The NCIV is an NGO that has been supporting the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide since 1969. The Centre provides lobby, advocacy, technical and financial services to indigenous peoples and their organisations. The main rights indigenous peoples seek are those related to the rights to their lands and natural resources, the right to the preservation of their cultures, the control over their intellectual property rights, and the right to the protection of indigenous knowledge, all of which are contingent upon the recognition and respect for their right to self-determination. The NCIV pays special attention to the role and position of indigenous women.

NCIV supports the collective and individual human rights of Indigenous Peoples as was determined in the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. NCIV is a member of the European Alliance with Indigenous Peoples in Brussels (EAIP) and the Human Rights Fund for Indigenous Peoples (HRFIP).

The Centre works to raise awareness in the Dutch society and beyond. It organises lectures, conferences and other education related programmes. NCIV publishes a monthly magazine INDIGO (Dutch) and maintains a documentation centre.

One of the activities of NCIV is the administration of the Grants for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (GRIP). With GRIP, NCIV seeks to increase financial support to small-scale initiatives coming from organisations of indigenous peoples in order to promote, at the local level, the recognition and implementation of their rights.