The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision of Bolivia to make the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples national law and to include it in the Constitution approved by the Constituent Assembly. The Forum expresses its support for Bolivia’s implementation of the Declaration through national laws and other means that lead towards the restitution of lands and territories to the indigenous peoples of eastern Bolivia. The Forum encourages Ecuador and Nepal to give due consideration to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in their current constitutional processes.
The Permanent Forum regrets the very high incarceration rates of indigenous peoples globally, which contributes to poor health, poverty and untimely death, including in indigenous families and communities. States are reminded of their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and should therefore address this issue urgently by reducing the incarceration and eliminating the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment of indigenous peoples by justice systems.
The Forum calls upon the European Commission to establish further collaboration with it on indigenous issues.
The Permanent Forum urges States that have been recommended by the universal periodic review to ratify the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), to do so
The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations that those States that have not already done so adopt or endorse, where applicable, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Convention No. 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum urges Colombia to promote and guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples in the development of the regulatory framework of the Colombian peace agreement and to ensure that a process of free, prior and informed consent is established for the implementation of the “ethnic chapter” of the agreement with their full and effective participation.
The Forum recommends that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, at its special discussion day on the indigenous child, to be held on 19 September 2003, in addition to considering reports from States parties, pay special attention to issues related to safeguarding the integrity of indigenous families.
The Permanent Forum notes the increasing operational activity of extractive industries and other large-scale development projects, including land grabbing, which is taking place on or near the territories of indigenous peoples in many African States, often without the involvement of indigenous peoples and without their free, prior and informed consent. The Forum recommends that African States must respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in particular the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent.
The Forum recommends that UNDP establish regional initiatives on indigenous peoples and strengthen further its HURIST program in all regions of the world that include all the countries of each region with an indigenous regional coordinator as is the case in Asia
Considering the continued threats facing indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact, and given their unique vulnerability in the time of the pandemic, the Permanent Forum recommends that local populations in the territories and adjacent areas of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact be prioritized in COVID-19 vaccination plans. The Forum reminds States that, by virtue of their international obligations, and specifically those contained in the American Convention on Human Rights, they must adopt measures to safeguard the life and integrity of their citizens, especially when it comes to highly vulnerable population groups, as in the case of indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and initial contact.
The Permanent Forum notes the intention of the members of the North American indigenous caucus to hold a conference on indigenous children and youth in detention, custody, adoption and foster care, and urges members of the caucus to invite members of the Forum, Government representatives and youth representatives to discuss model programmes and effective measures to address the disproportional representation of indigenous children and youth in detention, custody, adoption and foster care.
The Permanent Forum encourages APG to continue to give priority to its endeavours to eliminate the servitude and contemporary forms of slavery to which families and communities in Santa Cruz, especially in Alto Parapetí, and in Chuquisaca, are subjected. The Permanent Forum encourages APG, as the organization that represents the Guaraní people in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, to continue to give priority to combating these extremely serious human rights violations as part of its broader programme of reconstitution of the Guaraní people.