New York, 21 April 2026

Madam Chair,

The Holy See welcomes the timely focus of this 25th Session of the Forum on the health of Indigenous Peoples, with particular attention to the devastating impact of conflict. The promotion of health is not merely a technical or material question; it is a profound moral imperative rooted in the inviolable dignity of every human person, created in the image and likeness of God.

Therefore, the right to health must be understood in its fullest sense - physical, mental, cultural, and spiritual. Indigenous Peoples have the right, without discrimination, to improved economic and social conditions, including health and sanitation, to be involved in developing and determining health programmes affecting them, to maintain their traditional medicines and to access social services and healthcare.[1]

In this regard, the Holy See reiterates the need for effective measures to improve the economic and social conditions of Indigenous Peoples, particularly the elderly, women, children and youth, and persons with disabilities. Governments should also remove cultural, economic, linguistic and informational barriers to ensure access to quality healthcare.

At the same time there is a specific need for culturally sensitive healthcare. The imposition of health models that disregard the dignity and rights of Indigenous Peoples, risks becoming a new form of colonization.

Madam Chair,

In situations of armed conflict, Indigenous Peoples are often among the most vulnerable and disproportionately affected. Regrettably, such violence can result in the destruction of health infrastructure, displaces families, exposes communities to trauma, infectious diseases, and malnutrition, and severs the vital link between people and the land that nourishes both body and spirit. International humanitarian law must be strictly observed; deliberate attacks on civilian populations, including Indigenous communities, and the obstruction of humanitarian aid are never justifiable.

Madam Chair,

Pope Leo XIV affirms “In the assembly of nations, indigenous peoples must present their own human, cultural and Christian wealth, courageously and freely”.[2] May this Forum contribute to concrete actions that honor the God-given dignity of every person and promote the common good.

I thank you.

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[1] Cf. UNDRIP, art. 21.1, 23 and 24.

[2] Pope Leo XIV, Message on the occasion of the Jubilee of Indigenous Peoples, 16 October 2025.