The Forum welcomes UNDP’s contribution to the Forum and its support of the establishment of a working group on free, prior and informed consent and of the initiative to develop a land rights policy. The Forum also recognizes the key role UNDP can play in data collection and disaggregation through its national human development reports and the Millennium Development Goals reports. The Forum also recognizes that the Goals can provide an overall framework for furthering indigenous peoples’ development.
The Forum notes the preparation of the World Congress on Protected Areas, to be held in Durban, South Africa, in September 2003, which Forum members consider to be an important meeting calling for their attention and action. The Forum recommends that all laws, policies or work programmes on forests and protected areas guarantee, ensure and respect various aspects of indigenous peoples’ lives, such as their spiritual and cultural lives, lands and territorial rights, including sacred sites, needs and benefits, and recognize their rights of access to and control over the management of forests.
The Forum expresses its satisfaction that the Inter-Agency Support Group has met since the first session of the Forum to organize its input to the second session, and expresses appreciation to the ILO and the World Bank for having convened the Group. The Forum requests the Group to extend its membership to other United Nations system entities so as to promote the largest possible participation of the system in the work programme of the Forum, and requests the secretariat of the Forum to provide substantive support to the rotating Chair of the Group. The Forum also expresses appreciation for the active participation of agency focal points in a constructive dialogue during its second session, and expresses the hope that focal points will continue to participate at its third session.