The Permanent Forum urges States to support the economic activities of indigenous peoples, in particular indigenous women, by enhancing their equal access to productive resources and agricultural inputs, such as land, seeds, financial services, technology, transportation and information.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) should embrace the cultural dimensions of sustainable development. The Permanent Forum recommends that the Conference approve the cultural indicators as a fourth “pillar” for the elaboration of development policies for all peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the International Labour Organization (ILO) continue to work with the Forum, United Nations agencies, financial institutions, bilateral donors and other interested parties to further the inclusion of indigenous peoples’ rights in high-level development policies and poverty reduction strategy papers, such as by raising indigenous peoples’ issues with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and its related Development Assistance Committee.
The Permanent Forum appreciates the steps taken by the African Development Bank to include safeguards for indigenous peoples in its integrated safeguards system. The Forum is concerned, however, that the Bank remains the only multilateral bank not to have a stand-alone safeguard policy for indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends that the Bank fast-track, in coordination with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional bodies, a regional policy framework for indigenous peoples in line with the provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and report on progress to the Forum at its thirteenth session, in 2014. The Forum further recommends that the Bank develop a mechanism specifically to support the entrepreneurship activities of indigenous peoples.
The Forum reaffirms the UNDP focus on implementing its policy of working with indigenous peoples at the country level, and urges UNDP to continue its work to develop a policy on land tenure rights with the participation of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Plurinational State of Bolivia continue the implementation of specific policies in the areas of housing, health and education in order to benefit the freed communities, paying particular attention to those who have been subjected to servitude, and especially children and adolescents.
The Permanent Forum notes that the Constitutional Court of Guatemala issued ruling No. 2112-2016 of 24 October 2017 on indigenous peoples’ intellectual collective property. The Permanent Forum urges Guatemala to comply with the ruling and to adopt laws and policies, respecting the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum urges the United Nations Population Fund, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and other regional mechanisms, in collaboration with indigenous peoples, to conduct studies on indigenous peoples, urbanization and migration, with an emphasis on indigenous women and youth.
The Permanent Forum is concerned at the lack of implementation of its previous recommendations that States implement the agreements reached in peace accords, and encourages States to engage in constructive dialogue with indigenous peoples, including the Maya, Garifuna, Xinka, Jumma, Kanak, Naga, Chin, Amazigh, Tuareg and Maohis peoples, and provide information to the Forum at its sixteenth session on the status of the agreements. In accordance with articles 3, 4, 5, 18 and 27 of the United Nations Declaration, the Forum urges the States concerned to engage in implementation with the full participation of indigenous peoples.