The Permanent Forum reiterates its concern about conservation efforts, including the designation of national parks, biosphere reserves and world heritage sites, which frequently lead to the displacement of indigenous peoples from their traditional lands and territories. In this regard, the Permanent Forum requests that a member of the Forum attend the thirty-fourth session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to be held in Brasilia, Brazil, in August 2010.
Member States must take urgent measures to guarantee adequate and effective participation by indigenous peoples in the design and implementation of national plans for the transition to clean and green energy. Where States have already begun the development of such plans without the participation of indigenous peoples, they must take remedial action.
The Forum recommends that the International Conference on Chemicals
Management establish an advisory committee of indigenous peoples in its intersessional process for considering the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020.
The Permanent Forum takes note of the UNDP Global Programme for Electoral Cycle Support initiative, with its focus on indigenous women and youth in Latin America, and appreciates the contributions provided by donors to ensure the success of the initiative. The Forum recommends that Member States, UN-Women and UNICEF provide financial support for this important initiative for indigenous women and youth.
Recognizing the deep spiritual relationship indigenous peoples have with water, and the great respect they have for the natural laws governing the health and the sanctity of water, the Permanent Forum recommends that States review, with the direct participation of indigenous peoples, their laws on water regulation and the treaties, land claims and self-government agreements that they have entered into with indigenous peoples, taking into account the sanctity of water reflected in those agreements. It is further recommended that States present their reviews to the eighth session of the Permanent Forum in 2009, including in particular, information on the status of the implementation of laws and agreements with respect to water and indigenous peoples.
In order to promote further knowledge of the Forum and the role of the United Nations among indigenous children and youth, the Forum decides to organize an indigenous youth art competition for the design of a logo for the Forum and to present the results to the Forum at its fourth session, in 2005, with the highest participation of indigenous children, including illiterate children.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the adoption of resolution 63/278, by which the General Assembly established International Mother Earth Day and embraces indigenous peoples’ and Member States’ recommendations regarding the need to promote humankind living in harmony with nature. Therefore, the Forum decides to appoint Mr Carlos Mamani Candori and Mr Bartolome Clavero, members of the Forum as Special Rapporteurs, to conduct a study, without financial implications, on its implementation, taking into account, inter alia, the consideration and recognition of Mother Earth rights and submit a report to the ninth session of the Forum in 2010.
The Permanent Forum has, in recent years, expressed considerable concern regarding the situation of indigenous youth and the lack of disaggregated data thereon. In 2016, the Forum decided to include a recurring item on indigenous youth in the agenda of its annual sessions and has issued several youth-specific recommendations. The Forum welcomes the progress made and encourages further action by indigenous organizations and youth, as well as by members of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development and the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, in implementing those recommendations.
States, United Nations agencies, funds and programs should mobilize support for indigenous peoples who are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters.
The Permanent Forum urges the member organizations of the Conservation Initiative on Human Rights to commission independent evaluations of the impact of their organizations’ work on indigenous peoples.
The Forum recommends the establishment of an international ethical code on bio-prospecting in order to avoid bio-piracy and ensure the respect for indigenous cultural and intellectual heritage. Under the framework of the Convention, a mechanism should be established for the repatriation and devolution of genetic materials collections to indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends to the Convention secretariat that the global taxonomy initiative incorporate an ethical principles and social framework for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, traditional knowledge and resources before its implementation.
The Permanent Forum calls upon the Conference of the Parties and the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to ensure that all reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation mechanism (REDD and REDD+) programmes and projects go through a full review, with the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples, to assess their validity. The parties to the Convention should adopt a grievance mechanism that allows Indigenous Peoples to identify and name non-State actors, corporations, United Nations entities, States and other organizations involved in setting up REDD programmes and projects that violate the rights of Indigenous Peoples.