We encourage the Economic and Social Council in respect of the following recommendation: the Council should request that the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean continue and strengthen its efforts regarding the production, elaboration and use of relevant information from population census, household surveys and other adequate sources, in strong interaction with indigenous peoples, aiming at improving the socio-economic conditions and active participation of indigenous peoples in the development process throughout the Latin American region. In addition, the Forum recommends that in all relevant data-collection processes, Member States and the United Nations organizations take the steps described in paragraphs 84-88 below
The Permanent Forum urges States to financially resource, empower and support local Arctic indigenous communities in order to give indigenous youth and women, together with other members of the communities, the opportunity to secure and develop their cultures.
The Permanent Forum congratulates the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for its ongoing work with indigenous peoples, including the operationalization of free, prior and informed consent in its funded projects, support for national policy dialogues among indigenous peoples, governments and United Nations country teams and adoption of data disaggregation for indigenous peoples in its revised Results and Impact Management System. The Forum encourages the Fund to develop specific indicators on the well-being of indigenous peoples, to be applied in its funded projects. The Forum urges IFAD to ensure that its high standards and safeguards are applied to its co-funded projects initiated by institutions that invest in large infrastructure.
The Permanent Forum is concerned that the regional presence, representation and services of United Nations agencies in the Asia-Pacific region are limited mostly to the Asian subregion, and recommends that all United Nations agencies review their operations to provide equal services to the Pacific subregion and identify their operations separately according to the two subregions.
The Permanent Forum calls upon States that have not already done so to engage in constructive partnerships with indigenous peoples to achieve the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to adopt specific action plans, strategies or other measures that will deliver required financial and technical assistance to indigenous peoples in order for them to achieve and exercise self-determination.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the World Bank brings its policy on indigenous peoples (OP 4.10) into full compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum attaches particular importance to the need for the Bank to adopt the standard of free, prior and informed consent and, in general, to institutionalize and operationalize an approach based on human rights. The Forum reiterates its recommendation, made at its twelfth session that the emerging instruments of the Bank and other agencies must be harmonized with the Declaration, which is regarded as a reflection of the minimum human rights standards necessary for the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples, nations and communities. Such instruments should be consistent with or exceed those minimum standards. The Forum underlines the need for the Bank’s operational policies to use language that is consistent with the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum encourages the Government of Paraguay to continue to accept assistance from United Nations agencies and programmes and national cooperation agencies in order to develop policies aimed at the elimination of forced labour and other forms of servitude, especially in matters relating to the most urgent challenges: food, health, housing and education.