The complexity of the international environmental legal landscape may be mirrored only by that of human rights. Whereas fundamental human rights have been rigorously developed over the past several decades, the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities are a relatively new site of struggle in international law. The most progressive instrument, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, was adopted only in 2007.

Natural Justice began engaging in international human rights fora in 2011 through the 4th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The focus of this session was Indigenous peoples and the right to participate in decision-making. We strive to engage more concertedly in subsequent sessions of the Expert Mechanism, as well as in the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and, where possible, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples. Ensuring synergies and cross-linkages between international human rights and environmental frameworks is of critical importance and we aim to leverage gains related to community rights in both.