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Addressee: Member States

Paragraph Number: 64
Session: 15 (2016)
Full Text:

The religious, spiritual and cultural sites of indigenous peoples, including the Ktunaxa Nation in Canada, the Aboriginal people of Australia, the Maya of Guatemala and the Amazigh peoples, continue to face destruction. This has profoundly negative impacts on indigenous peoples, including affecting their sacred practices. Consistent with articles 11, 12, 13, 19, 25, 31 and 32 of the United Nations Declaration and paragraphs 20 and 27 of the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum recommends that, in their national action plans, strategies and other measures, States:
(a) Take effective measures to ensure that indigenous peoples’ spiritual and cultural sites are protected;
(b) Ensure that, consistent with article 32 of the United Nations Declaration, indigenous peoples are not forced to defend these rights against proposed development projects or through litigation in courts;
(c) Actively resolve disputes directly with indigenous peoples, consistent with article 19 of the United Nations Declaration, given that these rights constitute critical elements of the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples.

Area of Work: Culture, Human Rights
Paragraph Number: 72
Session: 6 (2007)
Full Text:

Considering that 2008 is the International Year of Languages, the Permanent Forum recommends holding an expert group meeting on indigenous languages that will call upon States, the United Nations system and indigenous peoples and their organizations to consider the following elements:(a)Working towards concrete actions and legislative development aimed at eliminating discrimination against the current use of indigenous languages;(b)Developing programmes aimed at promoting the empowerment of indigenous languages through all mediums, including radio and television;(c)Supporting and increasing the number of centres for the study of indigenous languages;(d)Financing and supporting schemes for special projects that are formulated by indigenous peoples and are focused on revitalization and rescue of threatened languages;(e) Designing, in consultation with indigenous peoples and the Permanent Forum, the organization of a world conference on linguistic diversity, indigenous languages, identity and education, as a contribution to the programme of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.

Area of Work: Culture
Paragraph Number: 71
Session: 6 (2007)
Full Text:

The Permanent Forum welcomes resolution 176 EX/59 of the UNESCO Executive Council relating to indigenous languages and encourages member States, experts and UNESCO to conduct a preliminary study on the technical and judicial aspects of a possible international normative instrument for the protection of indigenous languages and languages under threat of extinction, including an analysis of the programmes UNESCO has carried out in this area, articulating linkages with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as adopted by the Human Rights Council in June 2006, to be submitted to the Executive Council of UNESCO at its 179th session.

Area of Work: Culture
Paragraph Number: 47
Session: 15 (2016)
Full Text:

The Permanent Forum requests UNESCO to host a joint seminar with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other relevant United Nations mechanisms for the purpose of exploring the development of a new international mechanism on the repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains. Furthermore, the Forum calls upon all States with national repositories of indigenous cultural items and ancestral remains, including museums and universities, to work with UNESCO to create an international database and inventory of these items accessible to indigenous peoples as a basis for initiating dialogue.

Area of Work: Culture