The Permanent Forum acknowledges the continuing negotiations between the Nordic States and the Sami peoples towards the adoption of a Nordic Sami convention. The Forum recommends that the minimum international human rights standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be the framework for all negotiations concerning the convention and the harmonizing of Sami rights within Nordic countries. It urges Nordic States to recognize and respect the Sami peoples’ right to self-determination, to determine their own identity or membership of their institutions in accordance with their customs and their right not to be subjected to forced assimilation, consistent with articles 8 and 33 of the Declaration, the conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (see CERD/C/FIN/CO/19, para. 13).
The Permanent Forum requests that UNICEF operationalize and implement its strategic framework on indigenous and minority children and report to the Forum in 2012 on measures undertaken to that end.
The Forum decides to devote sufficient time during its fifth session to special events for the purpose of identifying the issues, challenges and positive measures of cooperation required to improve the situation of indigenous peoples in the above-mentioned regions (North America, the Arctic, the Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America) and invites the United Nations system, as well as relevant Governments, regional intergovernmental institutions and organizations, and indigenous peoples organizations to contribute to these special events