Documenting the human rights situation of indigenous peoples

We are over 5000
different indigenous peoples worldwide,

comprising 476 milion individuals
in 90 countries.

All indigenous communities
are culturally distinct,

but we face many of the same
human rights challenges.

Across the globe,

we experience discrimination,
marginalization,

and exclusion from political processes
and decision making that affect our lives.

Our rights to lands,
territories, and natural resources

are often not respected.

This severely impacts our livelihoods,
food security, and well-being.

We are also three times more likely
than other people

to live in extreme poverty,

making us more vulnerable
to the impact of climate change

and to the devastating effects
of COVID-19.

It is critical to document
and raise awareness

about our human rights situation.

That's why the Indigenous Navigator
was created,

to provide a set of tools
to monitor the recognition

and implementation
of our rights worldwide.

The Indigenous Navigator is developed

by a number of indigenous peoples
and human rights organizations.

The online tools and resources
help indigenous communities

to collect data on the community
and the national situation.

The tools cover essential thematic areas.

These include
rights to self determination,

lands, territories, and resources,

as well as health and education.

Monitoring of the UN Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous People

and other human rights
and labor instruments

are built into the tools,

and so are all
the sustainable development goals

related to indigenous peoples' rights.

Thereby, the Indigenous Navigator
can be used to monitor

both the most important
human rights instruments

and the sustainable development goals.

The collected data is presented

in comprehensive
national and community reports,

and can be visualized, explored,

and compared in our our online portal.

By documenting
and reporting our own situations,

we can enhance our access
to justice and development,

and help document the situation
of indigenous peoples globally.

Indigenous communities can use the data
to advocate for their rights

at the local, national,
and international level.

It can also help
to hold states accountable

by monitoring their compliance with
or failure to meet

human rights obligations
with regards to indgenous peoples.

Many indigenous communities

have already benefited
from the Indigenous Navigator's tools.

One of these is Okani, a community-based,

indigenous organization,
located in Cameroon.

Using the tool to collect data
at the community level,

Okani was able to record
the number of community members

who don't have birth certificates
and national identity cards.

Without these documents,
they are unable to vote,

apply for jobs
or move freely around the country.

This data provided Okani
with important advocacy materials,

which helped them to take action.

In this way, the Indigenous Navigator

can support and strengthen
the self determined governments

and empower us to claim our rights.

For more information,
go online at indigenousnavigator.org