The Indigenous Fellowship Programme was launched in 1997 by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the context of the first International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. The aim of the programme is to give indigenous persons the opportunity to gain knowledge about the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights issues in general and indigenous issues in particular (This may include land rights and biodiversity conservation issues). Trained participants are better equipped to assist their organisations and communities in protecting and promoting their rights. This training programme is available in 4 languages: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
When does it take place?
Fellows from all 4 language components of the programme are trained together with simultaneous interpretation over 4 weeks in Geneva. The date of the training programme usually coincides with the annual session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (June/July each year), allowing the fellows to participate more actively in that Mechanism.
What does the programme cover?
The selected candidates are entitled to a return flight ticket, living expenses and basic health insurance for the duration of the training.
Who can apply for the programme?
- The candidate must be indigenous (non-indigenous persons will not be taken into consideration, even if they have close links with indigenous communities and/or organizations).
- Indigenous candidates, including women, LGBTQI+ individuals, and persons with disabilities, are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Indigenous groups with interest in land rights and biodiversity conservation issues
- Age should not be a limitation to participation in the programme.
- Formal education should not be a limitation to participation in the IFP given the socio-economic barriers confronted by many indigenous peoples that limit access to formal educational institutions.
- Candidates should agree to train other indigenous persons after the return to their respective communities/organizations.
- The candidate should be proposed, and his/her candidacy supported by his/her indigenous organization and/or community. It is desirable that the sponsoring organization has a firm constituency or membership and that it is representative.
- The candidate should have a good working knowledge of the language in which the programme is imparted.
Application procedure:
OHCHR strongly encourage you to submit you online application well before the deadline of 6 September 2026 (23:59 Geneva time). Fellowship applications will only be taken into consideration if they are fully completed. Both parts I and II of the application form must be completed
Application forms must include an official recommendation letter from the nominating Indigenous organization or community. Applicants should upload their recommendation letters directly to the online application form.
The application form is available at: https://survey.ohchr.org/429282?lang=en
Selection process:
The selection of fellows reflects a gender and regional balance, as well as a balance between communities represented. The general human rights situation in the respective regions/countries is also taken into consideration.
A pre-selection of 15 to 20 candidates per language group is made by previous indigenous fellows. The selection process also entails interviews of pre-selected candidates who applied to either the English, French, Spanish or Portuguese language components of the programme. The final selection of successful candidates is reviewed by an advisory group composed of OHCHR staff.
In view of the large number of applications, ONLY PRE-SELECTED CANDIDATES ARE CONTACTED.
