The Forum recommends that States where indigenous peoples live formulate and implement public policies with gender and ethnic considerations, taking into account the multicultural and multi-ethnic composition of their populations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, including nomadic peoples. Furthermore, the pandemic has exacerbated the plight of young women with regard to forced early marriage, female genital mutilation and lack of access to health care. The Permanent Forum calls on Member States to implement effective measures to address these challenges in their post-pandemic recovery efforts
The Permanent Forum repeats its call for an end to the criminalization of indigenous midwives as expressed in the recommendations contained in paragraphs 49 and 50 of its report on its seventeenth session (E/2018/43-E/C.19/2018/11) and urges States to respect the right of indigenous peoples to maintain their traditional health practices in accordance with article 24 of the Declaration.
Ensure that indigenous women's expertise is reflected in all national and international development strategies and that indigenous women, in consultation with their communities and organizations, are part of the formulation and decision-making processes of sustainable development initiatives. Efforts towards gender equality should be integrated as part of States' investments in all of the Millennium Development Goals
The Permanent Forum further urges States to improve their collection of data on self-harm and suicide among indigenous children and youth, as well as on violence against indigenous women, boys and girls, to facilitate better understanding of the extent of the problem. States should commit to reducing the incidence of self-harm, violence and suicide among indigenous children and youth through the allocation of adequate resources to holistic prevention and support services, in partnership with indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum urges the relevant Governments of States visited by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people to implement the recommendations contained in his reports regarding mega-projects implemented using the territories, lands and natural resources of indigenous peoples.