The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) conduct a study on violence against indigenous women and access to justice, especially in cross-border situations, in cooperation with indigenous women.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the legal reforms and policies carried out in some States to recognize the right of indigenous peoples to food and food sovereignty. It would also like to encourage the remaining States to take the steps towards its recognition. The Permanent Forum encourages States to take positive actions to facilitate the capacity of indigenous peoples to strengthen traditional food systems, such as formally recognizing and demarcating indigenous territories to enable them to carry out productive food activities, in accordance with article
8 (2) (b) of the Declaration, which prohibits States from any action that has the aim or effect of dispossessing indigenous peoples of their lands, territories or resources.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States incorporate adequate information on the implementation of the Declaration in their core reports to the human rights treaty bodies.
The Permanent Forum calls upon States and corporations to fully recognize the presence and effective participation of indigenous peoples in all negotiation processes relating to the entry of extractive industries, infrastructure projects and other development projects into their communities, consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, inter alia, articles 19, 23 and 32. Furthermore, the Forum calls upon all relevant actors to ensure the application of culturally relevant, gender-balanced and gender-based analysis and gender budgeting as critical elements of economic and social development, consistent with articles 21 and 44 of the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum encourages analysis by States, the specialized agencies, academics, indigenous peoples and their organizations of the implementation of free, prior and informed consent principles and mechanisms regarding projects on indigenous lands and territories, and encourages them to submit such analyses to the Permanent Forum for consolidation and to identify good practices and barriers.
The Permanent Forum recommends that Governments respect the free participation of indigenous representatives in United Nations meetings and activities relevant to them, including the Permanent Forum and other bodies.
The lack of effective recognition of the indigenous justice systems by State institutions, as well as the ongoing discrimination against them in the State justice system and inadequate access to redress and reparation, are among the key challenges faced by indigenous peoples around the world. Strengthened support for indigenous justice systems is key to promoting human rights, the rule of law, the achievement of justice for all and the promotion of effective, accountable and inclusive institutions, as set out in Goal 16.
The Permanent Forum invites Member States to fully implement recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples following her or his country visits.
National human rights institutions are encouraged to work with indigenous peoples to develop strategies to protect and provide support to indigenous human rights defenders.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the adoption of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the Organization of American States on 15 June 2016. The Forum calls upon States to implement the American Declaration in order to advance the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and other human rights instruments.
In relation to the preparation for the high-level plenary meeting/World Conference, the Permanent Forum welcomes the study entitled “Rights of indigenous peoples: achievements and challenges in the Latin American countries”, prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in collaboration with indigenous peoples, and encourages States, agencies and regional commissions to undertake similar studies.
The Permanent Forum has decided to appoint Saul Vicente Vásquez, a member of the Forum, to conduct a study on extractive industries in Mexico and the situation of indigenous peoples in the territories in which these industries are located.