The Permanent Forum recommended the following actions in its annual session reports:
Sixteenth Session (2017)
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the adoption of the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the Organization of American States on 15 June 2016. The Forum calls upon States to implement the American Declaration in order to advance the rights of indigenous peoples in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and other human rights instruments.
- The Permanent Forum appreciates the participation and active input of national and regional human rights institutions at its sixteenth session, encourages studies and reports by the national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of indigenous rights and invites those institutions to present their reports and studies in future sessions.
- Notwithstanding the developments in international human rights standards, indigenous peoples continue to face denial of their most basic human rights, including the right to self-determination. The Permanent Forum notes the affirmation that the rights of indigenous peoples are a matter of international concern and that the United Nations has an important role to play in the promotion and protection of their rights, as stated in articles 19 and 20 of the Declaration. The Permanent Forum remains committed to promoting respect for, and the full application of, the provisions of the Declaration and to following up on its effectiveness.
- Recalling the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur appointed to undertake a study on the status of implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord of 1997 (E/C.19/2011/6, sect. VIII), and given that the situation of the indigenous peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts remains a matter of concern, the Forum encourages the Government of Bangladesh to allocate sufficient human and financial resources and set a time frame for the full implementation of the Accord.
- The Permanent Forum calls upon the Government of the United States of America to comply with the provisions recognized in the Declaration and to ensure the rights of the Great Sioux Nation to participate in decision-making, as set out in article 19 of the Declaration, given that the construction of the Dakota access pipeline will affect their rights, lives and territory. Furthermore, the Forum recommends that the Government of the United States initiate an investigation of alleged human rights abuses by private security and law enforcement officers that occurred during protests to prevent construction of the pipeline.
- The Permanent Forum takes note of the Deatnu (Tana/Teno) river fishing agreement between the Governments of Finland and Norway that was adopted by their respective Parliaments in March 2017. The Sami Parliaments of Finland and Norway have informed the Forum that the agreement was adopted without the free, prior and informed consent of the Sami. The Forum requests the Governments of Finland and Norway to renegotiate the agreement with the full and effective participation of Sami rights holders.
- The Permanent Forum urges Colombia to promote and guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples in the development of the regulatory framework of the Colombian peace agreement and to ensure that a process of free, prior and informed consent is established for the implementation of the “ethnic chapter” of the agreement with their full and effective participation.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the African Union and the European Union establish special mechanisms for the protection of indigenous peoples in areas of conflict and high insecurity in the countries of the Sahel and Sahara region, in particular Tuaregs in Mali and Libya.
- The Permanent Forum continues to hear numerous accounts from indigenous peoples who are threatened by alien commercial ventures, militarization and administrative decisions that interfere with their governance over their lands, territories and resources and ultimately inhibit their capacity for sustainable development and well-being for future generations. The Forum strongly recommends that such disputes be considered in accordance with article 27 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and paragraph 21 of the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, ensuring that a mechanism exists that provides for fair, independent, impartial, open and transparent adjudication. Any mechanism established for adjudication of disputes over indigenous peoples’ lands, territories and resources should be agreed upon between States and indigenous peoples.
Fifteenth Session (2016)
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the endorsement by Canada of the United Nations Declaration, without qualification. The Forum looks forward to its immediate implementation, with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, as a critical step in the reconciliation process between indigenous peoples and the State.
- The Permanent Forum expresses its appreciation to the Government of Guatemala and organizations of indigenous peoples, especially the Organismo Naleb’, for the support provided to hold the preparatory meeting for the fifteenth session of the Forum in Guatemala from 10 to 16 April 2016. The Forum appreciates the country’s openness and dialogue with indigenous peoples’ organizations, women’s and youth organizations, the private sector, media and the United Nations country team, as well as the dialogue among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the Government. The Forum calls upon States to propose and host the preliminary sessions of the Forum in the future.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the initiation of a national dialogue to discuss and achieve key constitutional reforms in the field of justice in Guatemala, and encourages the recognition of indigenous justice systems. The Forum urges Guatemala and the private sector, in addition to the World Bank and other international economic institutions, to acknowledge that serious efforts require structural economic and social reforms rather than rapid growth of gross domestic product in order to reverse widespread and growing poverty among the indigenous peoples of Guatemala. Such crucial reforms must ensure more equitable distribution and access to traditional lands for the indigenous peoples of Guatemala, consistent with the rights affirmed in the United Nations Declaration, and on the basis of respect for and legal recognition of their collective rights, including their self- determined development. Furthermore, the Forum calls upon Guatemala to reinforce the effective and full implementation of the Peace Accords.
- In accordance with international law, the Permanent Forum recommends that all States members of the Organization of American States recognize and respect that the United Nations Declaration constitutes the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of indigenous peoples of the world, and requests them to ensure that the draft American declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples is consistent with or exceeds the standards affirmed in the United Nations Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum calls upon States to support the activities of representative institutions of indigenous peoples and to avoid any practice of limitation of such activities. The Forum urges all States to enable the functioning of indigenous peoples’ institutions, in accordance with articles 5, 18 and 19 of the United Nations Declaration, as well as its spirit and intent.
- The Permanent Forum acknowledges the contributions of national human rights institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights, including the rights of indigenous peoples, and welcomes their participation in future sessions of the Forum.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the Alternative Communication and Information Caucus of Indigenous Peoples and its work on public education through dissemination of information, especially through community radio, on the United Nations Declaration and the system-wide action plan on achieving the ends of the Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum remains concerned about the many indigenous peoples across the world, in particular in Africa and Asia, who lack legal and political recognition as indigenous peoples or even face the denial of their existence as indigenous peoples. Such denial of status and existence as indigenous peoples results in the violation of their human rights, as affirmed in the United Nations Declaration, the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other international human rights instruments, including the right to self-determination, culture, lands, territories and resources, traditional economies, free, prior and informed consent and redress, reparations and recourse.
- Considering the calls by the Sami of Finland and the indigenous peoples of Canada, among others, the Permanent Forum respectfully requests that all Member States that have not done so take action to ratify ILO Convention No. 169.
- The Permanent Forum acknowledges those States that have developed national action plans on indigenous peoples, and commends the Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia on the enactment of a law on socioeconomic development that incorporates the rights set forth in the United Nations Declaration.
- Consistent with articles 18 and 19 of the United Nations Declaration and in line with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the call to “leave no one behind”, the Permanent Forum strongly recommend that States and funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations system ensure the disaggregation of data on the basis of indigenous identifiers/ethnicity and the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples in developing and monitoring national action plans and in all processes relating to the follow-up to and review of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, including at the high-level political forum on sustainable development.
- Considering the statements made by Brazil at the fifteenth session, the Permanent Forum welcomes the willingness of the Government to engage in dialogue concerning the status, conditions and rights of the indigenous peoples of Brazil, many of whom have faced the suspension of the land demarcation process. The Forum respectfully requests Brazil to uphold its national and international obligations to recognize and respect the human rights of indigenous peoples, as affirmed in the United Nations Declaration and ILO Convention No. 169. Furthermore, the Forum urges the interim Government of Brazil to safeguard the status of the National Indian Foundation and its mandate with regard to the indigenous peoples of Brazil.
- Taking into account the challenges faced by States in the implementation of their international obligation to consult with and obtain the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples, the Permanent Forum commits itself to developing an international guide to facilitate the implementation of these principles in accordance with the standards established in the United Nations Declaration. The Forum invites the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples to collaborate on this initiative.
- Mauna Kea, the sacred mountain for native Hawaiians, is currently targeted for the placement of an international observatory featuring a 30-metre telescope. Such an activity inhibits and is contrary to the rights articulated in articles 11 and 12 of the United Nations Declaration. In addition, the Permanent Forum strongly recommends that the free, prior and informed consent of native Hawaiians be recognized.
Fourteenth Session (2015)
- Recognizing that the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues will play a central role in coordinating efforts among United Nations agencies to translate the outcome document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples into meaningful change, the Permanent Forum requests that the Group ensure that its membership includes all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, including specialized agencies. The Forum recommends that the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the Advisory Board of the United Nations Office for Partnerships and other relevant United Nations agencies take the measures necessary for addressing the special situation of indigenous peoples in developed countries.
- As a matter of indigenous human rights and consistent with article 18 of the United Nations Declaration, previous Permanent Forum recommendations and the outcome document of the World Conference, with particular consideration of paragraph 33, the right to participate in decision-making is highly relevant to fast- approaching and pivotal multilateral negotiations. In this regard, the Forum urgently requests all States, United Nations agencies and high-level representatives of the United Nations system to ensure the direct participation of indigenous peoples in the multilateral negotiations referred to below. The Forum also requests that all those actors advocate and ensure that there is explicit reference to indigenous peoples and their distinct human rights and status throughout the processes relating to:
- The United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, to be held from 25 to 27 September 2015;
- The high-level event on climate change, to be held in New York on 29 June 2015, and the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015;
- The third International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July 2015.
