The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Children’s Fund develop and adopt a comprehensive and distinct policy on indigenous children and young people, taking into account the human rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration and in consultation and collaboration with indigenous peoples and indigenous children and youth organizations in particular.
The Forum recalls the Millennium Development Goal to "Achieve universal primary education", especially for indigenous women and girls, as well as the Dakar Framework for Action, "Education for all: meeting our collective commitments", and reiterates its support, with a focus on indigenous women and girls. In accordance with the provision contained in the relevant international instruments, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, International Labour Organization Convention 169 and the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, some Governments have in recent years, taking into account their specific situations, formulated policies and programmes to safeguard indigenous peoples’ equal rights to education, and have adopted positive measures to address indigenous education issues. These should be promoted as good practices throughout the United Nations system and broadly to all Member States. Furthermore, to achieve equitable
educational outcomes for indigenous peoples, especially indigenous women and girls, Governments should adopt special measures (UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education).
The Permanent Forum recommends that States, relevant United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations and bilateral donors support strategies for intercultural prevention and eradication of violence against women that are designed and driven by indigenous women’s organizations and that consider indigenous approaches to address gender-based violence.
The Permanent Forum encourages all Member States to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations as an essential way to ensure the participation of indigenous peoples in all United Nations meetings and to increase their capacity at the international and local levels.
The Permanent Forum calls on Member States and international institutions to engage in full cooperation with indigenous peoples in their COVID-19 recovery efforts. The Forum further recommends that all available means of assistance, including financial support by international and national donor agencies and private philanthropic institutions, be allocated to initiatives led by indigenous peoples towards the achievement of the Goals.
The Permanent Forum calls upon States to recognize indigenous peoples, where they exist, consistent with the provisions of the United Nations Declaration, in their legislation in order to gather statistical data thereon, especially in the area of allocation of land and other natural resources for traditional use.
. Recognizing that the creative economy is among the most dynamically developing economic sectors, and noting its capacity for the sustainable development, the Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Industrial Development Organization develop, in cooperation with indigenous peoples and Member States, a comprehensive programme for the development of indigenous businesses and creative industries, including through capacity-building programmes on entrepreneurship for indigenous peoples and mechanisms for financial support to start-ups. In that regard, funding from Member States for the development of start-up incubators based on cultural heritage, traditional occupations, crafts and knowledge is encouraged.
The Permanent Forum calls upon UNESCO, in its coordination of the International Decade, to give attention to the role of indigenous languages in the preservation of traditional food and knowledge systems that are important to climate change adaptation strategies.
The Permanent Forum calls upon the United Nations entities that constitute UN-Water to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in the realization of the outcomes of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference in order to ensure their engagement in water policy, governance and rights, including with respect to capacity-building, access to clean water, sanitation and water for nature. The Permanent Forum invites UNESCO to report on progress on implementation at the twenty-third session of the Permanent Forum and calls upon UN-Water, UNESCO and other concerned United Nations entities to build coherence among the four United Nations decades on water, oceans, ecosystem restoration and Indigenous Peoples’ languages.
The Permanent Forum recommends that Member States and the United Nations system develop and support educational and leadership programmes tailored to the needs of Indigenous youth, enabling them to fulfil their potential as leaders and protectors of their cultures and territories.