Advancing Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge and Leadership Network

As part of the Forum’s Civil Society Communities, the Forum’s Indigenous Leader Community includes:

-       Indigenous leaders formally elected to represent their communities in national, regional and global fora; and

-       Indigenous knowledge holders, experts and individuals recognized by their respective communities

Over 70 indigenous leaders and knowledge holders have engaged across the Forum’s Centres, initiatives and events.

The Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge and Leadership Network

Despite comprising 5% of the world population, Indigenous people protect 80% of the Earth's biodiversity. Through their long-standing stewardship of the environment, Indigenous leadership and knowledge are critical to finding meaningful solutions to the climate crisis, reversing biodiversity loss and advancing a more sustainable relationship with our planet.

The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Annual Meeting will host Indigenous leaders from around the world to join other leaders in fostering cooperation in a fragmented world. From stronger government policies on ecosystem restoration — highlighted in the most recent White House guidance for federal agencies — to more informed corporate practice on sustainable trade, recognizing and advancing Indigenous knowledge will enable societies to make greater impact on today’s global challenges.

The Indigenous Peoples' Knowledge and Leadership Network (IPKLN) is a global community of global indigenous leaders building multistakeholder collaboration in the indigenous movement and accelerating public-private cooperation. IPKLN members will not be representative of socio-cultural regions, but rather expertise across different thematic areas, including technology, economy, nature, trade and inclusive societies.  The Network will co-designed, comprised of and governed by indigenous leaders and serve as a space for bringing indigenous communities, public figures, civil society and business together to foster greater public-private cooperation through traditional and innovative indigenous knowledge. 

Through the Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge and Leadership Network, the Forum aims to engage the world’s most prominent indigenous experts across key areas to build progress towards: 

• Advancing indigenous peoples' agendas and voices in the Annual Meeting and across Forum activities


• Building greater multistakeholder cooperation in indigenous movements


• Facilitating greater exchange between stakeholders through indigenous peoples' knowledge, including business, government, industry and civil society


• Promoting indigenous peoples' rights and their benefits to global business agendas



For more information on the Network, please contact David Sangokoya and Jack Hildebrand at civilsociety@weforum.org