Indigenous Peoples and climate financing: Experiences of the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility

This report outlines success stories and lessons learned in climate finance for Indigenous Peoples through the Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF). Established at IFAD in 2006, IPAF supports Indigenous Peoples’ self-driven development by funding projects designed and implemented by Indigenous communities themselves.

Three Indigenous Peoples’ organizations - Samburu Women Trust (Africa), Tebtebba (Asia and the Pacific) and El Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas (Latin America and the Caribbean) - manage IPAF implementation at the regional level, while IFAD provides overall coordination. The Facility is governed by a Board composed by a majority of Indigenous Peoples' representatives which provides strategic guidance.

Effective climate financing requires partnerships built on trust and respect for Indigenous Peoples’ self-determination. The IPAF serves as a model for how Indigenous Peoples' organizations and donors can collaborate to channel climate resources equitably while maintaining the robust financial management standards of an international financial institution.