The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was honored to participate in the 24th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), held from April 22 to May 2, 2025. In partnership with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), NCAI delivered interventions focused on strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples across the UN system, advancing the protection of Indigenous Peoples’ intellectual property rights, and ensuring sustainable financing for Indigenous engagement in multilateral forums.
During the session’s discussion on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, NCAI emphasized the need for deliberate, sustained, and inclusive action to fully realize the ends of the Declaration.
Finally, during the thematic dialogue on financing Indigenous Peoples’ participation, NCAI underscored the tangible impacts that even modest investments in the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the UN can make. NCAI called for UN entities, Member States, and the private sector to institutionalize sustainable financial support for the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN, including through consistent funding of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous Coordinating Body, and other critical mechanisms.
Together, these interventions reflect NCAI’s continued commitment to advancing Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination, strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples at all levels of decision-making, and ensuring that international commitments translate into meaningful action.
NCAI thanks the Permanent Forum, Indigenous delegates, and our partners for their continued efforts to center Indigenous Peoples' voices in the work of the United Nations and beyond, and we look forward to continuing this critical advocacy in the years ahead.
Read the Interventions:
