The Permanent Forum encourages collaborative research initiatives for innovative solutions to environmental challenges that engage Indigenous Peoples as equal partners, respecting and integrating Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems with so-called “Western” scientific research and fostering mutual learning and respect between Indigenous Peoples and the mainstream scientific community.
The Permanent Forum recommends that WIPO commission the updating of the technical review of key intellectual property-related issues of the WIPO draft instruments on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, which was undertaken in 2016 by James Anaya (WIPO/GRTKF/IC/29/INF/10), to reflect current issues, with an emphasis on concepts such as “balancing” and “public domain” and how these might conflict with indigenous peoples’ human rights and customary laws, and the obligation to incorporate and respect human rights in the work of WIPO.
The Permanent Forum is concerned over the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland to include individuals not recognized by the Sami community in the Sami Parliament’s electoral roll. The Forum urges the Parliament of Finland to amend the Sami Parliament Act in line with Sami Parliament proposals to protect the Sami People’s right to self-determination and ensure that their electoral processes reflect their standards of community membership.
The Permanent Forum urges increased dialogue among Governments, institutions and indigenous peoples concerning the identification, incorporation and value of indigenous knowledge in all disaster risk reduction projects and programmes at the national and regional levels. The Forum recommends that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction take into consideration the study on engaging indigenous peoples more inclusively in the disaster risk reduction process (E/C.19/2013/14) as part of the official documentation of the third World Conference on Disaster Reduction, to be held in 2015.
The Permanent Forum calls upon WIPO to strengthen its efforts to reach out to indigenous peoples and to continue to provide practical assistance and capacity-strengthening for and in cooperation with indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the recognition and inclusion of indigenous peoples’ knowledge in the work of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to assess the state of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The Forum supports the Platform’s approach to recognize and work with indigenous knowledge throughout its work programme, for example, recognizing the contribution of indigenous knowledge in its global assessment on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems. The Forum invites the Platform to continue to inform the Forum about the progress of its work, including at its seventeenth session.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and relevant parties develop mechanisms for indigenous peoples’ participation, as appropriate, in all aspects of the international dialogue on climate change, particularly the forthcoming negotiations for the next Kyoto Protocol commitment period, including by establishing a working group on local adaptation measures and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. The Forum encourages dialogue and cooperation among indigenous peoples, particularly indigenous women and youth, States, conservation and development organizations and donors in order to strengthen the participation of indigenous peoples in dialogue on climate change.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision of the Intergovernmental Committee to organize, in cooperation with the Forum, expert preparatory meetings on the Intergovernmental Committee process for indigenous peoples representing the seven geopolitical regions recognized by the Forum.
The Permanent Forum calls for increased investments in educational programmes and capacity-building initiatives that empower Indigenous Peoples to navigate legal and bureaucratic processes in managing their resources in keeping with their cultural and spiritual values and self-determined development. These initiatives should support the transmission of Indigenous knowledge and skills across generations, enhancing resilience and sustainability.
The Permanent Forum expresses appreciation to Mr. Michael Dodson for his concept paper on traditional knowledge, and recommends that the paper be widely circulated. The Permanent Forum invites States, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and indigenous peoples and their organizations and academic institutions to submit written comments to the secretariat for consideration at the seventh session of the Permanent Forum. The Permanent Forum welcomes the support and notes that the recommendation in paragraph 24 of the report of the Special Rapporteur states that: “the Permanent Forum should commission a study ... to determine whether there ought to be a shift in the focus on the protection of indigenous traditional knowledge away from intellectual property law to protection via customary law ... The study should consider how indigenous traditional knowledge could be protected at an international level by utilizing customary law, including the extent to which customary law should be reflected, thereby providing guidance to States and, subsequently, protection at national and regional levels”. The Permanent Forum would particularly welcome written submissions addressing the above recommendation. The Permanent Forum re-appoints Mr. Dodson as Special Rapporteur to present a follow-up study on indigenous traditional knowledge, taking into account the written submissions, and to present the report to the seventh session of the Permanent Forum in 2008.
Alarmed at attempts to exclude indigenous peoples of Africa in the application of World Bank Operational Policy 4.10, the Permanent Forum recommends that the World Bank immediately initiate consultations with States and indigenous peoples in Africa as part of its safeguards policy review and ensure the application of safeguards to indigenous peoples of Africa, as directed by articles 19 and 41 of the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum calls upon African States and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to safeguard Indigenous Peoples’ languages and to develop culturally appropriate education systems for Indigenous children and youth. The Forum also encourages the development of initiatives to prioritize Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems, especially for women and girls.