The Permanent Forum urges Member States to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and the Escazú Agreement.
Considering the continued threats facing indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact, and given their unique vulnerability in the time of the pandemic, the Permanent Forum recommends that local populations in the territories and adjacent areas of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact be prioritized in COVID-19 vaccination plans. The Forum reminds States that, by virtue of their international obligations, and specifically those contained in the American Convention on Human Rights, they must adopt measures to safeguard the life and integrity of their citizens, especially when it comes to highly vulnerable population groups, as in the case of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact.
The Forum takes note of the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples following his latest visits to Chile, Colombia and Mexico. The Forum calls upon the Office of the High Commissioner to elaborate technical cooperation programmes to assist in the implementation of the recommendations.
The Permanent Forum encourages APG to continue to give priority to its endeavours to eliminate the servitude and contemporary forms of slavery to which families and communities in Santa Cruz, especially in Alto Parapetí, and in Chuquisaca, are subjected. The Permanent Forum encourages APG, as the organization that represents the Guaraní people in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, to continue to give priority to combating these extremely serious human rights violations as part of its broader programme of reconstitution of the Guaraní people.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism pay particular attention to the impact of national security laws and anti-terrorism laws on indigenous peoples.
Building upon the study prepared by members of the Permanent Forum on the situation of indigenous persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on challenges faced with respect to the full enjoyment of human rights and inclusion in development (see E/C.19/2013/6), and in the light of the call in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to “leave no one behind”, the Forum is concerned that the experiences and rights of indigenous persons with disabilities require further study and examination. In that regard, the Forum calls upon the secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as the focal point within the United Nations system on matters relating to disability, to conduct a qualitative study with regard to indigenous persons with disabilities, in all seven regions of the world.
The Permanent Forum thanks the Government of Colombia for its support during the Forum mission to Colombia and requests that the Government, the United Nations country team and the United Nations agencies involved in the mission implement the recommendations contained in the mission report (E/C.19/2011/3) through consultation and full collaboration with the indigenous peoples concerned. The Permanent Forum intends to assess the implementation of the recommendations at its eleventh session.
The Permanent Forum requests that the specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with articles 41 and 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, review their policies and programmes in order to comply with the provisions contained in the Declaration ensuring respect for the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples and the right to free, prior and informed consent.
Furthermore, States should strengthen measures, systems and resources to effectively address all forms of violence against indigenous women, such as female genital mutilation; child marriage; sexual abuse; forced labour; modern slavery; domestic, institutional and political violence, including in the context of forced displacement; sexual exploitation; trafficking; armed conflict; and the militarization of indigenous lands and territories.
The Forum calls upon the European Commission to establish further collaboration with it on indigenous issues.
The Permanent Forum calls on States to consult with indigenous peoples in a manner that fully respects their obligations under the Declaration and fully responds to the goals, needs and rights of indigenous peoples in the development and design of relevant legislation.
Pursuant to article 38 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum reiterates its invitation to States to provide the Permanent Forum with substantive information on the implementation
of the Declaration and an assessment of the effectiveness of the Declaration at the national and local levels.