The ILO collaborates with the Indigenous Fellowship Programme organized by the Minorities and Indigenous Unit of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The aim of this programme is to give indigenous peoples the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the UN system and its mechanisms dealing with human rights, in particular with indigenous issues, so that these Fellows may subsequently help their organizations, communities and people protect and promote their rights.
Each year, four groups of indigenous fellows (English, Spanish, French and Russian-speaking) are invited to Geneva, where they are given the opportunity to participate in the activities organized by OHCHR and other UN agencies. The ILO contributes to the fellowship programme by inviting all four language groups to a 1-2 week training programme in the ILO. The ILO component of the programme provides the fellows with a comprehensive knowledge of the ILO’s mandate, standards and mechanisms. The programme has a special focus on Conventions Nos. 107 and 169, but also addresses other international labour standards of particular relevance for indigenous peoples (discrimination, child labour, forced labour) as well as employment and economic development.