The Permanent Forum recommends that Member States in the region enhance the protection of Indigenous Peoples through recognition and autonomy, in line with the Declaration, by revising legal and policy frameworks. Governments should rectify the injustices of the colonial past, taking into consideration Indigenous Peoples and their perspectives, in particular those of Indigenous youth, ensuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the fact that United Nations entities and bodies, including mandate holders and, notably, OHCHR and the United Nations Environment Programme, take their share of the responsibility to ensure a safe space for Indigenous Peoples participating in United Nations meetings. The Permanent Forum requests that United Nations bodies and entities create an urgent response mechanism to acts of intimidation and reprisals against Indigenous human rights defenders cooperating with the United Nations, in line with existing United Nations guidance on protection and promotion of civic space and the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights. The Permanent Forum will consider how to strengthen its own response mechanisms and its cooperation with the Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights, in line with General Assembly resolution 77/203, on this pressing matter, including through the appointment of focal points.
The Permanent Forum denounces the extrajudicial killings of indigenous leaders and activists in several Asian States, as reported by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and urges the concerned countries to investigate these reported cases and to provide redress to the relatives of the victims.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the reports of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, on the international seminars on “Constitutional Reforms, Legislation and Implementation of Laws regarding the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” held in Geneva and Tucson, Arizona, in July and October 2005, respectively (E/CN.4/2006/78/Add.5). Concerned about the status of recommendations and the implementation gap, the Permanent Forum recommends to indigenous peoples’ organizations, non-governmental organizations and interested United Nations organizations and States that they hold United Nations expert seminars regarding the implementation of the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations and request that the results of the meetings be reported to the Permanent Forum at its sixth session.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism pay particular attention to the impact of national security laws and anti-terrorism laws on indigenous peoples.
The Forum welcomes and supports the decision of the Commission on Human Rights as contained in paragraph 11 of its resolution 2003/56 of 24 April 2003 to hold a seminar on the administration of justice.