At the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, the General Assembly requested the development of a system-wide action plan for a coherent approach to achieving the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Following months of consultation with indigenous peoples, member states and within the UN system, the Secretary-General shared a finalized system-wide action plan with heads of UN system agencies at the meeting of the United Nations Chief Executives Board in November 2015, where he encouraged them to make concerted efforts to implement the plan.

The system-wide action plan covers six action areas:

• Raise awareness on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and indigenous issues
• Support the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly at the country level
• Support the realization of indigenous peoples” rights in the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• Conduct a mapping exercise of existing policies, standards, guidelines, activities, resources and capacities within the UN and multilateral system to identify opportunities and gaps
• Develop capacities of states, indigenous peoples, civil society and UN personnel at all levels and
• Support the participation of indigenous peoples in processes that affect them.

The United Nations system is already at work implementing the action plan which will be introduced to indigenous peoples and member states at the 15th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Download the System-wide action plan here