The Permanent Forum urges Member States, the United Nations system and private philanthropic institutions to fund activities for the implementation of the global action plan and invites UNESCO, as the lead agency for the commemoration of the International Decade, to prioritize support for projects led by indigenous peoples. Languages on the brink of extinction must be afforded particular attention.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the World Bank brings its policy on indigenous peoples (OP 4.10) into full compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum attaches particular importance to the need for the Bank to adopt the standard of free, prior and informed consent and, in general, to institutionalize and operationalize an approach based on human rights. The Forum reiterates its recommendation, made at its twelfth session that the emerging instruments of the Bank and other agencies must be harmonized with the Declaration, which is regarded as a reflection of the minimum human rights standards necessary for the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples, nations and communities. Such instruments should be consistent with or exceed those minimum standards. The Forum underlines the need for the Bank’s operational policies to use language that is consistent with the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum is concerned that the regional presence, representation and services of United Nations agencies in the Asia-Pacific region are limited mostly to the Asian subregion, and recommends that all United Nations agencies review their operations to provide equal services to the Pacific subregion and identify their operations separately according to the two subregions.
The Permanent Forum urges States to financially resource, empower and support local Arctic indigenous communities in order to give indigenous youth and women, together with other members of the communities, the opportunity to secure and develop their cultures.
The Permanent Forum recommends that FAO develop an action plan to identify priorities with indigenous peoples to support their participation in the 2022 International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The Forum recommends that the findings of the millennium ecosystem assessment and its recommendations concerning the environment be submitted to it at its fourth session, and that the participation of indigenous peoples be taken into account by the assessment in the review of its reports, analysis and findings.
Taking into account decision 22/16 of the Governing Council of UNEP, the Forum recommends that UNEP and relevant United Nations agencies and programmes hold consultations at the regional and national levels with indigenous peoples to examine this issue and prepare recommendations on possible further strengthening of the understanding of the link between environment and cultural diversity.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the invitation extended by the Russian Federation to hold a United Nations expert group meeting devoted to environmental and indigenous peoples’ issues in Khabarovsk, Russian Federation, in August 2007, and invites other States to follow its good example.
The Permanent Forum decides to extend the appointment as Special Rapporteur of Michael Dodson, a member of the Forum, to prepare a paper on the relevant principles contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, taking into account the provisions of ILO Conventions No. 169 and No. 107 that relate to indigenous land tenure and management arrangements, to assist indigenous peoples, States and United Nations agencies in negotiating indigenous land tenure and management arrangements and to present the paper at the eighth session of the Forum, in 2009.
The Permanent Forum urges States to review their policies on biofuel industries, which, in the name of remedying the impacts of climate change, are resulting in the deforestation of large forest areas and the displacement of indigenous peoples. That increases the vulnerability of indigenous communities and in particular of those living in voluntary isolation.
The Forum recommends that the United Nations agencies supporting and promoting the Healthy Environments for Children Alliance, namely WHO, UNICEF, UNEP and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT), include a particular focus on indigenous children and youth.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples to prepare a study on intimidation, criminalization and violence of any form directed against indigenous peoples, communities or individuals, in particular those who defend their rights under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum invites the Special Rapporteur to share her preliminary findings and recommendations with the Forum at its seventeenth session.