The Permanent Forum is concerned by the adverse effects of climate change and irresponsible resource extraction on Indigenous Peoples’ lands and territories. The Forum calls upon Member States, the United Nations and other international organizations to support Indigenous-led initiatives to mitigate these impacts and stresses the importance of self-governance of Indigenous Peoples in managing these natural resources.
The Permanent Forum highlights the pivotal role of Indigenous women and elders in transmitting cultural values and traditions, recognizing their critical influence on the sustainability of Indigenous cultures. The Forum calls upon Member States to support the establishment of mechanisms for the empowerment of Indigenous women and girls, and calls for their equal involvement and participation in decision-making processes at all levels
The Permanent Forum emphasizes the essential role of Indigenous Peoples’ languages and cultural practices in self-determination and urges Member States to adopt stronger measures to protect them from erosion and loss. The Forum decries the ongoing destruction of cultural heritage sites and the loss of Indigenous Peoples’ languages, urging immediate protective measures through robust legal and policy frameworks aligned with the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation that Member States review and revise their constitutions and legal frameworks to comprehensively recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the right to self-determination. Such review and revision processes should be driven and guided by Indigenous Peoples. The Forum also recommends that Member States develop and adopt specific national action plans to ensure that all policies and laws conform with the recognition and advancement of the right to self-determination, including self-governance and autonomy. The Forum further recommends that States engage in processes focused on decolonization and reconciliation policies that facilitate the path of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, with the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum recalls that the right to self-determination of Indigenous Peoples is grounded in the Declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Permanent Forum calls upon all Member States to redouble efforts to fully realize the right of self-determination for Indigenous Peoples by ensuring that Indigenous Peoples remain at the centre of all decision-making processes that affect their Peoples, their communities, their lands, their territories and their resources. Furthermore, States should ensure that the right of Indigenous Peoples to selfdetermination is honoured and advanced in all instances where laws, policies, programmes and funding may affect Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum welcomes that, as of 3 November 2022, the term “Indigenous Peoples” is capitalized in the United Nations Editorial Manual. That update was made in accordance with an agreement made among the Member States when negotiating General Assembly resolution 77/203. The Permanent Forum urges that translation in all official languages of the United Nations reflect that update to the Editorial Manual.
The Permanent Forum requests the host country to promptly issue entry visas for its members, Indigenous Peoples and civil society observers, in accordance with article IV, section 11 of the United Nations Headquarters Agreement.3 In addition, the Permanent Forum encourages other Member States hosting United Nations meetings with Indigenous Peoples’ organizations to expedite visa processing. The Permanent Forum also suggests that host countries consider waiving visa fees for participants involved in the Permanent Forum’s work and associated events. Addressing these issues is essential for promoting accountability, responsibility and inclusiveness in Indigenous Peoples’ decision-making processes.
The Permanent Forum clarifies its call on United Nations entities, in its report on the twenty-first session (E/2022/43-E/C.19/2022/11), to elevate the discussion on Indigenous Peoples to the highest possible governance level of their entities to ensure system-wide ownership and support for Indigenous Peoples’ rights. It encourages Member States to ensure that United Nations entity leaders appoint Indigenous Peoples focal points who report directly to their senior staff member on Indigenous Peoples. The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations entities employ Indigenous Peoples for these positions.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the fact that United Nations entities and bodies, including mandate holders and, notably, OHCHR and the United Nations Environment Programme, take their share of the responsibility to ensure a safe space for Indigenous Peoples participating in United Nations meetings. The Permanent Forum requests that United Nations bodies and entities create an urgent response mechanism to acts of intimidation and reprisals against Indigenous human rights defenders cooperating with the United Nations, in line with existing United Nations guidance on protection and promotion of civic space and the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights. The Permanent Forum will consider how to strengthen its own response mechanisms and its cooperation with the Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Human Rights, in line with General Assembly resolution 77/203, on this pressing matter, including through the appointment of focal points.
The Permanent Forum encourages all United Nations entities to actively engage with United Nations resident coordinators and country teams to ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ issues are integrated into country-level initiatives and joint work planning, including through a reflection of their concerns in the common country analysis, in line with the system-wide action plan and the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights.
The Constitution of Nepal has provisions for special, protected and autonomous regions for Indigenous Peoples. The Permanent Forum welcomes further progress towards realizing the provisions of the Constitution, including by considering the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Nepal in 2018 on respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their traditional lands and resources and to self-determination.
The Permanent Forum welcomes information from the Government of Bangladesh on progress towards the implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord. It calls upon Bangladesh to make further efforts towards full implementation of the Accord through constructive dialogue and cooperation with the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regional Council, the three Hill District Councils and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Land Dispute Resolution Commission.