On the basis of information received at the ninth session, the Permanent Forum expresses its deep concern about the changes in policy on bilingual education in the Northern Territory, Australia. The Forum urges the Government of Australia to work with its State and territory education systems to develop models of bilingual, intercultural and multilingual education that are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the announcement by New Zealand to endorse the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the announcement by the United States of America that it will review its position on the Declaration. It also welcomes the indication by Canada in the 2010 Speech from the Throne that it will take steps to endorse the Declaration. The Forum recommends that the United States and Canada expedite their commitments made to endorse the Declaration