Side event

Side Event to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Defending Territories, Protecting Defenders: The role of Indigenous-Led Documentation and Data Sovereignty

Organised by: Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI), ALMACIGA, IRAC

Event date: July 16, 2026, 14-15 hrs, Geneva Time

Venue: Conference Room XI, Building A. Palais des Nations

1. Background

Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) is an Indigenous-led international organization that works to prevent and address violence and criminalization against Indigenous Peoples that exercise or defend their human rights.  IPRI works with partners in all regions of the world to document human rights violations as a basis for advocacy at the domestic, regional and global levels and supports Indigenous human rights defenders under threat.

In the report and advice EMRIP developed in 2025 on Indigenous data, it was stated that Indigenous Peoples continue to face limited control over the collection, management, ownership, and use of data concerning their territories and realities. Existing data governance frameworks frequently place decision-making power in the hands of external actors, including States, corporations, researchers, and other institutions, often without adequate safeguards, accountability, or respect for Indigenous governance systems.

In many contexts, Indigenous Peoples have also experienced “research fatigue,” where communities are repeatedly asked to contribute information and knowledge without seeing meaningful improvements, tangible benefits, or protection outcomes. 

Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort to develop frameworks that respect Indigenous rights, promote equity and ensure that data governance aligns with Indigenous values and interests.

Therefore, IPRI would like to share with partners and experts the experiences on the ground and debate how the collection, storage and use of these data by Indigenous Peoples themselves can contribute to a stronger advocacy and protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Defenders, while sustaining a new narrative that values Indigenous Peoples’ rights and views. 

2.     Organizers

• Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)
• Almaciga
• IRAC

3.     Objectives of the side event

• Present the work of IPRI and its Indigenous partners in the documentation of violence and criminalization of Indigenous Peoples: IPRI’s database on violence and criminalization affecting Indigenous Peoples 
• Discuss the main challenges in the collection, verification, storage and use of Indigenous data on violence and discrimination
• Showcase the relevance of data collection and documentation as a tool for the defense of Indigenous Peoples’rights through its use in advocacy actions and prevention and protection responses, including in the work of UN Human Rights mechanisms

4.     Panellists

• TBC

• Moderation

The event will be moderated by Joan Carling., Executive Director, Indigenous Peoples Rights International