The Permanent Forum recognizes that the United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity and that indigenous peoples, as custodians of the Earth’s biodiversity, should be major players in actions planned for 2010. In that spirit, the Permanent Forum calls for close cooperation between the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Forum in promoting the International Year and in highlighting the role of indigenous peoples as custodians of biodiversity.
The Forum reiterates its recommendation that the Economic and Social Council approve the creation, under the auspices of the Forum, of a three-year working group on free, prior informed consent and participatory research guidelines, with the participation of stakeholders concerned, namely Governments, indigenous peoples’ organizations, corporations and States and the United Nations system, with combined funding provided partly by the regular budget and partly through the Voluntary Fund, the World Bank and corporations, that includes a focus on how free, prior informed consent and participatory research guidelines relate to economic, social and environmental projects and the protection of indigenous knowledge and natural resources.
The Permanent Forum requests that its secretariat prepare a report on the implementation of the recommendations made, to be submitted to the Forum at its eleventh session, in 2012. The report should analyse the challenges as well as the associated factors that United Nations agencies and funds, Member States and indigenous peoples’ organizations have faced.
According to articles 25 to 36 of the Declaration, States shall uphold the right to the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and avoid, minimize and adjudicate disputes concerning land, territory or resources arising from extractive industries, large-scale water, energy and infrastructure projects, and agricultural investments.
The Forum expresses its appreciation to all those who contributed to the Trust Fund for the support of the Forum and calls upon Governments, intergovernmental organizations, foundations and non-governmental organizations to give generously to the Fund
The Permanent Forum is concerned about the recent grant by the World Bank of a waiver to its indigenous peoples policy (operational policy 4.10) and requests that the World Bank ensure that waivers will not be used in the future. Furthermore, the Forum requests that the Bank conduct a review of the impact on indigenous peoples of the waiver issued to the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania Programme and present its findings to the Forum
The Permanent Forum reiterates the importance of preparatory processes at all levels for bringing different perspectives to the World Conference and building a spirit of partnership, inclusion and respect, and calls upon Member States, indigenous peoples and United Nations organizations, funds and programmes to work together at the national, regional and international levels.
. Recognizing that the creative economy is among the most dynamically developing economic sectors, and noting its capacity for the sustainable development, the Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Industrial Development Organization develop, in cooperation with indigenous peoples and Member States, a comprehensive programme for the development of indigenous businesses and creative industries, including through capacity-building programmes on entrepreneurship for indigenous peoples and mechanisms for financial support to start-ups. In that regard, funding from Member States for the development of start-up incubators based on cultural heritage, traditional occupations, crafts and knowledge is encouraged.
The Permanent Forum remains concerned about the state of formal education for indigenous young people and calls upon States to fully fund bilingual and culturally appropriate primary, secondary and tertiary education programmes led by indigenous peoples, including mobile education initiatives for nomadic and semi-nomadic communities. Supporting informal and formal indigenous education systems is crucial in order to maintain and transmit traditional indigenous knowledge systems.
The Permanent Forum urges UNDP to strengthen its institutional capacity on indigenous peoples’ issues by establishing a task force to serve as a liaison mechanism between headquarters and focal points on indigenous issues at the country level. Furthermore, the Forum recommends that these focal points be specialists on indigenous peoples’ issues.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations system strengthen existing coordination mechanisms at the country level, and in partnership with indigenous peoples and other relevant entities and national partners, in order to implement the outcomes of the World Conference. The Forum offers its support in this regard.
The Permanent Forum requests that the secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues publish a second volume of the State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, containing a section on development with culture and identity based on information from indigenous peoples’ organizations, United Nations agencies and States.