The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for the collection of disaggregated statistical data on the situation of indigenous peoples. Where such data are available, they have shown that the pandemic has affected indigenous peoples differently than other populations, requiring culturally appropriate approaches and solutions. The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation to Member States to collect and disseminate disaggregated statistical data on indigenous peoples, in close cooperation with indigenous peoples themselves, in order to support evidence-based policymaking and programming.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations system ensure the inclusion and meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in all processes relating to the elaboration of the sustainable development goals. In this regard, the Forum recommends that indigenous peoples and their organizations and representatives participate in the dialogues between Member States and civil society during meetings of the Group.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the outcome of the consultation entitled “Realizing the future we want in Latin America and the Caribbean: towards a
post-2015 development agenda”, held in Guadalajara, Mexico, in April 2013 at the initiative of the Government of Mexico, and values the good practice of exchange with other stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector and businesses. The Forum recommends that other Member States follow the same good practice.
Recalling its recommendations made at its first, sixth and ninth sessions that called for publication of the report entitled “State of the world’s indigenous peoples”, the Permanent Forum requests the Department of Economic and Social Affairs to continue its publication of the document on a quadrennial basis.
The Permanent Forum commends the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people for his efforts on behalf of indigenous peoples around the world and recommends that he continue his work in conformity with the principles he has established.
The Permanent Forum recommends that relevant countries among the 44 countries undergoing voluntary national reviews at the high-level political forum in 2017 include indigenous peoples in their reviews, reports and delegations. The Forum invites those Member States to report on good practices of including indigenous peoples’ indicators in the voluntary national reviews to the Forum at its seventeenth session.