The Permanent Forum welcomes the lively and analytical dialogue that emerged from the half-day discussion on the African region and encourages the United Nations Development Group to facilitate further dialogue between States and indigenous peoples at the African continental level to foster better understanding of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the commitments to indigenous peoples that Member States have made. Within this framework, capacity-building at the national level should be enhanced.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the President of the sixty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in the selection of co-chairs and other members of the two plenary meetings, the three interactive round-table discussions and the one interactive panel discussion during the World Conference, in addition to the informal interactive hearing to be held before June 2014, apply the criteria of regional representation of indigenous peoples; gender balance; inclusion of indigenous elders and youth; and inclusion of indigenous persons with disabilities. The Forum offers its assistance in identifying potential co-chairs and other members.