Given the importance of the full range of the human rights of indigenous peoples, including traditional knowledge, culturally appropriate procedures to ensure communication, information, and scheduling, the Permanent Forum calls on all United Nations agencies and intergovernmental agencies to implement policies, procedures and mechanisms that ensure the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent consistent with their right to self-determination as reflected in common article 1 of the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which makes reference to permanent sovereignty over natural resources.
The Permanent Forum urges States to increase the provision of funding to indigenous peoples and communities for water and wastewater systems in order to improve the quality of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as address water pollution and degradation in indigenous communities.
Furthermore, the Permanent Forum will promote a constructive dialogue with Governments on the achievements, challenges and future action required in relation to indigenous peoples’ issues in each country under the Declaration. Such dialogue will take place periodically and enlist the participation of indigenous organizations and the United Nations system. The discussion will create an enabling environment of cooperation at the national and international levels, aiming at practical results on the ground.
The Forum underlines the importance for country-specific special rapporteurs, thematic special rapporteurs, experts and representatives of the Commission on Human Rights to pay special attention to the situation of indigenous peoples in their respective fields.
The Permanent Forum recommends that intergovernmental organizations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Ibero-American Summit, in cooperation with indigenous peoples, establish a working group to promote the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Plan of Action of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
In order to protect the human rights of indigenous peoples, the Forum recommends that States create indigenous ombudsmen offices, especially for indigenous women, ensuring the full and effective participation of indigenous women
The Permanent Forum appreciates the participation and active input of national and regional human rights institutions at its sixteenth session, encourages studies and reports by the national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of indigenous rights and invites those institutions to present their reports and studies in future sessions.
The Permanent Forum, noting the significance for indigenous peoples of the negotiations under way at WIPO on intellectual property and genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, strongly encourages representatives of indigenous peoples to participate in those negotiations, consistent with article 18 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum appreciates the efforts made by the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries, which comprises the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme, to inform, consult and involve indigenous peoples in United Nations activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and encourages them to further consolidate the partnership
The Permanent Forum requests that Member States and other potential donors increase their contributions to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations, the United Nations Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership and the Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues in order to guarantee the exercise of the right of indigenous peoples to participate in United Nations meetings of specific concern to them.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Human Rights Council mandate the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, with the contribution of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, to undertake a study on incarceration, deaths in custody and indigenous peoples
The Permanent Forum welcomes the draft general recommendation on the rights of indigenous women and girls of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation, contained in the report on its twentieth session (E/2021/43, para. 32), that the general recommendation be adopted at the earliest opportunity. The Permanent Forum invites the Committee to share its plans for implementation of the general recommendation at the twenty-third session of the Permanent Forum, to be held in 2024.