The Permanent Forum is very concerned that indigenous peoples continue to report difficulties in participating in UNDP projects and engaging with UNDP offices. The Forum recommends that UNDP improve access to information on the Programme for indigenous peoples and ensure easier access to its staff members in country offices. UNDP should promote mechanisms that ensure a constructive and institutionalized dialogue between indigenous peoples and United Nations country teams at the country level, for example, by establishing advisory boards composed of indigenous representatives who can bring their perspectives to United Nations programming processes and policies.
The Permanent Forum recognizes the right to participate in decision-making and the importance of mechanisms and procedures for the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in relation to article 18 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum reiterates that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Maritime Organization should facilitate indigenous peoples’ participation in their processes.
The Permanent Forum recommends that all Member States and intergovernmental agencies ensure that efficient programming is developed in order for the positive transformation of social problems stemming from the weak and inadequate implementation of articles 7, 17, 21 and 22 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This programming has to be targeted at indigenous youth for fundamental change.
The Permanent Forum decides to appoint Michael Dodson and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Members of the Permanent Forum, as Special Rapporteurs to organize and undertake a technical review of the proposed international regime on access and benefit-sharing, as recommended in paragraph 48 (i) of the report of the international expert group meeting on the international regime on access and benefit-sharing and indigenous peoples’ human rights of the Convention on Biological Diversity (E/C.19/2007/8).