Indigenous Peoples and the right to development

Date: October 28, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 CET

Location: Tempus, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

Hosted by: United Nations Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMRTD), IBI Crosscultural Working Group

Who decides what development means for Indigenous Peoples? Too often, projects affecting their lands, cultures and livelihoods move forward without their free, prior and informed consent. From security operations to conservation and climate finance, initiatives presented as progress can undermine their rights and exclude their knowledge and governance systems. This discussion explores how self-determination can put Indigenous Peoples’ own priorities at the heart of development, turning good practices into concrete recommendations.

Moderator: Mr. Brian Keane, Member, EMRTD

Panelists

• Prof. Minerva Rivas Velarde, Lead, Disability and Health Lab, Geneva School of Health Science, The Institute for Ethics, History, and the Humanities, University of Geneva, and Coordinator of Europe and Central Asia of the Disability Data Initiative: Data Sovereignty models of e-consent and governance for Indigenous Peoples

• Mr. Antine Sonde, Indigenous representative, Burkina Faso

• Mr. Rémi Orsier, Indigenous Peoples’ Centre for Documentation, Research and Information

• Ms. Aluki Kotierk (video message), Chair, UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

• Ms. Valmaine Toki (video message), Chair, UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• A representative of a Member State (TBC)

Registration and Access
Please visit: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k14/k14lrxnn2c