E/2004/43 E/C.19/2004/23 3. Culture Introduction Culture and indigenous women — gender perspectives 24. Culture, loosely defined as shared values, beliefs, practices, in short as a “way of life”, is intimately interwoven with the process of development and has thus become infused with power relations on a global scale. As anthropological critiques of the dominant development models have pointed out, public discussions about development are influenced by ethnocentrisms and value systems of the consumerbased, free market societies, i.e., Western-based and male-oriented systems of knowledge are given predominance, while indigenous and traditional systems of knowledge are being devalued, ignored or seen as mere “obstacles to development”. Knowledge systems of indigenous women, as the essence of their cultural expression and identity, are thus faced with the double bias of Western and male forms of ethnocentrism. 25. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has examined the collective and individual proposals submitted by indigenous organizations, representatives of the United Nations system and Member States in order to follow up the recommendations contained in its report on its second session, in particular those contained in chapter I, section B, paragraphs 93, 103 and 105 of the report.2 Recommendations to member States 26. The Forum, noting that work will commence shortly on a convention of cultural diversity, requests member States to work with representatives of indigenous peoples to UNESCO to develop a document that adequately protects indigenous cultural heritage. 27. The Forum recommends that member States adopt legislation acknowledging that the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples is their inalienable cultural heritage and embodies their cultural identity and that they make available such legislation and information in local indigenous languages. 28. The Forum encourages member States to facilitate the establishment of civil society organizations, including indigenous organizations, to assist in the preservation and protection of indigenous cultural heritage. 29. The Forum recommends that Governments hold sports and athletic games involving indigenous sports. 30. The Forum recommends that member States ratify the Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and ensure that it is fully implemented. 31. The Forum recommends that member States put in place policies and mechanisms to increase indigenous women’s access to markets and capital in order to enable them to turn their traditional skills into sustainable forms of income generation. Recommendations to the United Nations system 32. All United Nations systems organizations should recognize that indigenous cultures are intrinsically connected to indigenous peoples’ traditional territories (lands, waters and natural resources). 12