The UN’s International Labor Organization adopted the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention in 1989. This document was created to protect and promote the cultural, political, and economic rights of indigenous and tribal persons. Importantly, it also protects tribal peoples’ right to own and use the land they live on and to contribute to the decision-making process regarding projects that take place on these lands.
Unlike the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (adopted in 2007), the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention is a legally-binding document. As of 2018, the convention has only been ratified by 23 states.
Member Of the Huli indigenous group in Papua New Guinea (photo by Jordan Donaldson via Unsplash)