The Permanent Forum recommends that UNESCO, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Convention on Biological Diversity and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) work closely with indigenous peoples to develop an instrument to protect traditional knowledge and culture-based economic opportunities and activities as a potential way of strengthening the identities of indigenous peoples in order to contribute to gross domestic product growth, environmental protection and mutual appreciation of cultures.
The Forum recommends that the agencies and bodies of the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the International Monetary Fund rethink the concept of development, with the full participation of indigenous peoples in development processes, taking into account the rights of indigenous peoples and the practices of their traditional knowledge.
The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has examined the collective and individual proposals submitted by indigenous organizations, representatives of the United Nations system and Member States in order to follow up the recommendations contained in its report on its second session, in particular those contained in chapter I, section B, paragraphs 93, 103 and 105 of the report.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States consider the document entitled “The human development framework and indigenous peoples’ self-determined development or development with culture and identity” (E/C.19/2010/CRP.4) and in particular pay attention to the conclusions and recommendations provided therein.
The Forum, noting that work will commence shortly on a convention of cultural diversity, requests Member States to work with representatives of indigenous peoples to UNESCO to develop a document that adequately protects indigenous cultural heritage.
The Permanent Forum recalls its invitation to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to initiate a general comment on the collective rights of indigenous peoples to lands, territories and natural resources. The Forum welcomes the decision of the Committee to draft a general comment on land and economic, social and cultural rights. However, the Forum expresses its concern about the limited participation of indigenous peoples in the drafting of the general comment and invites the Committee to consider facilitating the participation of indigenous peoples. The Forum also invites the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples to provide support in this regard.
The Permanent Forum recommends that UNDP include indigenous peoples in its programme of democratic governance in order to support and strengthen indigenous institutions and enable indigenous peoples to enjoy their right to political participation and fortify their capacities for political conflict prevention and resolution.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the lively and analytical dialogue that emerged from the half-day discussion on the African region and encourages the United Nations Development Group to facilitate further dialogue between States and indigenous peoples at the African continental level to foster better understanding of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the commitments to indigenous peoples that Member States have made. Within this framework, capacity-building at the national level should be enhanced.