Regional Initiative on Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Development

Warm greetings from the UNDP Regional Initiative on Indigenous Peoples' Rights and Development (RIPP)!

Asia is a culturally diverse region and home to the largest number of indigenous peoples, who are often among the most marginalized and vulnerable groups in society. Given UNDP's mandate for inclusive approaches to development, the Regional Initiative was created to offer a neutral space to bring together governments, UNDP COs, agencies and indigenous peoples’ organizations/CSOs to dialogue and agree frameworks for cooperation.

Objectives:

RIPP encourages governments and indigenous peoples to cooperate closely in widening the development choices available to indigenous peoples. It seeks to ensure better integration of indigenous issues into national development processes and outcomes through the following inter-linked activities:

• Conducting policy dialogues on critical issues at the local, national and regional level;
• Providing policy advice and programming support for indigenous peoples rights and sustainable development; and
• Strengthening the capacity of indigenous peoples and governments in upholding and implementing indigenous rights.

RIPP was established in September 2004 within the framework of UNDP’s Policy of Engagement with Indigenous Peoples (2001). It has gained recognition as a unique initiative within the UN system and is identified in the UN Programme of Action for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (2005-2015).

The Regional Initiative will continue its work within the framework of UNDP’s regional cooperation framework for Asia-Pacific for 2008-2011. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provides guiding principles for its work, together with UNDP’s Policy of Engagement. This is further strengthened by the UN Development Group’s adoption of Guidelines to mainstream indigenous peoples’ issues into the work of the UN Country Teams (February 2008). The Regional initiative on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Development is part of the regional programming of UNDP through the Asia-Pacific Regional Centre. The RCB provides advice and technical support to the UNDP country offices within the region, covering some 25 countries in Asia-Pacific.