The Permanent Forum decides to appoint as Special Rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a member of the Forum, to conduct a study on the impacts of the global economic crisis on indigenous peoples, to identify measures and proposals for Governments and United Nations bodies, agencies, funds and programmes to address the impacts and to report thereon to the Forum at its ninth session, in 2010.
Effective access to justice for indigenous peoples implies access to both the State legal system and their own systems of justice. Without accessible State courts or other legal mechanisms through which they can protect their rights, indigenous peoples become vulnerable to actions that threaten their lands, natural resources, cultures, sacred sites and livelihoods. Concurrently, the recognition of indigenous peoples’ own justice systems is pivotal in ensuring their rights to maintain their autonomy, culture and traditions.