- The Permanent Forum also requests that States and United Nations agencies engaging in those events ensure strong linkages with the outcome document of the World Conference, with particular consideration of paragraph 33, and indigenous participation.
- The Permanent Forum reminds States that the implementation of the United Nations Declaration provides a common framework for reconciliation, justice, healing and peace. Each State has a prime responsibility and duty to protect, promote and implement all human rights, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and international human rights law. Furthermore, all forms of discrimination must be avoided.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that United Nations treaty bodies and mechanisms, as well as the universal periodic review process, scrutinize the reports and human rights records of States, so as to effectively address rights ritualism. This should include ensuring that States’ claims are systematically compared with the concerns raised by indigenous peoples and civil society.
- The Permanent Forum highlights that unprincipled positions and actions of States undermine indigenous peoples’ human rights and the United Nations Declaration and that such conduct prejudices indigenous peoples globally and serves to weaken the international human rights system. States must therefore take steps, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to ensure that their commitments and obligations are not violated in other international forums, especially following the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. In accordance with both the outcome document of the World Conference and the United Nations Declaration, States, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, should develop legislation and mechanisms at the national level to ensure that laws are consistent with the United Nations Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum is concerned that legal obligations and commitments and indigenous peoples’ treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements with States are routinely denied and violated by States. With regard to interventions by indigenous peoples on unresolved land rights, including the Six Nations of the Grand River and others on which the Forum has made specific recommendations in the past, the Forum calls upon States to fairly and equitably redress the long- standing unresolved land rights issues through good-faith negotiations, consistent with the United Nations Declaration and without extinguishing indigenous peoples’ land rights.
Thirteenth Session (2014)
- The Permanent Forum congratulates James Anaya on the successful conclusion of his term as Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples. The Forum reinforces the conclusions of the Special Rapporteur about the enlightened, pragmatic and optimistic approaches of the indigenous human rights movement. It also welcomes the recent appointment of Victoria Tauli-Corpuz as the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and looks forward to working closely with her.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the presentations made by Wilton Littlechild on behalf of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by Francisco Cali, President of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, by Soyata Maiga, on behalf of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, by Emilio Alvarez, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and by Kenneth Deer on behalf of the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. The Forum also congratulates Mr. Cali and acknowledges his appointment as the first indigenous person to be appointed as President of a United Nations treaty body.
- The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous relevant recommendations and recognizes the continuing need to review existing laws and constitutions based upon international human rights norms and standards, especially in relation to persistent forms of racial discrimination in the context of indigenous peoples.
- In accordance with article 42 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum urges States to conduct an independent audit of their constitutional and other laws, policies and programmes in order to assess their consistency with the Declaration and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and to amend such laws, policies and programmes in order to remove all forms of discrimination. In particular, the Forum urges States to prioritize laws, policies and programmes that target hate speech and political and racial vilification.
- The Permanent Forum acknowledges the continuing negotiations between the Nordic States and the Sami peoples towards the adoption of a Nordic Sami convention. The Forum recommends that the minimum international human rights standards contained in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples be the framework for all negotiations concerning the convention and the harmonizing of Sami rights within Nordic countries. It urges Nordic States to recognize and respect the Sami peoples’ right to self-determination, to determine their own identity or membership of their institutions in accordance with their customs and their right not to be subjected to forced assimilation, consistent with articles 8 and 33 of the Declaration, the conclusions and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (see CERD/C/FIN/CO/19, para. 13).
- The Permanent Forum calls the attention of States to the need to create or strengthen national bodies with a mandate for the protection of the rights and interests of indigenous peoples in line with the Declaration. The Forum notes the efforts of certain States to create institutions for the rights and interests of indigenous peoples as Government bodies, including ombudsmen who deal with issues and situations regarding the protection of the rights and interests of indigenous peoples. It recommends that other States draw upon such experiences which highlight the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.
- The Permanent Forum urges all Member States and United Nations agencies and country teams to initiate indigenous human rights training and education programmes in their institutions and activities, in particular the existing and emerging international jurisprudence on the human rights and standards contained in the Declaration and their application and relevance at the national and local levels.
