The Permanent Forum emphasizes the urgent need to fully implement the Declaration across the United Nations. Key recommendations include adopting the Indigenous determinants of health evaluation instrument, increasing Indigenous Peoples’ participation in decision-making and eliminating structural barriers, violence and discrimination, in particular against Indigenous two-spirit peoples. All United Nations reports, mechanisms and processes must fully reflect the experiences and rights of Indigenous two-spirit peoples. Furthermore, the Forum calls for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and self-determination to be recognized in and integrated into national legislation, policies and governance.
The Permanent Forum urges all Member States that have not formally recognized Indigenous Peoples within their territories to do so, in law and practice, under the term “Indigenous Peoples”. Recognition must go beyond symbolic acknowledgement and encompass concrete measures to uphold their individual and collective rights in accordance with the Declaration.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the study entitled “Evaluating institutional structures to improve the health and wellness of Indigenous Peoples globally: the Indigenous determinants of health measurement instrument” (E/C.19/2025/5) and recommends that Member States and United Nations entities adopt the instrument with a view to prioritizing cultural safety, upholding the principles of the Declaration and accurately measuring the Indigenous determinants of health
The Permanent Forum welcomes the expanded use of the Indigenous Navigator tool, providing Indigenous Peoples with the means to monitor the implementation of the Declaration, the commitments made at the World Conference and the Sustainable Development Goals. The Forum invites the Indigenous Navigator consortium to deliver a presentation at the twenty-fourth session of the Forum in 2025 and encourages donors to continue to support this invaluable data collection tool for and by Indigenous Peoples.
The Permanent Forum recalls that, in the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, Member States committed to “developing, in conjunction with the Indigenous Peoples concerned, fair transparent and effective mechanisms for … repatriation of ceremonial objects and human remains at the national and international levels”. The Forum urges United Nations entities to accurately identify affected Indigenous Peoples and provide them with advance notice and applicable timelines for both identification and repatriation so that Indigenous Peoples can request the repatriation of their ancestral remains, cultural patrimony and sacred objects.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the decision by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization to establish a mechanism for the participation of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum recommends that States members of the Treaty Organization guarantee the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in all processes with a view to developing the operational structure of the mechanism. The Forum invites the Treaty Organization to present a progress report at the next session of the Forum in 2025. The Forum welcomes the opportunity to provide its expertise to the Treaty Organization.
The Permanent Forum recommends that the General Assembly conduct a highlevel meeting in September 2027 to evaluate the implementation of the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples as a key deliverable of the event. The Forum advocates for the support of Indigenous Peoples’ preparatory efforts for that event by ensuring their full and effective participation and funding from Member States and the private sector.
The Permanent Forum fully endorses the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples and their representative institutions at the General Assembly and looks forward to the Human Rights Council intersessional meetings with the participation of Indigenous Peoples from all seven sociocultural regions. The Permanent Forum welcomes the appointment of Robert Rae, Víctor García Toma, Claire Winfield Ngamihi Charters and Belkacem Lounes to lead consultations during the seventyeighth session of the General Assembly on the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples and their representative institutions. The Forum recommends that the Assembly and the Council ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in these processes and calls upon Member States to financially support the Indigenous Coordinating Body for Enhanced Participation in the United Nations.
The Permanent Forum welcomes the Paris Roadmap for Tracking of Funds, which sets out collaborative and coordinated action to address the systemic funding gaps for Indigenous Peoples. In this regard, the Forum reiterates the recommendation of its twenty-second session to Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to facilitate the tracking of funds in its statistical system by establishing relevant indicators, and invites the Development Assistance Committee to present on progress in this regard at the twenty-fourth session of the Forum in 2025.
The Permanent Forum supports the initiatives that empower Indigenous women, recognizing their roles as custodians of biodiversity and Indigenous knowledge. Programmes should address the specific needs and leadership roles of women within Indigenous Peoples’ communities in order to ensure equitable participation in all funded projects.
The Permanent Forum encourages collaborative research initiatives for innovative solutions to environmental challenges that engage Indigenous Peoples as equal partners, respecting and integrating Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems with so-called “Western” scientific research and fostering mutual learning and respect between Indigenous Peoples and the mainstream scientific community.
The Permanent Forum encourages and commends the development and implementation of environmental monitoring systems led by Indigenous Peoples that utilize the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and modern technology to oversee and manage natural resources effectively. Such approaches that are aligned with Indigenous Peoples’ autonomy objectives provide valuable data for global environmental efforts.
