The Permanent Forum urges all States to substantially increase the human, financial and technical resources made available to implement the Declaration, in accordance with article 39 thereof, and to overcome the remaining gaps between the formal recognition of indigenous peoples and the implementation of their rights.
The Permanent Forum notes the progress made in promoting indigenous peoples’ rights through the Programme to Promote ILO Convention No. 169 (PRO-169). The Permanent Forum urges ILO to maintain and strengthen this important project/programme.
The Forum supports the initiative of the Asia Indigenous Peoples' Caucus to undertake research and hold a regional conference on the question of indigenousness in Asia in order to bring about better dialogue and understanding on the issue
The Permanent Forum recommends that the efforts undertaken to develop the indicators of sustainability and well-being of indigenous peoples should be continued and supported by States, the United Nations system and intergovernmental bodies. This will lead to the establishment of headline indicators to measure and represent the goals and aspirations of indigenous peoples. These initiatives should lead to the creation of an indigenous peoples development index, which the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would adopt as a project to be included in future issues of the Human Development Report.
The Permanent Forum recommends that all States work in equal partnership with indigenous peoples to develop, implement and evaluate indicators on well-being that provide an overview of the social and economic status of indigenous peoples within a holistic, integrated framework. The Forum also recommends that States invest adequate resources, in accordance with their human rights obligations, to address the indigenous social and economic needs identified by the indicator framework.
The Permanent Forum recommends that, prior to its seventh session, United Nations organizations should provide technical assistance and convene, in cooperation with indigenous peoples’ organizations, regional workshops on the special theme of the seventh session, “Climate change, bio-cultural diversity and livelihoods: the stewardship of indigenous peoples and new challenges”, with the participation of the members of the Forum and other experts, indigenous peoples’ representatives, indigenous parliamentarians, State representatives and representatives of the United Nations system, in order to formulate recommendations for consideration, as part of its preparatory work for the seventh session. The Permanent Forum further recommends that States, organizations and donors provide resources for these regional workshops and that the report on the human rights situation of indigenous peoples in States and Territories threatened with extinction for environmental reasons be included in the discussions held at the workshops.
The global engagement of indigenous peoples at the international level has led to some positive institutional developments, including the establishment of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples can play an important role in the fight against climate change. Member States and United Nations entities should ensure that any activities related to the use of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples respect indigenous peoples’ own protocols and consent agreements for managing access to their traditional knowledge. Strengthening and ensuring the full participation of indigenous peoples at all levels is also critical for the design and implementation of climate policies, plans, programmes and projects at the local, national and global levels.
Indigenous peoples in the Pacific rely on marine resources and fisheries for both livelihoods and as a food source. The Permanent Forum encourages United Nations entities to incorporate traditional knowledge into all their work in the region.
The Permanent Forum calls for heightened attention to be paid to diabetes and other non communicable diseases by WHO, PAHO and States, including at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, to be held in 2014, and calls upon these parties to discuss issues relating to indigenous health and formulate an action plan with particular focus on improving prevention and access to the care of diabetes and non-communicable diseases.
The Forum reiterates the recommendations contained in its report on its second session and strongly advises positive consideration to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNAIDS joining the Inter-Agency Support Group
The Permanent Forum highlights the activities of those States that have undertaken or are currently undertaking constitutional revision processes to strengthen constitutional provisions on human rights, pluriculturalism and juridical pluralism, among others, and also welcomes those States that are in the midst of ongoing constitutional revision or reform processes. The Forum calls upon all relevant States to review and revise their constitutions and legal frameworks to comprehensively recognize the human rights of indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends that the process of constitutional revision in Member States should be driven by indigenous peoples.
The Permanent Forum hails the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the General Assembly. The 13th of September 2007 is a historic day for the United Nations, indigenous peoples and States and marks the beginning of a new era of renewed partnerships for the promotion and protection of the human rights of all indigenous peoples and each indigenous person around the world. The Forum notes its new responsibility under the Declaration and pledges its commitment to making it a living document throughout its work. The Forum thus invites the international community as a whole, States, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academia and the media to promote the Declaration and apply it in their policies and programmes for the improvement of indigenous peoples’ well-being around the world