- The Permanent Forum acknowledges the letter dated 21 May 2014 of the Government of Ukraine addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and congratulates the Government of Ukraine on the statement contained therein, in which it expresses its support of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- The Permanent Forum calls on the entities of the United Nations system to collaborate with indigenous peoples in designing and implementing early warning systems to better ensure peace, security and good governance in their lands. That could include greater coordination between the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and indigenous peoples through their representative institutions.
Twelfth Session (2013)
- During its twelfth session, the Permanent Forum held an extremely constructive dialogue with the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Chair of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Member States and indigenous peoples on the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The recommendations below reflect issues that arose at the twelfth session that are of universal character or of an urgent nature.
- The Permanent Forum acknowledges and accepts the study on the situation of indigenous persons with disabilities, with a particular focus on challenges faced with regard to the full enjoyment of human rights and inclusion in development (E/C.19/2013/6). The Forum recommends that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities pay special attention, and take immediate action to respond, to the situation of indigenous persons and peoples with disabilities and encourage the United Nations system to facilitate the translation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into indigenous and other languages.
- The Permanent Forum is alarmed by the continuing acts of violence being perpetrated against indigenous peoples by Member States and others. The Forum therefore acknowledges the need for States to establish a monitoring mechanism to address violence against indigenous peoples, including assassinations, assassination attempts and rapes, and intimidation of indigenous peoples in their attempts to safeguard and use their homelands and territories that transcend national borders, including the non recognition of their membership identification and documents and the criminalization of their related activities. Specific attention must be paid to such actions being perpetrated by State and local police, the military, law enforcement institutions, the judiciary and other State-controlled institutions against indigenous peoples.
- Extremely concerned about the physical and moral violence being perpetrated against indigenous human rights defenders, the Permanent Forum recommends that the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders prepare a report devoted to these alarming conditions and actions, especially in the context of indigenous women and children.
- The Permanent Forum has received information that indigenous peoples who have established community means of communication, such as film-makers and radio hosts, are criminalized and prosecuted for such activities, especially in Latin America. In this regard, the Forum requests parliamentarians to establish legal frameworks that respect the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and to end such practices.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the unprecedented judgement against Efrain Rios Montt for genocide and crimes against the Mayan Ixil peoples during the 1980s in Guatemala. The acknowledgment of the historical reality of the Maya Ixil and many other indigenous peoples may contribute to recognition of the genocide and other gross human rights violations perpetrated against indigenous peoples in all parts of the world and ultimately lead to reconciliation between indigenous peoples and States.
- The Permanent Forum requests Member States to establish specific mechanisms at the national level in order to open and sustain dialogue between indigenous peoples and Governments to review the implementation of the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, the work of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the recommendations of the Forum. The Forum requests United Nations agencies at the national level to facilitate such dialogue and that corresponding national mechanisms be established.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the recent entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Forum encourages Member States to accede to the Optional Protocol and requests the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to consider the preparation of a general comment on the economic, social and cultural rights of indigenous peoples.
- The Permanent Forum takes notes of the recent publication of the adolescent- friendly version of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by UNICEF, the Forum and the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus. The Forum recommends that UNICEF, Member States and indigenous peoples translate this publication into all languages, in particular indigenous languages. The Forum also recommends that Member States, indigenous peoples and others use this publication in the curricula of studies of indigenous and non-indigenous youth.
- The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation to ILO to accommodate and guarantee the direct participation of indigenous peoples’ organizations in ILO procedures, in particular those relating to compliance with the ILO Convention concerning the Protection and Integration of Indigenous and Other Tribal and Semi-Tribal Populations in Independent Countries (Convention No. 107) and the ILO Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (Convention No. 169) and their corresponding supervisory mechanisms. The Forum reiterates its call upon Member States to accede to the ILO Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries (Convention No. 169).
- Recalling the recommendations made in paragraphs 4 to 11 of the report on its tenth session (E/2011/43-E/C.19/2011/14 and Corr.1) and the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum expresses alarm regarding the contemporary application of the erroneous and discredited “doctrine of discovery” and its underlying assumptions, which promote the purported inferiority of indigenous peoples. This doctrine was applied in June 2012 by the British Columbia Court of Appeal to deny the land rights and title of the Tsilhqot’in to their traditional lands and territories by stating that “European explorers considered that by virtue of the ‘principle of discovery’ they were at liberty to claim territory in North America on behalf of their sovereigns”. The Forum strongly recommends that States, human rights bodies and judiciaries denounce the “doctrine of discovery” and discontinue its use and application.
