LocationsIndigenous leadership for a more sustainable, fair, and inclusive future
8 de Agosto de 2025
Ethnic and cultural diversity is one of Peru's greatest strengths, an inexhaustible source of innovation and a variety of voices that enrich the search for solutions. Within this diversity, indigenous peoples have their origins in times before the State, maintain their distinctive institutions, and possess a collective consciousness of having a common identity. According to the Ministry of Culture, there are 55 indigenous peoples in Peru, 51 of which are located in the Amazon and 4 in the Andes.
Indigenous peoples have the right to decide their own destiny, including their form of government and the management of their resources, as recognized by the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the International Labor Organization (ILO). Specifically, ILO Convention 169, signed and ratified by the Peruvian government, establishes the government's obligation to guarantee their effective participation in decisions that affect their lives.
In Peru, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) implements various initiatives alongside indigenous peoples throughout the country, with a mission to guarantee the full exercise of their rights, participation, representation, and that they are the ones who make decisions and take action about their futures. We share some of these initiatives below.
Indigenous federations: development partners
The power of indigenous organizations lies in their legitimacy, which comes from within the communities themselves. Each community elects its leaders, who in turn form federations representing a larger territory, creating a system of governance that connects local leadership with large-scale political advocacy.
The Sustainable Productive Landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon project, an initiative of the Peruvian government led by the Ministry of the Environment with technical support from the UNDP and funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), demonstrated that when working hand in hand with federations, the results are more sustainable and transformative. The project seeks to reduce deforestation and restore Amazonian forests through natural resource management and support for sustainable production systems. To fulfill this mission, it was clear that joint management with indigenous peoples, through their federations, was essential.
“The indigenous organization went from being a representative federation to an implementing federation in the territory. I believe that the issue of governance has gone a step further. This has allowed us to return to the territory, to be able to meet the needs of the indigenous population and, along the way, to articulate and strengthen ourselves as an organization.”
Juan Carlos Noli, Federation of Yanesha Native Communities
Agreements for the conservation of more than 42,000 hectares of forest and a 200% increase in production volumes for crops such as bananas, corn, cocoa, and cassava are just some of the results of community leadership and management. The federations even managed to join planning spaces such as the Concerted Regional Development Plans, a milestone that validated their political role in historically exclusionary processes.
The effective participation of indigenous peoples and decision-making from the territory are not only a right, but the most effective path toward a more sustainable future.
Click here to learn more about the Sustainable Productive Landscapes in the Peruvian Amazon project
The role of indigenous women in conflict prevention
Despite being key actors in the development of their communities, the participation of indigenous women in decision-making spaces is remarkably low. According to the Ombudsman's Office, only 5.4% of the presidencies in native communities are held by women, and their presence at dialogue tables barely reaches 17.3%.
According to figures from the Ombudsman's Office, more than 190 social conflicts are recorded each month in Peru. More than half of these cases are socio-environmental, a phenomenon that has a greater impact on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Fiorella Pérez, a leader within the Amazonian indigenous Kukama people, is well aware of this reality. She has witnessed how women's work is not recognized, even though their voices are essential for peace. The lack of female participation is not only a question of representation, but also a barrier to finding real and lasting solutions that benefit their communities and peoples.
“We know the reality of what is happening within the community, but we are not taken into account when it comes to solving problems or sitting down at the negotiating table to prevent these social conflicts from occurring.”
Fiorella Pérez, Kukama leader
To address this challenge, within the framework of the Rimanakuy project, a project by the UNDP, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Peru, with funding from the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), launched a grant competition for women's organizations in regions with high rates of social conflict. The winning initiatives developed an assessment of social conflicts and a capacity-building plan to train women to promote a culture of peace and dialogue.
In Iquitos, the organization Empowerment of Amazonian Girls and Women won this funding and worked with women leaders. Fiorella was part of this group that joined forces to create two Conflict Prevention Committees and has formalized the Loreto Women's Network. These spaces, driven by her leadership, demonstrate how dialogue, with the active participation of indigenous women, becomes an effective tool for building lasting peace from the ground up.
In the process of creating conditions to increase the presence of indigenous peoples in spaces for dialogue, a key actor is the Secretariat for Social Management and Dialogue of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (SGSD-PCM). During 2025, we will promote citizen consultations with the mission of participatively building the first National Multisectoral Policy for the Prevention and Management of Social Conflicts in Peru. This will consolidate a coherent public system that integrates different sectors and levels of government and is tailored to the needs of the territories and their forms of political participation.
Click here to learn more about Rimanakuy
Towards intercultural justice
The administration of indigenous justice is fundamental for the indigenous peoples of Peru, as it reflects their forms of organization, conflict resolution, and search for social harmony. Recognizing and strengthening these systems contributes to a truly intercultural justice system, where cultural diversity is respected and community knowledge is valued. In a country where 25% of the population identifies as indigenous, it is essential that their views and practices be recognized within the national justice system, thus promoting coexistence based on respect and equity.
Blas Navarro, from the Chopcca Nation, who has served as a justice of the peace in Acobamba, Huancavelica region, administered justice in cases of gender-based violence in his community, prioritizing listening to victims and avoiding revictimization. His outstanding work as a justice of the peace was selected as one of the best practices of justices of the peace in the Sumaq Justicia project, promoted by UNDP Peru, the Judicial Branch of Peru, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
“I have been responsible for coordinating with the Community Development Committee, which includes all the heads of institutions such as the community lieutenant and president, the National Police, and the Public Prosecutor's Office. I coordinated with them, and all agreements were passed on to the General Assembly so that they could approve sanctions in cases of domestic violence. The justice of the peace definitely worked hand in hand with the community’s justice system.”
Blas Navarro, former justice of the peace in Acobamba
Respecting and recognizing the forms of justice of indigenous peoples is not only a commitment to human rights, but a necessary condition for a truly democratic and pluralistic society.
Click here to learn more Sumaq Justicia
Quality information for active participation
With a new election cycle just around the corner, strengthening the political participation of indigenous peoples is essential. However, there are challenges in their access to verified, quality information in indigenous languages on key issues such as electoral processes, political proposals, and candidates, challenges that perpetuate the historical underrepresentation of indigenous populations in public debate.
That is why, since 2021, UNDP Peru and the investigative journalism outlet Ojo Público have been working together through the Ama Llulla Network to strengthen indigenous peoples' access to verified and reliable information during electoral processes.
The work of the Ama Llulla Network has focused on communities, territories, and cities in the Amazon and southern Andes, where access to rigorous journalistic content is limited. Recognizing that access to quality information is a key right for the exercise of citizen participation, a network of partnerships has been established with 17 local radio stations in eight regions of the country, which broadcast content in indigenous languages and in accessible formats.
This sustained effort will continue towards the 2026 elections, to keep promoting an informed citizenry and strengthening the political inclusion of indigenous peoples in electoral processes.
Indigenous peoples practice and transmit their unique ways of relating to people and territories, which provide diverse solutions for the development of the country and the world. However, throughout history, their rights have been violated. Today, they are among the most threatened and disadvantaged populations in the world. Strengthening the sustainable management of their territories and the exercise of their justice, as well as ensuring that they participate in the resolution of conflicts that affect them and that they have access to quality information in their native languages, contributes vitally to their ability to decide on their own development and that of the country.
The UNDP continues to work to ensure that the voices, identities, and practices of indigenous peoples are recognized and valued, thus laying the foundations for a future in which their well-being and active participation are guaranteed.
Text by Paula Rivera
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