The Permanent Forum recognizes the harm that the recent decision of the European Parliament regarding the seal product import ban may cause Inuit in the Arctic, and calls upon the European Union to rescind this import ban and, failing that, to enter into direct and meaningful dialogue with the Inuit Circumpolar Council to discuss ways of moving forward. Furthermore, the European Union must make decisions that affect both European and non-European indigenous peoples taking into account their right to free, prior and informed consent.
The Forum recommends to the Economic and Social Council that the United Nations system guarantee the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in appropriate processes and environmental conventions, such as those on desertification, wetlands and climate change.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its concern about conservation efforts, including the designation of national parks, biosphere reserves and world heritage sites, which frequently lead to the displacement of indigenous peoples from their traditional lands and territories. In this regard, the Permanent Forum requests that a member of the Forum attend the thirty-fourth session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to be held in Brasilia, Brazil, in August 2010.