The Permanent Forum has paid particular attention to the significant increase in the infrastructure budget of the World Bank, from $15 billion to $45 billion in 2009, for the primary economies of developing States. The implications of this development in relation to the respect and protection of indigenous peoples’ rights have to be clearly understood, and the imperative of getting the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples affected by infrastructure projects has to be guaranteed. The Forum also urges the World Bank to provide additional operational budget to manage this large increase in infrastructure spending. The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations that the World Bank revise its operational safeguard policies to be consistent with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations that those States that have not already done so adopt or endorse, where applicable, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ILO Convention No. 169 and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum urges UNDP to enhance its own capacity in the area of indigenous peoples’ issues by ensuring sufficient expertise and human resources, in particular at the headquarters level, but also in its regional centres, including regional policy advisers on indigenous peoples’ issues who are able to provide adequate support to country offices.