United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

What United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues does

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) is a subsidiary advisory body of the UN Economic and Social Council, established by ECOSOC resolution 2000/22 in 2000 and mandated to provide expert advice and recommendations on indigenous issues relating to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights. The Forum holds annual sessions in New York where 16 independent expert members (nominated by governments and elected by ECOSOC) and representatives of indigenous peoples' organizations participate directly, producing recommendations directed at the UN system, member states, indigenous peoples, and civil society.

The underlying operating platform is the broader United Nations system, headquartered in New York with major duty stations in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna. The UN operates comprehensive information management systems, a multilingual digital ecosystem (un.org, UN News, UN Web TV, podcasts), and a network of specialized agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, FAO, ILO, UNESCO, UNEP, IMO, UNCTAD, WFP) coordinated through ECOSOC and the UN Chief Executives Board. Foundational instruments include the UN Charter (1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the Statute of the International Court of Justice; more than 560 multilateral treaties are deposited with the Secretary-General.

The business model is non-commercial and intergovernmental. The parent UN system is funded primarily through assessed contributions from 193 member states (a regular budget, peacekeeping budget, and voluntary contributions to agencies and funds), with no commercial pricing structure for its core functions. UNPFII itself has no separately disclosed revenue stream and operates within the UN regular budget envelope. The "customers" are member-state governments, vulnerable populations reached through humanitarian and development programming, and accredited civil society and academic stakeholders. Distribution is multilateral: directly through principal organs and specialized agencies, via peacekeeping missions and humanitarian coordination (OCHA, WFP, UNHCR, UNICEF), and through a worldwide network of UN Information Centres.

Name

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Legal name

United Nations

Website

https://un.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an ECOSOC subsidiary advisory body, established in 2000, that provides expert recommendations to the UN system, member states, and indigenous peoples on economic, social, cultural, environmental, educational, and human rights issues affecting indigenous populations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Policy Coordination

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tribal/Indigenous Public Health Authorities (HLAJAAAD), Land Use, Indigenous & Community Engagement Policy (EUAMANAL)

Keywords

• Intergovernmental policy forum
• Indigenous peoples advocacy
• Multilateral diplomatic dialogue
• Human rights advisory
• Sustainable development coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Assessed Contributions from Member States: Member states pay assessed contributions based on a scale of ability to pay, as determined by the General Assembly. These contributions fund the regular budget of the organization, peacekeeping operations, and core programs.
2. Voluntary Contributions and Donations: Member states and private donors provide voluntary contributions to specialized agencies, funds, and programs including UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, and humanitarian appeals. The UN also accepts donations from the public through its donation system.
3. Peacekeeping Operations Funding: Separate peacekeeping budget funded through assessments on member states, with the Security Council authorizing peacekeeping missions and their budgets.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body of the UN Economic and Social Council mandated to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights. It holds annual sessions where indigenous peoples' representatives and member states dialogue directly, producing recommendations and policy advice to ECOSOC and other UN bodies.

Product overview

The United Nations operates as a multi-platform digital ecosystem providing global information services, multilateral coordination tools, and public engagement platforms. The core offerings include the UN Sustainable Development Goals platform with its ActNow campaign, UN Web TV for multimedia content delivery, UN News for multilingual journalism, the SDG Book Club for youth education, and the Awake at Night podcast. These products work together to fulfill the UN's mission of maintaining international peace, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development, and upholding international law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ActNow Campaign: UN campaign to inspire people to take action on the Sustainable Development Goals through the ActNow app and website platform.
• UN Peacekeeping
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Products and services

• UNPFII Annual Sessions Annual mandated sessions of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues providing a formal multilateral platform for indigenous peoples' representatives and UN member states to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights. Outputs include recommendations to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• Recommendations to ECOSOC on Indigenous Issues Formal advisory recommendations issued by the UNPFII to the UN Economic and Social Council covering the six mandated areas: economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health, and human rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 1 million women and men have served as UN peacekeepers since 1948
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UN System OrganizationscoreOthersThe UN system comprises multiple specialized agencies, funds, programs, and departments that work together to address global challenges. Key agencies include UNDP (development), UNICEF (children), UNHCR (refugees), WHO (health), FAO (food/agriculture), ILO (labor), UNESCO (education/culture), UNEP (environment), and IMO (maritime), among many others. These entities operate under the coordination of the UN Chief Executives Board and ECOSOC.
• 193 UN Member StatescoreOthersAll 193 UN member states participate in the General Assembly with equal representation and voting rights. Member states fund the organization through assessed contributions, participate in peacekeeping operations, and implement UN resolutions and programs domestically. Each state has obligations under the UN Charter.
• International Court of JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, located at the Peace Palace in The Hague. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by UN organs. All UN member states are parties to the ICJ Statute.
• Civil Society OrganizationsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNGOs with ECOSOC consultative status engage with UN processes, provide expertise, implement programs, and advocate for issues. Thousands of NGOs worldwide participate in UN conferences, provide input to resolutions, and help implement sustainable development goals at local levels.
• Private Sector PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanies engage with the UN through Global Compact initiatives, sustainable development partnerships, procurement contracts, and cause marketing campaigns. The UN Global Compact includes thousands of companies committed to sustainable and socially responsible policies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• World Health Organization (WHO): UN specialized agency for health, including indigenous health initiatives and traditional medicine. WHO shares UNPFII's indigenous health mandate at the operational level but as a much broader agency.
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): UN system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. UNPFII's indigenous-environment mandate overlaps with UNEP's work on biodiversity, conservation, and indigenous land rights.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme): The UN's global development network operating in 170+ countries. UNDP implements indigenous-inclusive development programs at country level and is a frequent partner/co-implementer of UNPFII recommendations.

Direct peers

• UN Human Rights Council: Intergovernmental body within the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights. UNPFII's recommendations frequently feed into Council processes including the Universal Periodic Review.
• UNESCO: UN specialized agency for education, culture and communication. UNPFII's mandate over indigenous culture, languages, and education overlaps directly with UNESCO's Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) program.
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: The principal UN body mandated to promote and protect human rights globally. UNPFII's human-rights mandate overlaps directly with OHCHR, which leads UN engagement on indigenous rights including the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency setting labour standards, including ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples — the only binding international treaty specifically addressing indigenous rights. UNPFII coordinates with ILO on indigenous economic and social development.
• UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent: UN advisory body established in 2021 under the Human Rights Council, structured similarly to UNPFII as a permanent forum addressing a specific population's rights. Directly comparable in mandate, structure, and advisory function.

Emerging players

• Cultural Survival: Indigenous-led NGO with consultative status at the UN (ECOSOC) advocating for indigenous peoples' rights and supporting community-based development. Functions as a civil-society counterpart that frequently channels indigenous voices into UNPFII sessions.
• Survival International: Global non-governmental organization advocating for indigenous peoples' rights, particularly tribal/isolated peoples. Comparable as an advocacy body pushing indigenous issues into international policy debate, though operating outside the intergovernmental system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/un
• YouTubeyoutube.com/unitednations
• Facebookfacebook.com/unitednations
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitednations
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-nations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues