Indigenous Fellowship Programme — Fellowship

The Indigenous Fellowship Programme is an annual human-rights training programme run by OHCHR for Indigenous representatives. It builds practical knowledge of the United Nations human-rights system and mechanisms concerning Indigenous Peoples.

Fellows from the English, Spanish, French and Portuguese tracks train together in Geneva with simultaneous interpretation. The four-week programme usually takes place in June or July alongside the annual session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Benefits & funding

Return flight travel to Geneva.
Living expenses for the four-week training period.
Basic health insurance for the duration of the programme.
Simultaneous interpretation across the four language tracks.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Indigenous and at least 18 years old; former fellows are not considered.
Applicants must be proposed and supported by an Indigenous organization or community; an organization manager or director must be nominated by their community.
Applicants need a good working knowledge of English, Spanish, French or Portuguese and must apply to the corresponding language track.
Applicants must be able and willing to train other Indigenous people after returning to their community or organization.
Formal education is not a barrier when relevant experience can be demonstrated, and there is no upper age limit.
Applicants cannot be the parent, child, sibling or spouse of a United Nations staff member.

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Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs

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Application process

1
Confirm that you meet the Indigenous identity, age, community-support and language requirements.
2
Obtain an official recommendation letter from the nominating Indigenous organization or community.
3
Complete both Part I and Part II of the online form and upload the recommendation letter in the form.
4
Submit through the OHCHR application portal; the 2027 form has expired, so monitor the programme page for the next annual call.

Program timeline

Extended application deadline for the 2027 programme.
Sep 13, 2026
Date not published
Interviews for preselected candidates.
Four weeks of training in Geneva alongside the annual Expert Mechanism session.
June or July 2027, usual timing