The Permanent Forum invites the Development Coordination Office to include Forum members in its future meetings with resident coordinators for Indigenous Peoples’ issues to be heard and to share experiences on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the national level.
The Permanent Forum urges the Government of Kenya to implement the recommendations of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the rights of Endorois to the ownership of their ancestral lands, to the restitution thereof and to compensation in that connection.
The Permanent Forum urges WHO to establish a standing Indigenous-led advisory committee to the Director General regarding Indigenous Peoples’ health to steer, monitor and report annually on the implementation and ongoing operationalization of World Health Assembly resolution 76.16. The committee should be majority-Indigenous, gender-balanced, regionally diverse, and chosen through Indigenous representative institutions, in line with free, prior and informed consent.
The Permanent Forum notes the proactive measures of the Governments of Honduras and Indonesia to integrate Indigenous Peoples’ rights within national land rights and environmental conservation frameworks. Furthermore, the Forum reiterates its concerns regarding the ongoing situation in West Papua, in particular the conflict with regard to Indigenous Peoples, and encourages the Government of Indonesia to extend invitations to United Nations special procedures mandate holders to conduct country visits.
Consistent with the commitments in the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (General Assembly resolution 69/2) and the standards for indigenous peoples’ survival, dignity and well-being contained in the United Nations Declaration, the Permanent Forum recommends that States fully engage indigenous peoples in good-faith negotiations of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements on the basis of the unequivocal recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights to lands, territories and resources and to fully reject the extinguishment of indigenous rights in form or result. Furthermore, the Forum recommends that States address the call for full and effective redress for the loss of lands, territories and resources and State breaches of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements. The Forum reiterates the urgent need for States to institute, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, high-level oversight bodies to guide and oversee the conduct of negotiations and implementation of treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements in the light of ongoing negotiation and implementation issues. Building on the recommendations advanced at the eleventh session of the Forum, States are encouraged to support the resolution of disputes between indigenous peoples by providing financial and other methods of support to achieve peaceful resolution.
States, mining companies and financial institutions must uphold the right of Indigenous Peoples to free, prior and informed consent, including the option to reject proposed projects that would affect their lands and territories. The representation and participation of Indigenous Peoples must be gender-balanced; and their selfdetermination and self-governance structures must be respected. Special protection must be afforded to Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact, in accordance with the Declaration and existing human rights standards, including respect for precautionary and no-contact principles.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly ensure the meaningful participation of indigenous peoples and the Forum at the meetings of the 2019 high-level political forum on sustainable development, to be convened under the auspices of the Council and the Assembly in July and September 2019, respectively. The Forum stresses that the contributions of indigenous peoples to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda should be adequately reflected in the outcome document of the high-level political forums convened under the auspices of the Council and of the Assembly.
The Permanent Forum calls on States, in consultation with indigenous peoples, to establish national judicial institutions tasked with identifying lands, waters, coastal waters and other resources to which the indigenous peoples concerned have established ownership and usufruct rights, and to demarcate such lands and resources.
The Permanent Forum emphasizes the urgent need to fully implement the Declaration across the United Nations. Key recommendations include adopting the Indigenous determinants of health evaluation instrument, increasing Indigenous Peoples’ participation in decision-making and eliminating structural barriers, violence and discrimination, in particular against Indigenous two-spirit peoples. All United Nations reports, mechanisms and processes must fully reflect the experiences and rights of Indigenous two-spirit peoples. Furthermore, the Forum calls for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and self-determination to be recognized in and integrated into national legislation, policies and governance.
6. The Permanent Forum welcomes recent proposals made by the Sami to address cross-border collaboration and urges the States involved to work constructively with the affected indigenous peoples in these matters. The Permanent Forum also welcomes the Inuit Nunangat Policy of Canada, by which Inuit Nunangat is recognized as a distinct geographic, cultural and political region that encompasses the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Nunavut, Nunavik, and Nunatsiavut. The Permanent Forum invites other Member States to develop, in close cooperation with indigenous peoples, similar arrangements that recognize indigenous peoples’ ancestral territories
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 reiterates its call for Canada and the United States to decommission the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline, which poses a real and credible threat to the Great Lakes and Indigenous Peoples. Both States must implement the Declaration in connection with Line 5 by respecting the free, prior and informed consent of the affected Indigenous Peoples.
