The Permanent Forum welcomes the recent entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Forum encourages Member States to accede to the Optional Protocol and requests the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to consider the preparation of a general comment on the economic, social and cultural rights of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Human Rights Council consider the development of a framework for the implementation of article 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as adopted by the Human Rights Council, to assess implementation of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between States and indigenous peoples in all regions of the world.
The Permanent Forum thanks the Government of Colombia for its support during the Forum mission to Colombia and requests that the Government, the United Nations country team and the United Nations agencies involved in the mission implement the recommendations contained in the mission report (E/C.19/2011/3) through consultation and full collaboration with the indigenous peoples concerned. The Permanent Forum intends to assess the implementation of the recommendations at its eleventh session.
The Forum reiterates the recommendations contained in paragraph 24 of its report on the first session, namely, it recommends that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights organize activities with indigenous peoples in Africa and Asia with a view to: (a) Providing international and regional human rights training for indigenous peoples; (b) Encouraging dialogue between States, indigenous peoples and others on the concept of indigenous peoples in the context of the promotion and protection of cultural diversity; (c) Inviting inter-agency consultation with States and indigenous peoples at the national and subregional levels and to report to the Forum at its third session.
The Forum urges the meeting of chairpersons of the human rights treaty bodies and the meeting of the special rapporteurs and other mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights organized by the Office of the High Commissioner to place indigenous peoples, including indigenous women, on their agenda and invite the Forum to participate.
The Permanent Forum recommends that an appropriate form of coordination should be explored between the Committee of Experts and the Forum regarding the implementation of ILO Convention No. 169. The Permanent Forum reiterates the need for a mechanism of coordination to also be established between the ILO supervisory mechanisms and indigenous peoples, which may include the establishment of an ad hoc committee consisting of indigenous representatives or experts.
Recognizing that the Millennium Development Goals do not address the specific needs of indigenous peoples, the Permanent Forum urges States to urgently collect disaggregated data and adopt culturally sensitive indicators to monitor the implementation of the Goals among indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum notes that indigenous youth in the region are often forced to leave their home and lands to receive an education, which can pose an obstacle to the right to education. The Permanent Forum urges States in Central and Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia to take measures to ensure the enjoyment of the right to education by indigenous youth. The Permanent Forum encourages States of the region to facilitate the development of indigenous peoples’ self-administration, the development of their inner potential and human resources, forming parliaments following the example of the Sami people; and decent representation of the small-numbered indigenous peoples in the bodies of legislative and executive power on all levels.