The Forum requests international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank and other regional organizations, to design special programmes for indigenous women to provide them with access to capital and microfinance programmes, taking into account the traditional mechanisms of each community.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the World Bank brings its policy on indigenous peoples (OP 4.10) into full compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum attaches particular importance to the need for the Bank to adopt the standard of free, prior and informed consent and, in general, to institutionalize and operationalize an approach based on human rights. The Forum reiterates its recommendation, made at its twelfth session that the emerging instruments of the Bank and other agencies must be harmonized with the Declaration, which is regarded as a reflection of the minimum human rights standards necessary for the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples, nations and communities. Such instruments should be consistent with or exceed those minimum standards. The Forum underlines the need for the Bank’s operational policies to use language that is consistent with the Declaration.
The Forum encourages the World Bank to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in the formulation of the forthcoming indigenous peoples' guidebook and any revision to the operational policy BP 4.10 on indigenous peoples. The policy and practice of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks should be consistent with internationally recognized human rights of indigenous peoples. The results of the International Expert Workshop on Methodologies regarding Free, Prior and Informed Consent should serve as a guide to the World Bank in its practices pertaining to indigenous peoples
The Permanent Forum welcomes the establishment and development of indigenous-led funds as a self-governance practice, which promote funding access to indigenous communities and shift power relations in donor and philanthropy processes. The Forum invites the broad donor and philanthropic community to support these initiatives.
With a view to establishing a partnership with the United Nations Forum on Forests to work in the area of traditional forest-related knowledge and social and cultural aspects of forests pertaining to indigenous peoples, the Forum appoints Pavel Sulyandziga, member of the Forum, as Special Rapporteur to work with the United Nations Forum on Forests, without financial implications, and to report on that subject to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its fifth session
Member States, the United Nations system, bodies and funds should consider the definitions of extreme poverty by indigenous peoples and in this regard should refer to the report of the independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty (E/CN.4/2005/49). Poverty indicators based on indigenous peoples' own perception of their situation and experiences should be developed, jointly with indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum supports the recommendations of the international expert group meeting on extractive industries, indigenous peoples’ rights and corporate social responsibility addressed to extractive industry corporations, States, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, indigenous peoples, nations and organizations, and international financial institutions, contained in a paper presented to the Forum.
The Permanent Forum recommends that information be coordinated within State ministries and United Nations agencies that have responsibilities and mandates relating to indigenous peoples’ access to lands, territories and natural resources.
The Permanent Forum continues to be concerned that the World Bank’s new environmental and social safeguard 7 allows the conversion of the collective territories of indigenous peoples into individual ownership rights, even though it recognizes the importance of protecting the collective attachment of indigenous peoples to their lands. Providing funding for States to divide the lands of indigenous peoples generates conflict, irreparably harms livelihoods and traditional resource management strategies and erodes the governance structures of indigenous peoples. Paragraph 29 of environmental and social safeguard 7 should urgently be revised to ensure that indigenous peoples maintain their collective rights to lands, territories and resources in all projects funded by the Bank.
The Permanent Forum urges the funds, programmes and agencies of the United Nations system to cooperate with States and indigenous peoples in the development and implementation of national action plans, strategies and other measures that aim to achieve the ends of the Declaration, including by providing support for the advancement and adjudication of the collective rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources.
The Forum recommends that UNDP continue its work on supporting local-level initiatives, such as the equator initiative, the community water initiative, the community-based initiative and the assisting communities together project.
The Permanent Forum notes the progress made in promoting indigenous peoples’ rights through the Programme to Promote ILO Convention No. 169 (PRO-169). The Permanent Forum urges ILO to maintain and strengthen this important project/programme.