The Permanent Forum also calls upon WHO to work in close cooperation with the Forum in establishing a programme on non-communicable diseases, with special attention to indigenous peoples and diabetes. The Forum recognizes the findings of the Expert Meeting on Indigenous Peoples, Diabetes and Development, held in Copenhagen on 1 and 2 March 2012, and its outcome document entitled “The Copenhagen call to action” and recommends that those outcomes be considered when establishing the programme.
The Forum urges WHO to engage in a global consultation with indigenous peoples and others on its participatory research guidelines and seek the advice of the Permanent Forum on the guidelines.
The Permanent Forum repeats its call for an end to the criminalization of indigenous midwives as expressed in the recommendations contained in paragraphs 49 and 50 of its report on its seventeenth session (E/2018/43-E/C.19/2018/11) and urges States to respect the right of indigenous peoples to maintain their traditional health practices in accordance with article 24 of the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the study transmitted in the note by the Secretariat entitled “Improving the health and wellness of Indigenous Peoples globally: operationalization of Indigenous determinants of health” (E/C.19/2024/5). The Forum recognizes that the Indigenous determinants of health framework contains 33 risk and protective factors that empower United Nations entities and Member States to improve the health and wellness of Indigenous Peoples. Those entities and Member States must adopt the framework to operationalize the Indigenous determinants of health globally.
The Forum recommends that the Special Rapporteur on the right to health pay special attention in his work to the right to health as contained in treaties between indigenous peoples and States.
Drawing attention to the dramatic changes in the lifestyles of indigenous peoples and the ensuing deterioration of indigenous health due to malnutrition and obesity, including record high rates of diabetes and related illnesses such as hypertension, heart attacks, kidney failure and blindness, the Permanent Forum calls upon WHO, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, WFP and FAO to develop joint strategies to address the problem of diabetes and related non-communicable lifestyle illnesses. Given the alarming prevalence of diabetes among indigenous peoples, the Permanent Forum calls upon WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to establish a systematic working relationship with the Permanent Forum and the Inter-Agency Support Group to exchange experiences on health initiatives in the area of treatment and prevention of the illness, especially given their role in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States and the United Nations system, with particular attention to the activities of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), introduce indigenous youth perspectives into existing youth policies and plans, including the five-year action agenda of the Secretary-General to address health issues. In addition, there should be a distinct focus on indigenous youth by improving participation in decision-making and by introducing and including mental health services for young people, with particular efforts to address suicide among indigenous youth.
The Permanent Forum urges Governments in the Arctic, Eastern Europe, the Russian Federation, Central Asia and Transcaucasia to fully implement the relevant international obligations related to environmental and social safeguards to assure the conservation of nature and access to natural resources for indigenous peoples within their territories in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals 12, 14 and 15.
The Permanent Forum invites UNFPA, in collaboration with the Forum, to identify good practices of culturally appropriate intervention models from its work in developing countries that provide support to indigenous peoples, in particular women and girls, in exercising their health and reproductive rights, and to report to the Forum on those models by 2018.
Calling attention to the high rates of suicide among indigenous youth in some countries, the Permanent Forum reiterates its call for States and relevant national aboriginal health bodies to convene a meeting to assess the root causes of indigenous youth suicide and to formulate preventive strategies. The Forum reiterates its call on UNICEF and WHO to convene a meeting on youth suicide.
The Permanent Forum commends UNICEF and UNFPA for their work to combat female genital mutilation practices and urges them to continue their efforts with indigenous peoples and their communities.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators engage with indigenous peoples in developing key indicators relating to indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and resources, traditional knowledge, free, prior and informed consent, empowerment of indigenous women, access to justice and special measures addressing the particular circumstances of indigenous peoples regarding relevant poverty, health, education and socioeconomic development targets of the 17 goals.