A/HRC/60/29 Settlement Act, but only concerning Indigenous Peoples in Alaska. In Canada, the rights of Indigenous Peoples were recognized with the enactment in 2021 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, under which Canada is required to harmonize its legislation, including the Indian Act, with the rights set out in the Declaration. In addition, the Act requires the federal Government to prepare and implement an action plan and to submit annual progress reports to Parliament. 91. Several countries in Asia and the Pacific have enacted legislation that formally recognizes Indigenous Peoples. In the Philippines, the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, of 1997, is a landmark law recognizing ancestral domains and self-governance. In 2019, Japan enacted the Ainu Policy Promotion Act, which formally recognized the Ainu. In 2023, Osaka High Court identified the Ryukyuan as an Indigenous People in legal proceedings related to the repatriation of Ryukyuan remains. On 6 June 2025, the Supreme Court of Nepal issued a directive requiring all levels of government – federal, provincial and local – to create laws, policies and programmes aligned with the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), and the Declaration. 75 92. In Africa, few countries have passed specific laws recognizing Indigenous Peoples. Those that have include the Republic of the Congo, which in 2011 adopted Act No. 5-2011, on the promotion and protection of the rights of Indigenous populations, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which in 2022 adopted Act No. 22/030, on the protection and promotion of the rights of Pygmy peoples. C. Recognition through sectoral laws and policies 93. Many States have acknowledged the rights and roles of Indigenous Peoples through sectoral legislation, on forests, biodiversity, land use, water and climate change, among others. Such laws may recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples to land, natural resources, traditional knowledge and participation in decision-making. Legal instruments of this type often provide practical avenues for the participation, resource rights and environmental stewardship of Indigenous Peoples, frequently emerging in response to environmental justice movements, land conflicts or international funding requirements tied to Indigenous inclusion. 94. Climate-related laws and policies increasingly incorporate provisions for the participation of Indigenous Peoples, particularly in the context of carbon offset programmes, adaptation planning and climate finance. Sectoral laws in areas such as intellectual property or cultural heritage may recognize Indigenous knowledge systems and provide mechanisms for their protection and equitable use. 95. Latin America has integrated the rights of Indigenous Peoples into forest and land laws, often as part of broader environmental governance reforms. Climate change frameworks in the Latin American region increasingly reference Indigenous participation. Africa, Asia and the Pacific show a growing trend, but implementation varies. North America features a mix of federal and subnational sectoral laws that recognize the roles of Indigenous Peoples in environmental management, often through negotiated agreements or cogovernance structures. 96. While such sectoral laws can be used as leverage for the recognition of certain aspects of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, they fail to recognize Indigenous Peoples as rights holders in a comprehensive and coherent way. Moreover, there are many examples of sectoral laws that conflict with the customary laws and practices of Indigenous Peoples. 75 GE.25-12002 See Cultural Survival, “Historic victory: Nepal’s Supreme Court mandates nationwide implementation of treaties for Indigenous Peoples’ rights”, 16 June 2025. 17