The Permanent Forum welcomes the launch of the publication Global Indigenous Youth: Through their Eyes by the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University. The Forum recommends that international organizations, indigenous youth organizations, academia and other stakeholders undertake similar initiatives to raise awareness on the challenges facing indigenous young people.
The Forum recommends:
(a) That the appropriate agencies, including those engaged in development activities, consider the protection of sacred species;
(b) That UNESCO focus attention on the ratification of the Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and on its effective implementation at national levels;
(c) That UNESCO explore the links between the protection of tangible cultural heritage, intangible cultural heritage and sacred sites and other related UNESCO instruments with a view to broadening, strengthening and streamlining the protection of (indigenous) cultural heritage;
(d) That UNESCO facilitate the participation of both the Forum and indigenous peoples’ representatives in all relevant meetings of interest to them;
(e) Noting that the current UNESCO endangered languages programme seeks only to record endangered (indigenous) languages, that UNESCO expand its endangered languages programme to record, revive and reintroduce indigenous languages, in cooperation with indigenous peoples. This should include projects that support training in and teaching of indigenous languages at the community level.
The traditional food systems of indigenous peoples depend on a healthy environment and access to traditional resources and play an important role in maintaining the communities’ cultures and identities and their health and well-being. The Permanent Forum encourages indigenous peoples, States, United Nations entities and civil society organizations to raise awareness and promote the food cultures of indigenous peoples through support for indigenous peoples’ food systems and unconditional access to traditional resources.
The Permanent Forum invites UNESCO to create, in cooperation with academic institutions and indigenous peoples’ institutions, a universal digital platform in which digital resources for indigenous languages can be created, stored and made available to indigenous peoples and researchers in order to preserve linguistic diversity.
The Forum notes with concern the unsatisfactory implementation of the World Bank’s policy on indigenous peoples, as documented by many of the Bank’s internal reviews, most notably the 2011 internal review report and the 2010 report by the Independent Evaluation Group, Safeguards and Sustainability Policies in a Changing World. Strict adherence to safeguards of indigenous peoples’ rights is necessary. The Forum recommends that efforts be directed towards compliance machinery within the Bank, both up front, when dealing with projects and design and approval processes, and in post-project enforcement mechanisms.
The Permanent Forum calls on the World Bank to activate the 2005 Extractive Industries Review in order to address the impact and legacy of extractive industries on indigenous lands, territories and resources.
The Forum welcomes the new initiative of the Bank entitled "Grants facility for indigenous peoples", and urges the Bank to organize consultations with indigenous peoples’ organizations to further the process.
The Permanent Forum calls upon the Arctic Council to provide the indigenous permanent participants in the Council with adequate financial resources, enabling them to effectively participate in all relevant activities of the Council.
The Permanent Forum notes that, over the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for consultations and participation in decision-making have increasingly moved online. Although in-person meetings and interaction should always be the preferred option, on-line consultations and decision-making present opportunities for enhanced participation. However, these online options expose existing inequalities and a digital divide that is especially detrimental to the participation of indigenous peoples in many parts of Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and in rural areas around the world. Recognizing that virtual dialogues, consultations and other events will continue beyond the pandemic, the Forum emphasizes that existing mechanisms to support the participation of indigenous peoples in processes that affect them must adapt to this new environment and support the online participation of indigenous peoples. This includes purchasing data packages and facilitating access to electricity and necessary hardware and in-country travel to gain access to stable Internet connections. The Forum notes that current administrative processes of the United Nations do not facilitate such participation and therefore requests that the Secretary-General instruct relevant United Nations entities to make the necessary arrangements as a matter of urgency.
The Forum recommends the establishment of an international ethical code on bio-prospecting in order to avoid bio-piracy and ensure the respect for indigenous cultural and intellectual heritage. Under the framework of the Convention, a mechanism should be established for the repatriation and devolution of genetic materials collections to indigenous peoples. The Forum recommends to the Convention secretariat that the global taxonomy initiative incorporate an ethical principles and social framework for the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands, traditional knowledge and resources before its implementation.
The Permanent Forum urges the Government of Kenya to recognize and formally protect the land and resource rights of the Ogiek and Sengwer peoples in line with the Constitution of Kenya, the Community Land Act of 2016 and other relevant laws, before moving ahead with planned conservation efforts in the Cherangany Hills.
The Permanent Forum requests the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to undertake a specific assessment of the opportunities and threats for indigenous peoples arising from the various greenhouse gas emission strategies that are currently in place and will potentially come into operation to mitigate the impacts of climate change and requests that this assessment be undertaken with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples around the world.