The Permanent Forum recommends: (a) using the model of engaging directly with indigenous peoples that is used by the small grants programme delivery mechanism, developed by UNDP since 1992 for implementation of projects at the local level; and (b) strengthen engagement with indigenous peoples in developing innovative tools and methodologies that are suited to and respectful of their cultures and knowledge.
The Permanent Forum is very concerned that indigenous peoples continue to report difficulties in participating in UNDP projects and engaging with UNDP offices. The Forum recommends that UNDP improve access to information on the Programme for indigenous peoples and ensure easier access to its staff members in country offices. UNDP should promote mechanisms that ensure a constructive and institutionalized dialogue between indigenous peoples and United Nations country teams at the country level, for example, by establishing advisory boards composed of indigenous representatives who can bring their perspectives to United Nations programming processes and policies.
The Permanent Forum recognizes that as the global economy promises to “build back better” from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that international financial institutions, including the World Bank, work in close consultation with indigenous peoples and invest in their communities. Indigenous peoples are partners in restarting the global economy while also maintaining their position given to them by birth as stewards of Mother Earth.
The Permanent Forum requests that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples identify the actions of transnational corporations that may breach the inherent rights detailed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and further invites them to present a report to the Forum at its eighth session, in 2009.
The Permanent Forum recommends the proposal by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and other organizations to hold an expert workshop on the contribution to development of pastoralist cultures and hunting and gathering societies.
The Permanent Forum supports the work of the Special Representative to urge States to integrate human rights into those areas that most affect business practices, including corporate law, export credit and insurance, investments and trade agreements. The Forum suggests that the Special Representative urge States to ensure that such business practices comply with the relevant provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum urges the Special Representative to incorporate the specific views and distinct perspectives of indigenous peoples on social and economic development. Regarding the Americas, corporations must also comply with therulings of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which construe the States’ obligations under International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention (No. 169) concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries with regard to the Declaration as extending even to States that have not ratified the Convention. The Forum recommends that this principle be applied in other jurisdictions.
The Permanent Forum expresses its appreciation to Special Rapporteurs, Ms. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz and Mr. Parshuram Tamang for their report entitled “Oil palm and other commercial tree plantations, monocropping: impacts on indigenous peoples’ land tenure and resource management systems and livelihoods”. The Permanent Forum recommends that further analysis be undertaken to include information received and gathered from Governments, the logging and plantation sectors and their networks, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental bodies, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests. The Permanent Forum reappoints Ms. Tauli-Corpuz to continue as the Special Rapporteur to draft the follow-up report, using existing resources, to be presented at the 2008 session of the Permanent Forum.
The Forum notes with deep appreciation the reports and responses of United Nations bodies on environment, and reaffirms its recommendations on environment made at its second session, in particular those contained in chapter I, section B, paragraphs 46-49, 54-57, and 59-61 of the report.
The Permanent Forum recognizes the importance of indigenous peoples knowledge systems as the basis of their development with culture and identity and therefore recommends that ongoing international processes, such as negotiations on the international regime on access and benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore of the World Intellectual Property Organization, should recognize and integrate the crucial role and relevance of indigenous knowledge systems in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum takes note of the report (E/C.19/2014/8) and recommendations of the expert group meeting, and reiterates and supports the recommendations contained in paragraphs 62, 63, 64, 70 and 72 of the report, as set out below, which are specifically addressed to entities of the United Nations system and States Members of the United Nations.
The Permanent Forum calls upon all States to ensure that their political institutions and structures are not used as a reason to relieve the State of its responsibility to implement international human rights obligations in relation to the rights of indigenous peoples.
Many States have established mechanisms to protect human rights. However, the Permanent Forum is concerned that such mechanisms might prioritize individual rights over collective rights. It calls upon States, in cooperation with national human rights institutions, to comply with their commitments made in the outcome document of the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, with the aim of achieving the full enforcement of the collective rights of indigenous peoples.