The Forum encourages the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and its Member States to take practical steps to ensure that the inappropriate and unauthorized documentation and publication of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions/folklore does not occur, and to reinforce the capacity of indigenous peoples and local communities to make informed decisions in their own interests concerning whether and how documentation should be issued, including through the development of practical toolkits and guides which should have this as their aim.
The Forum recommends:
(a) That the appropriate agencies, including those engaged in development activities, consider the protection of sacred species;
(b) That UNESCO focus attention on the ratification of the Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and on its effective implementation at national levels;
(c) That UNESCO explore the links between the protection of tangible cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage and sacred sites and other related UNESCO instruments with a view to broadening, strengthening and streamlining the protection of (indigenous) cultural heritage;
(d) That UNESCO facilitate the participation of both the Forum and indigenous peoples’ representatives in all relevant meetings of interest to them;
(e) Noting that the current UNESCO endangered languages programme seeks only to record endangered (indigenous) languages, that UNESCO expand its endangered languages programme to record, revive and reintroduce indigenous languages, in cooperation with indigenous peoples. This should include projects that support training in and teaching of indigenous languages at the community level.