The Forum anticipates that the host country will do its utmost to assure the issuance in a timely manner of entry visas to members of the Forum and observers from non-governmental organizations, pursuant to article IV, section 11, of the Headquarters Agreement, in order to attend its sessions. The Forum also anticipates that other member States hosting United Nations meetings to which indigenous organizations are invited will also do their utmost to ensure the timely issuance of entry visas. The Forum further requests that consideration be given to the waivering of visa fees by host countries for applicants wishing to participate in the work of the Forum and related meetings and activities.
The Forum intends to pursue the agenda of mainstreaming indigenous issues into the process of the Millennium Development Goals and applying the thematic approach to build up a three-year programme of work. The Forum intends moreover to focus on implementation and urges United Nations bodies, States and indigenous peoples to engage actively in the dialogue on these issues, sharing good practices and barriers to implementation.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Organization of American States establish a consultation mechanism, composed of experts from indigenous peoples, as part of the effort to ensure national implementation of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169).
The Permanent Forum calls on the Inter-American Development Bank to establish an advisory council of indigenous peoples to implement its strategy on indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the accreditation, including of indigenous nations, councils, parliaments and Governments, as well as traditional governments, for the preparatory conferences and the World Conference reflect the principle of full and effective and direct participation of indigenous peoples, as set forth in articles 18 and 41 of the Declaration, building upon the established practice of accreditation and inclusive participation followed in other United Nations processes related to indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations system strengthen existing coordination mechanisms at the country level, and in partnership with indigenous peoples and other relevant entities and national partners, in order to implement the outcomes of the World Conference. The Forum offers its support in this regard.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the entry into force of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) on 22 April 2021 and urges those countries that have not yet signed and ratified the Agreement to do so at the earliest opportunity. The Forum also urges those countries that have ratified the Escazú Agreement to ensure its implementation.
The Permanent Forum invites the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination to conduct a study on the human rights abuses against Indigenous Peoples of the Sahel region by mercenaries and other non-State armed actors.
The Permanent Forum recognizes that the United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity and that indigenous peoples, as custodians of the Earth’s biodiversity, should be major players in actions planned for 2010. In that spirit, the Permanent Forum calls for close cooperation between the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Forum in promoting the International Year and in highlighting the role of indigenous peoples as custodians of biodiversity.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the study to examine challenges in the African region to protecting traditional knowledge, genetic resources and folklore prepared by Paul Kanyinke Sena (E/C.19/2014/2), acknowledges the support provided by the WIPO secretariat towards the completion of that study and, in this regard, calls upon the WIPO secretariat to extend its outreach and awareness-raising activities in respect of indigenous peoples, with a particular focus on African indigenous peoples so as to increase their awareness of WIPO processes, and to further develop culturally appropriate training and capacity-building materials for indigenous peoples consistent with article 41 of the Declaration.
The Forum expresses its appreciation to all those who contributed to the Trust Fund for the support of the Forum and calls upon Governments, intergovernmental organizations, foundations and non-governmental organizations to give generously to the Fund
The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations organizations, funds and programmes, in particular the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), prepare a special report for the Conference on the realization of the rights of indigenous peoples, the objectives of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People, the Millennium Development Goals and the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015. It also recommends that the report contain disaggregated statistics in relation to indigenous women, youth and children and address associated thematic issues such as economic sustainability and youth employment.