The Forum recommends that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, at its special discussion day on the indigenous child, to be held on 19 September 2003, in addition to considering reports from States parties, pay special attention to issues related to safeguarding the integrity of indigenous families.
The Permanent Forum notes the intention of the members of the North American indigenous caucus to hold a conference on indigenous children and youth in detention, custody, adoption and foster care, and urges members of the caucus to invite members of the Forum, Government representatives and youth representatives to discuss model programmes and effective measures to address the disproportional representation of indigenous children and youth in detention, custody, adoption and foster care.
The Forum notes that indigenous peoples are increasingly confronted with issues and problems related to more urban characteristics, such as access to adequate housing, services and infrastructure in human settlements. It therefore invites Governments and local authorities to adopt policies and take necessary measures to meet the changing needs of indigenous peoples within the global process of the urban/rural dynamics and continuum. The Forum also recommends that United Nations agencies, funds and programmes increase their focus on this global trend and take actions in their respective areas of work so as to positively affect indigenous peoples. It recommends that the United Nations system, especially the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, submit a report on policies and programmes in this area to the Forum, and to participate in a dialogue with the Forum at its third session.
Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by Member States in 2015, the Permanent Forum has repeatedly highlighted the importance of ensuring the meaningful and full participation of indigenous peoples in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Unfortunately, the world is not on track to meet globally agreed targets. This has been particularly evident during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which existing inequities have been exacerbated, placing the survival of indigenous peoples at greater risk. During the pandemic, indigenous peoples, in particular indigenous women and girls, have not only been left behind, but have been left even further behind.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the report on the International Workshop on Perspectives of Relationships between Indigenous Peoples and Industrial Corporations, organized jointly by the Administration of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East, and the secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, with support from the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, held in Salekhard, Russian Federation, on 2 and 3 July 2007, and calls upon States to fully support and accept the recommendations contained in the report.
The Forum on Indigenous Issues is deeply concerned that particular problems and discrimination are faced by indigenous children and youth, including in the areas of education, health, culture, extreme poverty, mortality, sexual exploitation, militarization, displacement, incarceration, labour and others
Aware of the massive exodus of indigenous youth to the alien environments of cities around the world and the discrimination, socio-economic hardships, weakened family networks and drug abuse, inter alia, affecting those youngsters and "street children", the Forum requests the World Bank, the ILO and UNICEF to conduct an in-depth comparative study of legal frameworks and social programmes addressing indigenous urban youth in selected countries. The study should assess key problems and best practices and should provide recommendations for the formulation of policies and strategies for future action.
The Permanent Forum requests that UNICEF operationalize and implement its strategic framework on indigenous and minority children and report to the Forum in 2012 on measures undertaken to that end.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the interest expressed at the interactive dialogue on the follow-up to the World Conference held by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs on 22 April 2015, in which States and indigenous peoples stressed the importance of repatriating ceremonial objects and human remains. The Forum therefore recommends that States and indigenous peoples establish a working group to prepare a manual of good practice with regard to the repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains, with the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other United Nations entities, and submit a progress report to the Forum at its fifteenth session.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision 2009/250 of the Economic and Social Council on a proposed amendment to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, related to the traditional use of the coca leaf. The Forum recommends that Member States support this initiative, taking into account articles 11, 24 and 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the United Nations Children’s Fund and other relevant United Nations entities collaborate with indigenous organizations in all regions to develop comprehensive guidelines, including best practices for culturally safe sex education by and for indigenous peoples. That type of comprehensive education may serve as an effective violence-prevention means.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Children’s Fund develop and adopt a comprehensive and distinct policy on indigenous children and young people, taking into account the human rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration and in consultation and collaboration with indigenous peoples and indigenous children and youth organizations in particular.