A/HRC/54/31 including international NGOs, private foundations and philanthropic bodies, and government funding agencies, to accommodate the world view and realities of Indigenous Peoples and support Indigenous self-determination. 67. Access to capital alone may be insufficient; capacity support to help Indigenous Peoples hire external legal, financial and technical experts and gain experience through dealmaking is likewise important. As part of the transition to direct financing, Indigenous Peoples should be supported to build their own technical units within their organizations so that they can meet the minimal requirements of donors and other funders. 68. In many cases, Indigenous organizations will need intermediaries, such as NGOs, multilateral agencies or funding mechanisms to access funds from donors. Such intermediaries also play a critical role in providing fund management expertise to Indigenous organizations and the necessary tools to apply for funds and manage and prepare financial reports themselves. Intermediaries have a role to play in training donors, funders and investors on how existing standards may need to be adapted to suit the needs of Indigenous organizations, including by adapting priorities within projects to address diverse community needs and imminent threats or seize opportunities. 87 Indigenous Peoples should be given, wherever possible, a choice as to the intermediaries with whom they will work. 69. The Special Rapporteur received additional practical suggestions for ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ access to funding, including (a) meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in the design and implementation of funding opportunities from the outset to ensure that funding is responsive to their needs, priorities and aspirations, and that it aligns with their vision of sustainable development; (b) terms of funding that recognize self-determination over lands, territories and resources; (c) simplification of grant application procedures and reporting requirements; (d) flexible financing mechanisms that take into account the diverse needs and circumstances of Indigenous Peoples; and (e) a reduction in intermediaries. 88 C. Funding land tenure security 70. A necessary component of the green finance objective is the urgent need to support Indigenous Peoples in securing their collective land rights and self-determination over their territories, which are instrumental for the conservation of biodiversity and climate change adaptation.89 71. The land rights standard is a process instigated by the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development and the Rights and Resources Initiative aimed at developing a comprehensive set of principles, in consultation with Indigenous Peoples to, inter alia, establish a framework for guiding rights-based climate, biodiversity and sustainable development actions and investments in the world’s lands, forests and other natural ecosystems that is driven and determined by rights holders.90 72. Intermediary organizations, such as the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, offer grants and technical assistance directly to Indigenous Peoples with a view to securing their tenure, as part of their work to mitigate climate change, reduce conflict and promote gender equality. It is important that all finance actors, in particular international development finance institutions or States, allocate funding for activities to support Indigenous Peoples seeking recognition of their collective land rights, including legal documentation, mapping, monitoring, conflict resolution and other activities that strengthen their capacity to protect, plan, manage and sustainably use their forests and lands. 73. Relatively few donors prioritize land tenure and forest management as part of their development aid. According to the Rainforest Foundation Norway: “The United States and Norway have been the largest contributors in absolute terms, followed by other major donors 87 88 89 90 GE.23-13366 Rainforest Foundation Norway, “Falling short: donor funding for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure tenure rights and manage forests in tropical countries (2011–2020)”. See submission by the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee. Paul De Wit, “Securing land tenure for prosperity of the planet and its peoples” (Rights and Resources Initiative, 2023). See https://rightsandresources.org/wp-content/uploads/LandRightsStd-1.pdf. 17