Towards new development paradigms: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a tool to support self-determined development

Since the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, indigenous peoples' agency and ideas of development have become more central to wider development processes. This change finds its roots in the concept of 'self-determined development' (SDD), which has been fortified by the adoption of UNDRIP. SDD is built around key norms of UNDRIP, such as the rights of self-determination, free, prior and informed consent, the links between cultural rights and development and rights pertaining to land and natural resources. The normative shift towards SDD is surveyed in this article by looking at three topics: the jurisprudence of regional human rights courts on case law concerning development on indigenous peoples' land; the advocacy of indigenous peoples around the indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals; and the adoption of community bio-cultural protocols by indigenous peoples to regulate development of their land, natural resources and cultural heritage. In each example, UNDRIP has influenced positive changes in law and policy concerning indigenous peoples' views on development.