The Permanent Forum recommends that interested parties organize an international expert group meeting on the theme “Indigenous peoples: sacred plants and sites, articles 11, 24 and 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”, and requests that the conclusions of such a meeting be submitted to the Forum at its tenth session.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the initiative of the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to host the International Conference on Biological and Cultural Diversity: Diversity for Development (8-10 June 2010, Montreal, Canada) to develop a joint programme of work on biological and cultural diversity, and requests that future work include broad partnerships with the Permanent Forum, other relevant agencies, indigenous peoples’ organizations and non-governmental organizations
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision 2009/250 of the Economic and Social Council on a proposed amendment to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol, related to the traditional use of the coca leaf. The Forum recommends that Member States support this initiative, taking into account articles 11, 24 and 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum calls upon UNESCO, the Secretariat of the Conference on Biological Diversity, UNDP, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the United Nations Development Group to support indigenous peoples in their process of cultural heritage restoration and strengthening. This process should be guided by indigenous peoples in order to avoid the misuse and distortion of indigenous peoples’ culture, practices and knowledge and to respect their perspectives and aspirations.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States, relevant United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations and bilateral donors support strategies for intercultural prevention and eradication of violence against women that are designed and driven by indigenous women’s organizations and that consider indigenous approaches to address gender-based violence.
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 Permanent Forum recommends that the Government of Paraguay should give priority, in its emergency plans, to the protection of vulnerable indigenous children from practices of forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations provide political, institutional and, in accordance with article 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, financial support to the efforts of indigenous peoples so that they may consolidate their own development models and concepts and practices of living well (for example sumak kawsay, suma qamaña, laman laka, gawis ay biag), which are underpinned by their indigenous cosmologies, philosophies, values, cultures and identities, as well as link efforts to implement the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States implement the principles contained in General Comment No. 21 (2009) of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on article 15, paragraph 1 (a), of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights regarding the right of everyone to take part in cultural life. In its interpretation of the article, the Committee takes into account the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It consequently distinguishes the right of indigenous peoples to take part in their own culture from the same right as it applies to minorities. This distinction is made in particular as a result of the extension of the concept of indigenous culture to material aspects such as territories and resources.
The Permanent Forum deems it urgently necessary for UNDP to develop a deeper understanding of indigenous peoples’ world views. This requires, inter alia, that UNDP enhance its own capacity in the area of the human rights of indigenous peoples by having, at least, one full-time adviser on indigenous peoples’ rights. This adviser should be an indigenous professional who has experience working in or with indigenous organizations. The Permanent Forum further recommends that UNDP establish internal mechanisms to monitor and ensure compliance with its own programmes and operations policies and procedures related to indigenous peoples’ rights. The UNDP Liaison Committee on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, in collaboration with the Permanent Forum, should develop a system to receive concerns from indigenous peoples and ensure the application of the internal policies and procedures of UNDP.