The Permanent Forum urges the International Union for Conservation of Nature to establish a task force on conservation and human rights to work with indigenous peoples’ communities and organizations to clearly articulate the rights of indigenous peoples in the context of conservation initiatives and to continue to promote grievance mechanisms and avenues for redress in the context of conservation action, including the Whakatane Mechanism. The Forum invites the Union to report on progress made in the implementation of these recommendations in future sessions.
Recalling the study on decolonization of the Pacific region (see E/C.19/2013/12), the Permanent Forum invites the relevant States to provide information on the status of the situation of the indigenous peoples concerned to the Permanent Forum at its sixteenth session.
The Permanent Forum reminds the Secretary-General, through the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, on the continuing relevance of monitoring and reporting on trends related to intimidation and reprisals against Indigenous Peoples who seek to engage with the United Nations. Indigenous Peoples’ representatives have a right to be protected from reprisals for their participation in meetings at the United Nations, including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Secretariat collaborate with indigenous peoples’ organizations in investigating violations of indigenous peoples’ human rights committed by United Nations peacekeepers.
The Permanent Forum recommends that national human rights institutions and commissions address indigenous peoples’ issues and include indigenous experts as members of such bodies.
The Forum recommends that WIPO undertake a study, in collaboration with Forum members, on the use of indigenous knowledge relating to medicinal plants and resources, the commercialization of such knowledge and how indigenous communities are benefiting from such commercialization.
The Permanent Forum is concerned about legislative and regulatory processes that criminalize the establishment and management of community radio stations. The Forum encourages States to expressly recognize community media in their domestic law and to adopt effective actions to enforce the right of indigenous peoples and communities to have their own media.