"The Permanent Forum urges States to provide information to it on developments relating to the collective rights of indigenous peoples and constructive agreements with indigenous peoples at its eighteenth session, including the following: (a) Effective measures taken to halt land alienation in the territories of indigenous peoples; (b) Financial and technical assistance provided to indigenous peoples to map the boundaries of their communal lands; (c) Legal and policy frameworks that have been implemented for the registration of collective titles; (d) National legislation adopted with the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples when such legislation involves their territories, lands and natural resources."
The Permanent Forum takes note of the recent declaration of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, at its session held in Lima from 13 to 16 April 2008, and recommends that United Nations agencies, donors and States show their support and cooperation for the next session of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, to be held in Colombia in 2011.
The Permanent Forum takes note with concern of the situation of indigenous peoples of the Sahel and other parts of Africa, where a number of factors, including climate change, are having a devastating impact on economic development and human security. The lack of recognition of the collective rights of these peoples has created fertile ground for their loss of territories and resources and the emergence of complex forms of conflict, including violent extremism. The Forum calls on the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to prepare recommendations for the consideration of the African Union to address this situation, in partnership with the Economic Commission for Africa and other regional bodies.
The Permanent Forum calls upon States that have created special national committees on the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People to cooperate more effectively with it, and would welcome invitations to attend activities of such national committees. The Permanent Forum encourages those States that have not yet done so to establish national committees on the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
The Permanent Forum is concerned by issues related to land tenure, the collective rights of indigenous peoples, customary rights, land-grabbing and the closure of transhumance corridors. The Permanent Forum therefore recommends that States of the Sahel and the Congo basin establish a legal framework to consolidate their national and local land tenure regimes with a view to resolving conflicts peacefully. In addition, those States should enhance access to justice for the aff ected indigenous pastoralists and provide training for judicial officials on those issues.
The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations entities, including the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, take effective measures to support the promotion of indigenous languages and the successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the International Year, including in activities related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the systemwide action plan on the rights of indigenous peoples, the celebration of international days and other processes.
The Forum recommends that the Coordinator of the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People fully consult with the Forum regarding the preparation of the draft plan of action for the Second Decade
The Forum reiterates its request to the Inter-Agency Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators to make the land-related indicator operational, including on changing land use and the security of land tenure in the traditional territories of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the General Assembly rename the Decade “Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples”.
The Permanent Forum emphasizes that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is not possible without fulfilling the rights of indigenous peoples to lands, territories and resources. The Forum thus calls upon States to include the recognition of customary rights or tenure of indigenous peoples to their lands and resources under target 3 of Sustainable Development Goal 2, which calls for secure and equal access to land.
The Permanent Forum requests that FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme, with the participation of indigenous peoples, develop a technical policy paper on indigenous peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories and natural resources in the context of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security for submission to the Committee on World Food Security
The Permanent Forum continues to be concerned that the World Bank’s new environmental and social safeguard 7 allows the conversion of the collective territories of indigenous peoples into individual ownership rights, even though it recognizes the importance of protecting the collective attachment of indigenous peoples to their lands. Providing funding for States to divide the lands of indigenous peoples generates conflict, irreparably harms livelihoods and traditional resource management strategies and erodes the governance structures of indigenous peoples. Paragraph 29 of environmental and social safeguard 7 should urgently be revised to ensure that indigenous peoples maintain their collective rights to lands, territories and resources in all projects funded by the Bank.