April 21, 2026, New York—The following statement was issued today from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Pawanka Fund, and the Inclusive Conservation Academy at the 25th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII):

“Recognition and respect for Indigenous values of relationship, reciprocity and reconciliation are necessary for conservation that is effective, just and durable. Indigenous Peoples health and well-being are not separate aims, but conditions under which conservation efforts gain legitimacy and persist over time.

“Indigenous Peoples understanding of health and well-being is profoundly and inseparably linked to their spiritual, cultural, and ancestral connections to lands and territories, distinct systems of governance, customary laws, collective identity, and more broadly to the planet.  

“The importance of Indigenous values and visions cannot be overstated as these have led to the sustenance of many high integrity ecosystems, including one quarter of the world’s peatlands which fall on Indigenous Peoples lands. Their territories not only protect biodiversity, but also store carbon which benefits our planet by slowing down and mitigating the impact of climate change, as well as contributing to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.  This worldview also dovetails with the One Health framework that the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) employs to address interconnected health issues across our global portfolio.. 

“As a global conservation organization WCS has developed this understanding through longstanding relationships with Indigenous Peoples and our practice at the  intersection of wildlife health, biodiversity conservation, and human well-being.  We know that health emerges from a broader approach of protecting the integrity of socio-ecological systems which humanity depends upon.  There is ample evidence to demonstrate that ecosystem degradation leads to an increase in morbidity and mortality, while also increasing the likelihood of zoonotic transmission of pathogens from wildlife to humans. Further, the negative impacts of pollution through extractive activities such as mining have led to mercury contamination of rivers and water systems.”

“All of this underscores that the environmental sector is not peripheral but foundational to our collective health and well-being. And protecting nature is a primary medical intervention that reduces spillover risk, stabilizes disease dynamics, and delivers co-benefits for climate, biodiversity, and human well-being.  

“WCS continues to meet with and learn from community-based efforts rooted in co-production approaches that can help us address challenges through a One Health lens. Such gatherings involve a diversity of actors including community representatives, Tribal members, scientists, public health professionals, university researchers, state agencies, and other non-profit entities.  

“Indigenous Peoples health and well-being is deeply relevant to the Pawanka Fund because it provides a framework for addressing structural inequities while centering traditional knowledge, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and self-determination. Indigenous communities globally experience disproportionate burdens of preventable illness, environmental degradation, and barriers to care that are rooted in colonization and ongoing social, economic and political marginalization. And Indigenous women, as holders of traditional knowledge, continue to struggle for land tenure often facing gender-based violence coupled with exclusion from health systems.  

“Pawanka has been using the intercultural health approach to support communities that are implementing health initiatives. Its support highlights shared patterns across borders, creates opportunities for cross-community learning, advocacy, and coordinated investment in solutions designed and governed by Indigenous Peoples themselves.

“Collectively we have been reflecting on furthering a common agenda within the conservation and human rights space that gives shape to interculturality, co-design, and honors self-determination. Based on learnings from this space, we believe that it is essential for UN Member States and other entities to develop a deeper understanding of why Indigenous Peoples’ health, well-being, and cultural integrity are inseparably tied to their lands, territories, and traditional knowledge systems.  We therefore request the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to urge Member States to:

1. Uphold and center Indigenous Peoples worldviews and traditional knowledge systems as foundational to a wholistic approach to health and well-being: It is important to actively dismantle hierarchical structures in knowledge production that exclude, marginalize, and subordinate Indigenous Peoples worldviews and traditional knowledge systems, including their traditional medicines and maintenance of their health practices. In doing so it is important to respect their sovereignty, work on co-design, as well as ensure their full and effective integration into health, environmental, and development policies without discrimination, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Articles 24, 31 and 34. 
    
2. Guarantee full and effective recognition of Indigenous Peoples rights to lands, territories and resources, while committing to end forced relocation and the displacement of Indigenous Peoples: It is essential to strengthen and harmonize national legal frameworks that recognize Indigenous Peoples as rights holders with full rights to their customary, traditional, and collective lands and territories in line with UNDRIP Articles 25 and 26. Where processes for the recognition, adjudication, and registration of Indigenous Peoples lands, territories, and resources exist, Member States must actively remove structural and administrative barriers to implementation, provide adequate logistical and technical assistance, and establish effective inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms to eliminate delays and legal ambiguity. 
   
   The forced removal of Indigenous Peoples from their lands and territories constitutes a profound violation of their collective rights, creates conflict, threatens their cultural survival, spiritual integrity, intergenerational transmission of knowledge, and wholistic well-being.  We therefore request the Permanent Forum to urge Member States to uphold obligations under international law, including UNDRIP Articles 10 and 28, by committing to the absolute prohibition of forced relocation and physical displacement of Indigenous Peoples from their lands and territories, while recognizing that any relocation or resettlement may only be undertaken upon the voluntary request of Indigenous Peoples themselves, and solely in response to political instability or hazardous conditions posing serious risks to life, health, or safety.
    
3. Ensure Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC): It is essential to uphold and operationalize Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as a binding obligation for all projects, activities, and decisions that affect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, lands, territories, and resources. FPIC must be ensured at all stages and must reflect genuine consent obtained through Indigenous Peoples own representative institutions and decision-making processes. Member States must further establish clear national legislative and institutional mechanisms to implement FPIC and can draw upon detailed FPIC guidance and protocols developed with Indigenous Peoples.    
    
4. Take action to prevent and address conflicts affecting Indigenous Peoples by respecting their rights, protecting their lands, and including them in decisions that affect them. Peaceful and lasting solutions require listening to Indigenous voices and addressing the root causes of conflict.  This is line with UNDRIP, including Article 30, which affirms that military activities should not take place on Indigenous lands without their consent.
    
5. Ensure the protection and promotion of Indigenous Peoples health and well-being in the face of climate change: We urge Member States to recognize and uphold Indigenous Peoples rights in all climate change policies, frameworks, and initiatives, acknowledging that environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss have severe and disproportionate cumulative impacts on Indigenous Peoples lands, territories, resources, and overall well-being. This includes their central role in the design, implementation, and monitoring of climate initiatives and climate finance.  

“In order to ensure Indigenous Peoples health, including in the context of conflict, it is essential for Member States to uphold their obligations under UNDRIP and international law.”

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