The Permanent Forum is concerned about the growing impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on the lives and livelihoods of indigenous peoples around the world. The Forum recommends that the International Organization for Migration and other relevant organizations provide technical cooperation and operational assistance to those Governments and communities planning organized migration management solutions for climate change and environmental refugees and migrants, giving priority, according to the principle of free, prior and informed consent, to the assisted voluntary resettlement and reintegration of those indigenous communities whose territories are no longer inhabitable.
The Permanent Forum recommends that WHO, in coordination with PAHO, engage indigenous health experts in efforts to eradicate tuberculosis, including through intercultural approaches, and to report to the Forum at its nineteenth session.
The Forum calls on all relevant United Nations system and other intergovernmental entities to pay special attention to the human rights and concerns of indigenous peoples, in particular indigenous women, when designing, implementing and evaluating their policies and programmes, and to promote the meaningful participation of indigenous women. In particular, the relation of indigenous women’s issues to the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes, in the context of the 10-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action on Human Rights and the United Nations Millennium Declaration, needs to be addressed.
The Permanent Forum calls upon States, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to establish national initiatives, programmes and plans of work to implement the Declaration with clear timelines and priorities. States and indigenous peoples should report regularly to their national legislative bodies and to the Forum on the progress and shortcomings in implementing the Declaration.
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.
The Permanent Forum requests that the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people undertake a study on the rights of urban indigenous peoples and migration, paying particular attention to their ability to exercise and enjoy their economic and social rights, and that the study be considered at the eighth session of the Permanent Forum. The themes that could be considered in the study include cultural identity, equitable access to essential services, the challenges facing indigenous youth and border issues.
The Permanent Forum notes that the Greenland-Danish Self-Government Commission submitted its report on self-government on 6 May 2008. The main task of the Commission has been to submit draft legislation regarding a self-government arrangement for Greenland. A referendum was held in Greenland on 25 November 2008 concerning the act and the process leading up to its entry into force. The Permanent Forum welcomes the successful passage of the act through the Danish Parliament on 19 May 2009.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Commission on Human Rights adopt creative methods of work, with particular regard for the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, including the appointment of an indigenous Co-Chair of the working group of the Commission on Human Rights to elaborate a draft declaration in accordance with paragraph 5 of General Assembly resolution 49/214
The Permanent Forum recommends that all States with indigenous peoples review their legislation, policies and programmes in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Programme of Action for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People.
The Permanent Forum recommends that UNICEF establish a particular budget and strengthen programmes and projects for indigenous children and youth.
The Permanent Forum takes notes of the recent publication of the adolescent-friendly version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by UNICEF, the Forum and the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. The Forum recommends that UNICEF, Member States and indigenous peoples translate this publication into all languages, in particular indigenous languages. The Forum also recommends that Member States, indigenous peoples and others use this publication in the curricula of studies of indigenous and non-indigenous youth.
The Permanent Forum further urges the General Assembly to proclaim an international year of the world’s indigenous children and youth.