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 is pleased to note that indigenous peoples and their organizations increasingly avail themselves of the human rights procedures of the Human Rights Council and the international human rights instruments, and the increasing visibility of indigenous peoples’ issues within those mechanisms. In that regard, the Forum recommends that OHCHR continue to disseminate information and to conduct capacity-building activities on the United Nations human rights mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Recalling the inter-agency support group report on data disaggregation, the Permanent Forum calls for the implementation of the following recommendations:(a)The United Nations system should use and further refine existing indicators, such as the common country assessment indicators, Millennium Development Goal indicators, country progress reports, global monitoring instruments and human development indexes to measure the situation of indigenous and tribal peoples;(b)The national human development reports, produced through nationally owned, editorially independent processes, should systematically include case studies and should include disaggregated data on indigenous and tribal peoples.
The Forum recognizes the unique contributions made by indigenous women in terms of possessing and transmitting through the generations a wealth of traditional knowledge on the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable environmental management, and calls on the secretariat of the Convention for Biological Diversity, UNEP and all relevant United Nations bodies to mainstream indigenous gender issues and knowledge in national environmental policies and programmes.
The Permanent Forum welcomes indigenous peoples’ contributions to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The Forum underlines the need to develop a new programme of work and institutional arrangements on article 8 (j) and other provisions of the Convention with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples. It recommends that the secretariat of the Convention facilitate a capacity-building process for indigenous peoples to enable them to prepare themselves for the development of new programmes of work and institutional arrangements.
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.
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 Forum recommends that the Global Fund and UNAIDS participate in the Inter-Agency Support Group and that the Fund and UNAIDS present a report on the impact of their programmes and activities on indigenous peoples and communities to the Permanent Forum at its 2004 session, with specific focus on preventative programmes and activities impacting children and infants.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the Pacific Islands Forum create a mechanism for contributions by and participation of indigenous peoples’ representatives in its meetings and related structures and activities.
The Permanent Forum decides to hold an international expert group meeting to discuss in greater detail the way in which the Forum should address its mandate under article 42 of the Declaration.
The Forum recommends that the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations Secretariat establish a policy on indigenous peoples, in consultation with indigenous peoples
The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations human rights mechanisms examine the plight of indigenous peoples from French Polynesia, Guam and the Marshall Islands who have been victims of the effects of nuclear testing in the Pacific.