Credit: WHO/Sergio Abarca Fuente
From left to right: Pauliina Nykanen-Rettaroli, Senior Technical Lead on Human Rights, WHO; Geoffrey Roth, Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII); Binota Moy Dhamai, Member of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP); Emma Rawson Te-Patu, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations
At an interactive side event during the 24th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), Indigenous leaders, health experts and advocates gathered to explore the guiding principles and priority areas for actions that will shape the Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the health of Indigenous Peoples. Co-hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Permanent Mission of Brazil, the event marked a step in advancing World Health Assembly Resolution 76.16, which calls for stronger rights-based action to address health disparities faced by Indigenous Peoples worldwide. Moderated by Geoffrey Roth (Lakota, Standing Rock and Member of the UNPFII), speakers and participants at the event emphasized that the GPA must be developed with Indigenous Peoples, not for them, and must reflect Indigenous conceptualizations of health, considering self-determination, culturally grounded healing systems and ancestral knowledge.
A major theme of the event was the need for Indigenous leadership to guide the design, implementation and monitoring of the Global Plan, with speakers emphasizing that Indigenous Peoples, including those at the grassroots level, must be meaningfully involved. "Access means a meaningful and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, including in this WHO global action plan," said Binota Moy Dhamai, member of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP). "Their right to self-determination, protection of their land and territory, recognition of knowledge systems on traditional medicine, and Indigenous-led governance are crucial for maintaining Indigenous Peoples' health." Some concerns were raised about access to global mechanisms, which are often not user friendly and can exclude entire communities of people. Many highlighted the urgent need for Indigenous Peoples to be included in key discussions.
Discussions also emphasized that Indigenous Peoples' full conceptualizations of health, including the holistic connection rooted in balance with the land, spirit and communities, must be central to the GPA. "As an Indigenous woman, I don't speak about myself first but about my land, my place, my ancestors," said Emma Rawson Te-Patu, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations. Such a holistic conceptualization includes addressing mental health concerns in ways that are community-informed and safeguard Indigenous medicinal knowledge and practices. It also involves the protection and promotion of traditional medicine systems as a whole; the safeguarding of Indigenous lands and languages; and the centring and embedding of ancestral knowledge into universal health coverage (UHC) and climate resilience strategies. Health systems must acknowledge not only individuals but also their ancestors, lands and communities as essential sources of healing and knowledge.
Speakers called for practical collaboration across UN agencies and international frameworks to avoid fragmentation. WHO was urged to coordinate closely with related initiatives on biodiversity, traditional medicine and knowledge, climate change and desertification. WHO's Global Traditional Medicine Centre was identified as an important mechanism to support the delivery of the Global Plan.
Another strong recommendation was the establishment of a high-level Indigenous advisory body to guide and oversee the Plan's development and implementation. Such a body would safeguard and promote human rights-based approaches to health, informed consent and sustainable Indigenous-led community funding mechanisms in implementing and monitoring the GPA.
This event marked a clear call to move beyond dialogue and toward broader and sustained accountable partnerships that centre Indigenous voices in shaping their own health and well-being. It also emphasized the need for global and country health strategies to honour Indigenous knowledge and resilience. As Geoffrey Roth noted in his opening remarks, "We have the wisdom. We have the solutions. What we need now is sustained commitment."
