The Forum reiterates its recommendations made at its second session, in particular those contained in chapter I, section B, paragraphs 83 to 94 of the report.2
The Permanent Forum recommends that Governments, bilateral and multilateral donor and development agencies and other development partners responsible for or assisting in the implementation of sectoral strategies or other programmes affecting lands owned, occupied or otherwise used by indigenous peoples review the consistency of such strategies and programmes with internationally recognized standards for the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and the impact of such strategies and programmes on indigenous communities and report to the Permanent Forum at its seventh session in 2008 on the results of these reviews and on any strategies adopted to address the challenges they might identify.
The Permanent Forum recommends that all States Parties to International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169 implement it by training their leading public officials/civil servants to respect and fulfil its provisions. It is crucial that indigenous peoples be fully informed of the consequences of the use and exploitation of natural resources in their lands and territories through consultations, under the principle of free, prior and informed consent, with indigenous peoples concerned. Through free, prior and informed consent, future conflicts can be avoided and the full participation of indigenous peoples in consultation mechanisms, environmental impact assessments and sociocultural impact assessments can be ensured.
The Forum welcomes the nomination of the High Commissioner, Justice Louise Arbor, and recommends that she convene a meeting with the Forum members.
The Permanent Forum recalls its invitation to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to initiate a general comment on the collective rights of indigenous peoples to lands, territories and natural resources. The Forum welcomes the decision of the Committee to draft a general comment on land and economic, social and cultural rights. However, the Forum expresses its concern about the limited participation of indigenous peoples in the drafting of the general comment and invites the Committee to consider facilitating the participation of indigenous peoples. The Forum also invites the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples to provide support in this regard.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Pacific Islands Forum create a mechanism for contributions by and participation of indigenous peoples’ representatives in its meetings and related structures and activities.
The Permanent Forum reiterates that indigenous peoples should report to the Forum on how they are implementing the Declaration in their own communities, thereby contributing to the growing evidence of how the principles enshrined in the Declaration are being practised.
Many indigenous peoples described situations where their human rights were being impacted by large-scale infrastructure projects, natural resource extraction and industrial agriculture activities in their territories without their free, prior and informed consent. The Permanent Forum received information to that effect from the Shuar, Sapara, Maasai and Ogaden peoples, among others. The Forum is concerned, in particular, by cases where it appears that the interests of investors are better protected than the rights of indigenous peoples. It reiterates that States and the private sector must respect the human rights of indigenous peoples by ensuring the effective implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The Forum welcomes and supports Commission on Human Rights decision 2003/117 of 24 April 2003 to hold a seminar on treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements between indigenous peoples and States, as a follow-up to the United Nations treaty study final report.
E/CN.4/Sub.2/1999/20.
Foster the training of indigenous women in order to gain leadership skills to become community advocates and defenders for indigenous women's rights to achieve gender equity
The Permanent Forum recommends that States establish, where it does not already exist, a national dialogue with indigenous peoples on human rights, based on the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum calls upon the Government of the United States of America to comply with the provisions recognized in the Declaration and to ensure the rights of the Great Sioux Nation to participate in decision-making, as set out in article 19 of the Declaration, given that the construction of the Dakota access pipeline will affect their rights, lives and territory. Furthermore, the Forum recommends that the Government of the United States initiate an investigation of alleged human rights abuses by private security and law enforcement officers that occurred during protests to prevent construction of the pipeline.