The Permanent Forum calls upon all States that have ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to develop, at national level, in partnership with indigenous peoples, benchmarks, timelines and indicators to measure progressive realization of indigenous human rights. Furthermore, the Permanent Forum supports the efforts to elaborate an optional protocol to allow for the submission of complaints under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The Permanent Forum notes the progress made by the UNDP Regional Initiative on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and Development and the ILO Programme to Promote ILO Convention No. 169 (PRO-169) projects in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples. The Forum welcomes the decision by UNDP to establish a similar programme in Latin America and calls on UNDP to expand its activities in this manner in Africa.