Given the unique role of information and communications technology companies in the design, development and use of contemporary language technologies, the Permanent Forum reiterates its invitation to the private sector to contribute to the International Decade. The Permanent Forum encourages these companies to continue to develop digital platforms, in cooperation with indigenous peoples and academic institutions, in order to compile information archives for the preservation and revitalization of indigenous languages, language corpora, speech recognition, machine translation and synthesis tools, digital dictionaries and online courses.
Recognizing the deep spiritual relationship indigenous peoples have with water, and the great respect they have for the natural laws governing the health and the sanctity of water, the Permanent Forum recommends that States review, with the direct participation of indigenous peoples, their laws on water regulation and the treaties, land claims and self-government agreements that they have entered into with indigenous peoples, taking into account the sanctity of water reflected in those agreements. It is further recommended that States present their reviews to the eighth session of the Permanent Forum in 2009, including in particular, information on the status of the implementation of laws and agreements with respect to water and indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the adoption of resolution 63/278, by which the General Assembly established International Mother Earth Day and embraces indigenous peoples’ and Member States’ recommendations regarding the need to promote humankind living in harmony with nature. Therefore, the Forum decides to appoint Mr Carlos Mamani Candori and Mr Bartolome Clavero, members of the Forum as Special Rapporteurs, to conduct a study, without financial implications, on its implementation, taking into account, inter alia, the consideration and recognition of Mother Earth rights and submit a report to the ninth session of the Forum in 2010.
States, United Nations agencies, funds and programs should mobilize support for indigenous peoples who are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters.
The Permanent Forum urges the member organizations of the Conservation Initiative on Human Rights to commission independent evaluations of the impact of their organizations’ work on indigenous peoples.