The Forum recommends that Governments and the United Nations system, through its country presences, support indigenous media and promote the engagement of indigenous youth in indigenous programmes.
It is stated in article 4 of the Declaration that “Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means of financing their autonomous functions”. The Permanent Forum welcomes the international seminar to assess the global status and trends with regard to indigenous autonomies, held in Mexico City in March 2019, which was organized by the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. The Forum calls upon States and United Nations entities to continue to discuss these issues in each region. The Forum also encourages the convening of a global conference on the state of indigenous autonomies by the three United Nations mechanisms on the rights of indigenous peoples (i.e., the Forum, the Special Rapporteur and the Expert Mechanism) and invites Member States to host the event.
Post-pandemic recovery efforts have exacerbated human rights violations against indigenous peoples across Asia. Governments have used economic recovery plans as a justification to seize indigenous lands for the purposes of resource extraction, and indigenous environmental defenders are often threatened and arrested. The Permanent Forum calls on Member States to guarantee the principles of free, prior and informed consent throughout its post-pandemic recovery efforts to ensure that the socioeconomic development of indigenous territories is implemented in full cooperation with indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Secretariat collaborate with indigenous peoples’ organizations in investigating violations of indigenous peoples’ human rights committed by United Nations peacekeepers.
The Permanent Forum notes that the Greenland-Danish Self-Government Commission submitted its report on self-government on 6 May 2008. The main task of the Commission has been to submit draft legislation regarding a self-government arrangement for Greenland. A referendum was held in Greenland on 25 November 2008 concerning the act and the process leading up to its entry into force. The Permanent Forum welcomes the successful passage of the act through the Danish Parliament on 19 May 2009.
The Permanent Forum acknowledges the organization of the World Indigenous Games, held in Brazil in 2015 and in Canada in 2017, which illustrated and highlighted, among others, articles 31 and 43 of the Declaration. The Forum welcomes the agreement by indigenous peoples from various regions to hold the third World Indigenous Games, in 2020. It encourages Member States and United Nations entities to support the preparations for the organization of the third World Indigenous Games and other indigenous-led sport initiatives at all levels.
The Permanent Forum recommends that Member States formulate evidence- based policies, long-term strategies and regulatory frameworks, in cooperation with indigenous peoples, to ensure their support and the protection and revitalization of indigenous languages, including adequate, sustained support for bilingual, mother- tongue education. The Forum also recommends that States facilitate the mainstreaming of indigenous languages. Allowing indigenous peoples to gain access to health care and other public services in their own languages will help to ensure their overall well-being.
Mindful of the systemic discrimination and racism experienced by indigenous peoples in the law enforcement, judicial and correctional institutions of States across the globe, the Permanent Forum urges States that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination to comprehensively review the civil rights of indigenous peoples, in particular those of indigenous women and children who are victims of sexual violence, in order to ensure that they have fair, non-discriminatory access to justice.
The Permanent Forum notes that forced labour and all forms of servitude constitute serious human rights violations that it is urgent to address; it therefore urges the Government of Paraguay to combat these practices as a matter of urgency.
The Permanent Forum recalls the recommendations contained in paragraphs 48 and 56 of the report of the international expert group meeting on indigenous youth (E/C.19/2013/3), emphasizing that linguistic education and linguistic sovereignty are of fundamental importance to indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNICEF and other competent bodies of the United Nations convene, together with the Forum, a meeting of experts on intercultural matters and bilingual education.
The lack of effective recognition of the indigenous justice systems by State institutions, as well as the ongoing discrimination against them in the State justice system and inadequate access to redress and reparation, are among the key challenges faced by indigenous peoples around the world. Strengthened support for indigenous justice systems is key to promoting human rights, the rule of law, the achievement of justice for all and the promotion of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, as set out in Goal 16.
With reference to article 42 of the United Nations Declaration, the Permanent Forum invites African States, in particular Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya, Mali, Nigeria and Rwanda, to present, at its sixteenth session, information on the situation of indigenous peoples affected by conflict in those countries.