The Forum welcomes the new initiatives undertaken by UNICEF with regard to indigenous children, in particular the ongoing development of a digest on the indigenous child, as well as a number of case studies aimed at understanding development programming to fulfill the rights of indigenous children. The Forum requests UNICEF to make the digest and the results of those studies available to the Forum at its third session.
Youth employment poverty-reduction strategies of States and the intergovernmental system should especially focus on indigenous youth, women and men, who are among the most marginalized within the current economic system. Addressing the needs of indigenous youth will also help to achieve Millennium Development Goal 3 and address pressures and problems arising from mass rural-to-urban migration
The Permanent Forum recommends that States and the United Nations system, including United Nations country teams, provide support, including funding, for the efforts of indigenous peoples’ institutions to preserve and revitalize their languages, with the particular goal of fluency. Such efforts may include the sharing of positive experiences and the establishment of informal networks or caucuses involved in the promotion and revitalization of indigenous languages, as well as the use of information and communications technology in indigenous languages. It is important that States provide adequate funding for language revitalization and the preservation of cultural heritage as it relates to indigenous languages. In addition, States should facilitate funding for indigenous language projects from external donors, including the private sector, in accordance with law.
The Forum recognizes the instrumental role of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) and welcomes the identification of "indigenous women" as an emerging key issue, the creation of a task force on indigenous women and the inclusion of an item on indigenous women in its 2005 agenda. The Forum requests its secretariat to transmit to it the results of the 2005 session of IANWGE on indigenous women.
The Permanent Forum recommends that WIPO commission the updating of the technical review of key intellectual property-related issues of the WIPO draft instruments on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, which was undertaken in 2016 by James Anaya (WIPO/GRTKF/IC/29/INF/10), to reflect current issues, with an emphasis on concepts such as “balancing” and “public domain” and how these might conflict with indigenous peoples’ human rights and customary laws, and the obligation to incorporate and respect human rights in the work of WIPO.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the entry into force of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) on 22 April 2021 and urges those countries that have not yet signed and ratified the Agreement to do so at the earliest opportunity. The Forum also urges those countries that have ratified the Escazú Agreement to ensure its implementation.
The Forum welcomes the preparation of daily press releases in English, French and Spanish on the discussions of the Forum during its session. The Forum requests the Department of Public Information, in collaboration with the secretariat of the Forum, to:
a) Ensure the widest distribution of the press releases;
b) Develop an overall strategy to fulfil the mandate of the Forum to disseminate information on indigenous peoples and their issues.
The Permanent Forum requests that States incorporate commitments made in the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples into the development of the post-2015 development agenda, especially the action points on data disaggregation, land rights, traditional knowledge, the implementation of free, prior and informed consent and access to justice presented by indigenous speakers in the thematic panels during the high-level stocktaking event, and reaffirm their commitments to indigenous peoples in the political declaration of the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, with the following paragraph: We affirm that indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development, based on their security, of their lands, territories and resources. We commit ourselves to ensuring equal access to high-quality education that recognizes the diversity of the cultures of indigenous peoples, and to health, housing, water, sanitation and other economic and social programmes to improve their well-being, including through initiatives, policies and the provision of resources. We intend to empower indigenous peoples, including women, to deliver such programmes and commit ourselves to working with indigenous peoples to disaggregate data on indigenous peoples’ development and well-being.
Member States must take urgent measures to guarantee adequate and effective participation by indigenous peoples in the design and implementation of national plans for the transition to clean and green energy. Where States have already begun the development of such plans without the participation of indigenous peoples, they must take remedial action.
The Permanent Forum recalls its recommendation at the twentieth session, in which it emphasized that existing mechanisms to support the participation of indigenous peoples in processes that affect them must adapt to the new environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and support the online participation of indigenous peoples. Such support includes purchasing data packages and facilitating access to electricity and necessary hardware and in-country travel to gain access to stable Internet connections. The Permanent Forum recommends that the existing mandate of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, as reflected in General Assembly resolution 70/232, be expanded to that effect and calls on Member States to ensure that the proposal for the expansion of their mandate is introduced at the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly in the annual resolution on the rights of indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum underlines the need for the examination of national policies, practices and funding programmes on Indigenous media, including capacitybuilding and content production in Indigenous languages by Indigenous media professionals, including Indigenous women, and for the promotion of international cooperation, knowledge-sharing and cooperation among Indigenous media and other partners, including mainstream media and Governments. The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in partnership with relevant United Nations entities and Indigenous Peoples, conduct a study on Indigenous media and present their findings at the annual session of the Permanent Forum in 2025.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation that Member States review and revise their constitutions and legal frameworks to comprehensively recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right to self-determination. Such review and revision processes should be driven and guided by Indigenous Peoples. The Forum also recommends that Member States develop and adopt specific national action plans to ensure that all policies and laws conform with the recognition and advancement of the right to self-determination, including self-governance and autonomy. The Forum further recommends that States engage in processes focused on decolonization and reconciliation policies that facilitate the path of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, with the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples.