The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations entities, including the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, take effective measures to support the promotion of indigenous languages and the successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the International Year, including in activities related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the systemwide action plan on the rights of indigenous peoples, the celebration of international days and other processes.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations to UNICEF to adopt a policy on indigenous peoples in consultation with indigenous peoples without delay.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Envoy of the Secretary-General on Youth, in cooperation with indigenous young people, urgently address self-harm and suicide among indigenous young people and invites him to inform the Forum on progress in that regard at its fifteenth session.
The Permanent Forum is deeply concerned that the problems and discrimination facing indigenous children and youth are not reflected in the Millennium Development Goals, and it urges States and United Nations organizations to develop culturally sensitive policies, programmes and projects that fully incorporate indigenous children and youth into achieving the Goals.
The Permanent Forum has, in recent years, expressed considerable concern regarding the situation of indigenous youth and the lack of disaggregated data thereon. In 2016, the Forum decided to include a recurring item on indigenous youth in the agenda of its annual sessions and has issued several youth-specific recommendations. The Forum welcomes the progress made and encourages further action by indigenous organizations and youth, as well as by members of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development and the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Peoples’ Issues, in implementing those recommendations.
The Permanent Forum emphasizes that the recognition, protection and promotion of indigenous peoples’ rights to lands, territories and resources will make a significant contribution to achieving not only Goals 1 and 2, but also all the Sustainable Development Goals. In this regard, the Forum urges Governments to take all measures necessary to protect indigenous peoples’ rights to their territories and resources in the framework of the 2030 Agenda.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Government of Paraguay should give priority, in its emergency plans, to the protection of vulnerable indigenous children from practices of forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
The Permanent Forum urges United Nations organizations, non-governmental organizations, States and other supportive organizations to facilitate, support and fund local, regional and international youth activities and other upcoming training workshops and forums.
Regarding the negotiations taking place at the sessions of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Permanent Forum reiterates the urgent need to develop an instrument that responds to the current lack of adequate protection of traditional knowledge and recognizes indigenous peoples as equal stakeholders and the legitimate holders of their knowledge. The Forum calls upon the Intergovernmental Committee to fast-track the negotiations and to use its core budget to fund indigenous peoples’ participation in the deliberations.
The Permanent Forum invites the General Assembly to consider the creation of a distinct United Nations voluntary fund for indigenous youth or the earmarking of existing and future funds to increase and enhance the direct participation of indigenous youth at the United Nations. Furthermore, the Forum encourages every State Member of the United Nations to make multi-year voluntary contributions to such existing and/or future funds.
The Permanent Forum welcomes with appreciation the decision of the General Assembly, in its resolution 66/141, to request that the Secretary-General submit to the Assembly at its sixty-seventh session a comprehensive report on the rights of the child, including a focus on indigenous children. The Forum wishes to take part in any initiative undertaken by the Secretary-General in preparing the comprehensive report on the rights of the child.
The Forum, recalling its recommendation at its second session (para. 18) regarding an art competition among indigenous children for a logo/visual identifier for the Forum, decides to renew for another year its call for the submission of artwork by indigenous children, and calls for as wide a diseemination of information on the competition as possible so that the artwork can be received in time for the Forum's selection at the fifth session