The Indigenous Navigator is funded by the European Union. It is led by a consortium consisting of:
- Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
- Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)
- The Danish Institute for Human Rights
- The International Work Group of Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)
- The Tebtebba Foundation
Indigenous people account for over 476 million individuals living in 90 different countries. They are culturally distinct but face many of the same human rights challenges. They are often excluded from political processes, and their rights to lands, territories and natural resources are often not respected. They are also more likely than other people to live in extreme poverty, making them more vulnerable to the impact of climate change, and to the devastating effects of COVID-19.
Collecting data and documenting their human rights and development situations is critical work towards enhancing their rights. In response to the need to document, monitor and address their situation, an online portal with a unique set of tools has recently been built by the Institute, in collaboration with a coalition of partners. The portal is called the Indigenous Navigator. It generates interactive visualisations of the collected data and comprehensive national and community reports.
The Indigenous Navigator is an important tool for the communities. It helps them and national organisations develop advocacy materials and claim their rights
Communities and civil society organisations in 11 countries have so far benefitted from the enhanced tools. Among them is OKANI, a community-based Indigenous NGO located in Cameroon in Africa.
‘The Indigenous Navigator is an important tool for the communities. It helps them and national organisations develop advocacy materials and claim their rights’ (Timothée Emini, Indigenous Navigator programme coordinator from OKANI).
Monitoring of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), other human rights and labour instruments as well as the Sustainable Development Goals is built into the tools. Thus, the Indigenous Navigator can be used in monitoring both the most important human rights instruments and the Sustainable Development Goals.