WHO is seeking proposals from the institution for the provision of sociocultural knowledge exchanges with Indigenous Peoples on biodiversity, traditional knowledge systems, and health.
Interested institutions are asked to submit a full application by the deadline. Full application details can be found on the website of the United Nations Global Marketplace.
Background
Indigenous Peoples maintain profound, reciprocal relationships with the natural world, rooted in traditional knowledge systems, cultural heritage, and sustainable practices that safeguard biodiversity and support ecological resilience. Their holistic perspectives emphasize the intrinsic connections between people, communities, and the ecosystems they inhabit, linking health, cultural identity, and environmental stewardship. Their territories encompass at least a quarter of the global land area, including 35% of formally protected areas and a similar proportion of terrestrial regions with very low human intervention. These lands are home to rich biodiversity, including medicinal plants essential for traditional medicine, biomedical research, and primary healthcare for millions. However, they are increasingly threatened by biodiversity loss, climate change, and systemic inequities, underscoring the need for rights-based approaches that honor land tenure, safeguard genetic resources, ensure equitable benefit-sharing, and protect traditional knowledges. Inclusive governance, recognition of Indigenous rights, and community-driven solutions rooted in reciprocity and intergenerational well-being are essential to address these interconnected challenges.
Global frameworks, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP),[1] the ILO Convention 169[2], the WIPO Treaty on Traditional Knowledge[3] the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its associated international instruments[4], highlight the need to safeguard Indigenous rights, biodiversity, and knowledge systems while promoting equitable benefit-sharing. Yet, gaps persist in turning these commitments into actionable policies that integrate Indigenous leadership and perspectives into health, conservation, and sustainable development.
This RFP focuses on technical workstream three - Traditional Medicine Indigenous Knowledges & Biodiversity, which promotes equitable and fair access to benefits of Indigenous Knowledges and sustaining biodiversity - (as described in section 1.2.3) and will provide key inputs to WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit.
The WHO ECH Department leads WHO’s governance and policy work at the intersection of biodiversity, climate, and health, including for Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable populations, ensuring ecosystem health, climate resilience, and sustainable resource management are embedded in public health strategies and aligned with rights-based approaches.
ECH:
- Engages in global biodiversity and climate governance, integrating biodiversity-health considerations into CBD, UNFCCC, UNPFII, EMRIP, and IPBES processes.
- Supports Indigenous-led and community-based conservation efforts that support health and well-being, ensuring their full and effective participation in decision-making.
- Strengthens benefit-sharing frameworks for biodiversity-derived health resources, through the Nagoya Protocol and Article 8(j) of the CBD as well as the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health, among others.
Together, GTMC and ECH ensure biodiversity, health, and Indigenous and traditional knowledge governance are integrated into global and national decision-making, reinforcing WHO’s role in advancing just, inclusive, and equitable policies on environment, health and traditional medicine.
Submission
Please go to the website of United Nations Global Marketplace for submission of the proposals
Deadline
Monday, 19 May 2025
[1] UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (2007) serves as a landmark international instrument that affirms the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right to self-determination, land, and cultural preservation, and is central to the protection and promotion of Indigenous rights in global legal and policy frameworks.
[2] ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (1989) establishes binding obligations to respect and safeguard Indigenous rights, including cultural, land, and resource protections, making it a critical instrument for the protection of Indigenous communities’ rights globally.
[3] The WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge (2024) marks a significant milestone in safeguarding Indigenous intellectual property and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing, recognizing the role of traditional knowledge in global knowledge systems.
[4] The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (adopted in 1992) and its associated international legal and policy instruments, including Article 8(j) (which recognizes the importance of traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices of Indigenous Peoples), the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization (2010), which provides specific guidance on the protection of Indigenous knowledge and genetic resources, the Akwe Kon Guidelines (which provide a framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Indigenous territories), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF, 2022), and the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health (2024), underscore the critical role of protecting Indigenous rights, knowledge systems, and biodiversity while integrating these into rights-based health and sustainability strategies.