States, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations should ensure the participation of indigenous peoples in designing and formulation of poverty reduction strategies, programs and activities. Rights to indigenous land, forests, marine and other natural resources should be clearly identified in poverty reduction strategy papers, documents, the role of indigenous peoples should be specified and the control by indigenous peoples over traditional land, forests, marine and other natural resources and decisions on the type of development should be acknowledged
The Forum takes note with appreciation of the focus and work of UN-Habitat, particularly regarding the ongoing study jointly initiated with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on indigenous peoples and the right to adequate housing, and recommends that UN-Habitat submit a report on the conclusions and recommendations of this study to the Forum at its fourth session, and that it participate in the dialogue.
The Permanent Forum urgently recommends that the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the Permanent Forum and other relevant entities, create a permanent working group to evaluate the ongoing situation of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact, and to design, promote and discuss with Governments and other institutions the implementation of urgent measures for the protection of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact.
The Permanent Forum once again reiterates its concern that reports developed and presented by many States on the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and poverty reduction strategy papers still do not adequately include and address indigenous peoples, nor do they include their participation, and it therefore calls on States to rectify this situation and on United Nations agencies to support their efforts. Furthermore, the Forum encourages the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to integrate indigenous peoples’ issues into the global, regional, national and local human development reports, and in particular to include indigenous experts in preparing those reports and to guarantee that indigenous peoples’ issues are mainstreamed in them.
The Permanent Forum recognizes the role of indigenous parliamentarians in the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights, and thus recommends increasing their participation in the sessions of the Permanent Forum, adopting regional and national mechanisms to monitor the recommendations and working towards the establishment of particular mechanisms of participation.
The Permanent Forum calls upon the World Bank to include the rights of indigenous peoples in its knowledge and learning activities for staff and management. Instruments for learning, such as the Nordic Trust Fund, should include training on how operational policies in place regarding the rights of indigenous peoples should be fully implemented.
The Permanent Forum also urges States to fund and deliver training in suicide prevention and mental health awareness to all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools attended by indigenous children. The development of localized training programmes adapted to each culture consistent with articles 11, 14, 15 and 31 should be encouraged.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations that address the alarming number of suicides among indigenous youth. The Forum encourages community organization for safe spaces and low-threshold health services, respecting non-discrimination, in particular where discrimination based on ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation is concerned. The United Nations system, in particular the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), should emphasize the provision of mental health services, with particular efforts to address suicide among indigenous youth.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the importance that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees attaches to the use of indigenous languages when working with indigenous peoples in emergency situations. The Permanent Forum encourages other United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to follow that positive practice. For instance, the Permanent Forum recommends that the World Health Organization (WHO) prioritize indigenous languages as a determinant of health.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision by FAO to observe an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026 and encourages Member States to support the participation of indigenous peoples in events leading up to the year.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the recent entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Forum encourages Member States to accede to the Optional Protocol and requests the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to consider the preparation of a general comment on the economic, social and cultural rights of indigenous peoples.
Relations with the Commission on Sustainable Development should be strengthened, inter alia, by ensuring that the Chairpersons of the Commission and the Permanent Forum are invited to present statements at each other’s annual meetings and that cooperation between the secretariats of the Commission and the Permanent Forum is enhanced.