- The Permanent Forum requests that Member States and other potential donors increase their contributions to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations, the United Nations Indigenous Peoples’ Partnership and the Trust Fund on Indigenous Issues in order to guarantee the exercise of the right of indigenous peoples to participate in United Nations meetings of specific concern to them.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that all Governments, including the Government of Canada, and the bodies established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ensure respect for and recognition of the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and that they follow up on the full and effective implementation of the Declaration, in particular in the context of Arctic indigenous peoples. In this regard, these parties must pay immediate and special attention to the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decision-making in all matters that affect their rights; the right of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories and resources; and the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that States take steps to establish truth commissions in situations of reported gross violations of the human rights of indigenous peoples. The Forum underlines that the full and effective participation of affected indigenous peoples is a precondition for the establishment and work of truth commissions.
Eleventh Session (2012)
- Since the adoption in 2007 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, few States have entered into effective dialogue or partnerships with indigenous peoples or have undertaken adequate legal reforms to implement the Declaration. Based on interventions and reports of representatives of indigenous peoples from all regions of the world at its eleventh session, the Permanent Forum is alarmed about the ongoing gross human rights violations being perpetrated against indigenous peoples and therefore calls upon all States to take urgent action to end such violations and to recognize and respect the human rights standards contained in the Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum urges States to provide detailed reports to the Forum on the implementation of the Declaration. It recommends public education initiatives and the sharing of best practices in respect of the Declaration, in particular through training programmes for government agencies, the judiciary and law enforcement officials, in collaboration with indigenous peoples. Furthermore, the Forum recommends that such reports be included in the periodic reports mandated under human rights treaties and the universal periodic review procedures.
- The Permanent Forum reiterates that indigenous peoples should report to the Forum on how they are implementing the Declaration in their own communities, thereby contributing to the growing evidence of how the principles enshrined in the Declaration are being practised.
- The Permanent Forum invites members of all United Nations human rights treaty bodies, in particular the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to attend the annual sessions of the Permanent Forum, as observers, with the objective of increasing awareness about the distinct human rights and cultural contexts of indigenous peoples so as to enhance their work in relation to indigenous peoples and the Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum reiterates the need for States to address the impact of militarization, including suppressing constitutional guarantees, appropriation of land, forcible occupation and displacement, on the land, territorial and other collective rights of indigenous peoples, perpetrated by security forces, including the military, militias and other armed groups.
- Mindful of the systemic discrimination and racism experienced by indigenous peoples in the law enforcement, judicial and correctional institutions of States across the globe, the Permanent Forum urges States that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination to comprehensively review the civil rights of indigenous peoples, in particular those of indigenous women and children who are victims of sexual violence, in order to ensure that they have fair, non-discriminatory access to justice.
- The Permanent Forum urges States to promote indigenous community- controlled models for the health, social, legal and other sectors of indigenous communities and service providers to follow in implementing the Declaration. It recommends that WHO revisit the report of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health to address the cultural determinants of health, such as land, language, ceremony and identity, which are essential to the health and well-being of indigenous peoples.
- The Permanent Forum reiterates the call, made at its tenth session, to United Nations agencies and funds to conduct and support regional and international human rights training programmes aimed at building the capacity and advocacy skills of indigenous youth. Furthermore, the Forum recommends the use of social media, youth forums and other popular cultural forms of communication to disseminate information and training material on the rights of indigenous youth and to facilitate consultation processes at the national and international levels.
- The Permanent Forum urges States to promote and protect the rights of indigenous women and men working as journalists, communicators and as human rights defenders in accordance with international human rights law, in particular in accordance with article 16 of the Declaration, which calls for the full freedom of expression of indigenous peoples.
- The Permanent Forum urges States to prepare reports on the actions taken to address the recommendations of all United Nations special rapporteurs, in particular the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, especially the recommendations made at the conclusion of country visits, and encourages States to monitor their progress in this regard, in collaboration with indigenous peoples, United Nations country teams and all other relevant parties. Furthermore, the Forum reiterates that national human rights institutions are encouraged to assist indigenous peoples, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the Permanent Forum in the implementation of the Declaration.
