The Permanent Forum welcomes the Community Land Act of Kenya, which represents a critical step towards securing the land rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum reiterates its recommendation that the Government of Kenya implement a sustainable system of equitable land tenure to prevent further evictions of the Ogiek community in the Mau forest, and calls upon the Government to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the sustainable management of forests and to comply with the decision of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Permanent Forum heard reports from Māori Indigenous Peoples that the Government of New Zealand had departed from the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) and taken measures against the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the disbandment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori health authority. The Forum urges the State and Government of New Zealand to uphold the distinct rights of Māori Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum thanks Finance in Common, a global network of public development banks, for its invitation to the fourth Finance in Common Summit. The Forum encourages the continuation of collaborative efforts to enhance support for the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum reiterates that the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline jeopardizes the Great Lakes and poses a real and credible threat to the human rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the United States. The Forum reiterates its call for Canada and the United States to decommission Line 5.
The Permanent Forum recognizes the need for the United States of America to honour its treaty obligations with tribes. The Forum calls upon the Government of the United States to ensure the return of lands that house boarding schools to Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum supports the call of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to redress treaty violations. Indigenous Peoples deprived of treaty rights are also at risk; the Forum urges relevant States to adopt constructive agreements and appropriate laws to ensure Indigenous lands and territories are protected in the face of mineral extraction and development.
The Permanent Forum recommends that intergovernmental organizations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Ibero-American Summit, in cooperation with indigenous peoples, establish a working group to promote the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Plan of Action of the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations system continue to build the capacities of indigenous peoples’ organizations and to develop their knowledge and skills to have their rights respected, protected and fulfilled.
The Permanent Forum has learned from indigenous peoples’ communications, which have been corroborated by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, that in the Chaco region there are Guaraní communities in a practical state of slavery. According to the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, as well as the articles 17, 26 and 28 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Forum strongly supports the efforts of the current Government of Bolivia and the commitment of the incoming Government of Paraguay to discontinue this enslaving practice and return indigenous lands to their lawful owners, the Guaraní themselves.
The Permanent Forum reaffirms that indigenous peoples’ participation is crucial for the work of the Forum, and it therefore urges States to facilitate this participation, especially those indigenous peoples funded by the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations.
The Permanent Forum requests that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders conduct a specific study on the situation of indigenous human rights defenders and submit a report to the Permanent Forum at its eighth session.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and other relevant United Nations agencies and offices provide necessary information and training on the universal periodic review process for and with indigenous peoples.