The Forum recommends that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, at its special discussion day on the indigenous child, to be held on 19 September 2003, in addition to considering reports from States parties, pay special attention to issues related to safeguarding the integrity of indigenous families.
In order to facilitate its work, the Forum decides to appoint Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the Forum, and Wilton Littlechild, Member of the Forum, as Special Rapporteurs, to prepare, without financial implications, an analytical paper with a concise thematic compiliation of the recommendations of the first three sessions of the Forum, and their status of implementation at the national, regional and international levels, and to submit it to the Permanent Forum at its fifth session, in 2006
The Permanent Forum recommends that States ensure access to justice for indigenous peoples, including indigenous women, through formal justice institutions, national human rights institutions and other forms of redress or recourse, all while taking into account indigenous peoples’ customary laws, institutions and processes, consistent with articles 21, 22 and 34 of the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum is concerned by the high number of indigenous children being removed from their families and placed into public social care, in particular in developed countries. In this regard, the Forum noted with satisfaction the Expert Mechanism’s engagement on the rights of the indigenous children. The report of the Expert Mechanism on the indigenous child will be discussed at its forthcoming session, in July 2021.