The Permanent Forum recommends that, prior to its seventh session, United Nations organizations should provide technical assistance and convene, in cooperation with indigenous peoples’ organizations, regional workshops on the special theme of the seventh session, “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship of indigenous peoples and new challenges”, with the participation of the members of the Forum and other experts, indigenous peoples’ representatives, indigenous parliamentarians, State representatives and representatives of the United Nations system, in order to formulate recommendations for consideration, as part of its preparatory work for the seventh session. The Permanent Forum further recommends that States, organizations and donors provide resources for these regional workshops and that the report on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in States and Territories threatened with extinction for environmental reasons be included in the discussions held at the workshops.
Should members of the Forum wish to submit working papers to the Forum under the various areas of its mandate, they are hereby formally recommended to do so.
Noting the challenge of securing the constructive participation of indigenous peoples’ organizations in its sessions and ongoing work and of developing an active partnership between civil society, Governments and the United Nations system, the Forum recommends that a workshop be convened to develop innovative working methods for future sessions of the Forum, including methods of disseminating information before the sessions.
The Permanent Forum decides to reappoint Victoria Tauli-Corpuz as Special Rapporteur to complete a study on the impacts of the global crisis on indigenous peoples by 31 December 2010 and submit it to the Permanent Forum at its tenth session, in 2011.
The Permanent Forum expresses its concern about the continuing and long-term negative impacts of large dams on indigenous peoples in many parts of the world. Many large dams continue to be planned for construction on indigenous lands. The Permanent Forum supports the implementation of the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams contained in its report Dams and Development: A New Framework for Decision-making. The implementation of these recommendations must be in accordance with the provisions set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum decides to appoint, without financial implications, Hassan Id Balkassm and Paimaneh Hasteh, members of the Forum, as Special Rapporteurs to undertake a study to determine whether climate change policies and projects adhere to the standards in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and that the Human Rights Council expert mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues be invited to participate in the study, and requests that they provide the Forum with an outline of the study at its eighth session and a report thereon at its ninth session.
Indigenous peoples in the Pacific rely on marine resources and fisheries for both livelihoods and as a food source. The Permanent Forum encourages United Nations entities to incorporate traditional knowledge into all their work in the region.