- Mindful of the human rights violations experienced by indigenous peoples, the Permanent Forum encourages States, in particular those in the Pacific region, to recognize and implement the basic fundamental human rights articulated in the Declaration, particularly the right to self-determination.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that the full, effective and direct representation and participation of indigenous peoples, including their indigenous governments, councils, parliaments and other political institutions, should be ensured at all United Nations forums and multilateral and bilateral negotiations, and in the drafting processes of the corresponding emerging instruments, for example, those under discussion at the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Such instruments must be harmonized with the Declaration, which is regarded as a reflection of the minimum human rights standards necessary for the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples, nations and communities. Such instruments should be consistent with or exceed those minimum standards.
- The Permanent Forum encourages all Member States to contribute to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations as an essential way to ensure the participation of indigenous peoples in all United Nations meetings and to increase their capacity at the international and local levels.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that the Arctic Council adopt, at its ministerial meeting in 2015, a comprehensive long-term strategy for resource extraction in the Arctic region in order to end present uncontrolled, unmanaged and unsustainable industrial practices, including an ethical code of conduct committing private entities operating in the Arctic to not engage in practices harmful to the environment and to respect human rights, particularly those of Arctic indigenous peoples.
Tenth Session (2011)
- Since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007, some Governments have taken measures to incorporate into their national or domestic legislation, recognition of and respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples. However, in most regions of the world, implementation of the Declaration remains a big challenge. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues welcomes the reports of States and United Nations agencies on respective initiatives to implement the Declaration, but draws attention to the serious implementation gaps.
- Issues of violence and brutality, continuing assimilation policies, marginalization, dispossession of land, forced removal or relocation, denial of land rights, the impacts of large-scale development, abuses by military forces, armed conflict and a host of other abuses, are a reality for indigenous peoples and their communities around the world. Examples of violence and brutality have occurred in every corner of the indigenous world, often perpetrated against indigenous peoples who are defending their rights and their lands, territories and natural resources.
- The Permanent Forum reaffirms its general comments to article 42 of the Declaration adopted previously by the Forum. The Forum welcomes the report presented by Bartolome Clavero, Lars Anders-Baer, Carsten Smith and Michael Dodson on the matter during its tenth session.
- The Permanent Forum thanks the Government of Colombia for its support during the Forum mission to Colombia and requests that the Government, the United Nations country team and the United Nations agencies involved in the mission implement the recommendations contained in the mission report (E/C.19/2011/3) through consultation and full collaboration with the indigenous peoples concerned. The Permanent Forum intends to assess the implementation of the recommendations at its eleventh session.
- The Permanent Forum calls upon States, in conjunction with indigenous peoples, to establish national initiatives, programmes and plans of work to implement the Declaration with clear timelines and priorities. States and indigenous peoples should report regularly to their national legislative bodies and to the Forum on the progress and shortcomings in implementing the Declaration.
- Recognizing that there is a general lack of awareness of the distinct status of indigenous peoples and the human rights of indigenous peoples, which may lead to systemic discrimination, the Permanent Forum urges all levels of government to ensure that relevant staff as well as the broader public are aware of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in order to promote and ultimately achieve a framework for justice, reconciliation and respect for the human rights of all. Furthermore, the Permanent Forum requests all States to uphold the names of respected past and present indigenous leaders, and indigenous peoples, and that they not be used in any inappropriate military connections.
- The Permanent Forum calls upon all member States and United Nations agencies to respond to the annual questionnaire from the secretariat of the Permanent Forum in order to provide information on reliable practices that lead to the full and effective implementation of the Declaration. Further, the Forum recommends that the secretariat of the Permanent Forum include questions that particularly focus on indigenous children and youth.
- The Permanent Forum welcomes the collaboration with indigenous parliamentarians during the tenth session of the Forum. It encourages the parliamentarians and other elected indigenous representatives from national, regional and local decision-making bodies to establish an international network or organization in order to share common experiences, including those related to the implementation of the Declaration in legislative and other democratic bodies. It further encourages the Inter-Parliamentary Union to install a liaising body with the indigenous parliamentarians to strengthen awareness of the Declaration. The Forum calls upon indigenous parliamentarians to promote the necessary legislative reforms for implementation of the Declaration.
- The Permanent Forum recommends that the secretariat of the Permanent Forum, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, UNDP and the United Nations Programme on Youth cooperate closely with the Global Indigenous Youth Caucus to conduct and support regional and international human rights training programmes to build the capacity and advocacy skills of indigenous youth.
