E/2011/43 E/C.19/2011/14 Discussion on the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples 117. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues invited the Office of the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session to participate in an initial dialogue to hear the views of the representatives of indigenous peoples on the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, with the participation of Member States as well as those attending its tenth session. 118. The presidency of the General Assembly stressed that the Permanent Forum has a central role to play and is uniquely qualified to provide input on the modalities for the conference and, at a later stage, on its outcome. In this regard, the Permanent Forum welcomes the opportunity and full responsibility for playing this central role in the preparations for the forthcoming World Conference. 119. The Permanent Forum takes note of the commitment by the presidency of the General Assembly to transmit to all Member States the recommendations and comments resulting from the dialogue held during the tenth session. 120. The Permanent Forum urges the adoption of the modalities for the Conference before the end of 2011, during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly, and supports the strong call from indigenous peoples’ representatives on the need for urgent action regarding the structuring and initiation of regional preparatory processes for the World Conference. 121. The Permanent Forum affirms that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the primary guide for its collective work and is therefore highly relevant to the forthcoming World Conference. In this regard, the Permanent Forum recalls that in the preamble to the Declaration, the General Assembly solemnly proclaimed its obligation, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to advance indigenous human rights in order to “enhance harmonious and cooperative relations between the State and indigenous peoples, based on principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and good faith”. 122. In “a spirit of partnership and mutual respect”, the Forum further emphasizes the important standards set out in articles 18 and 19 of the Declaration, which provide the following: “Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decisionmaking in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures…” and “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.” Such equal, direct and meaningful participation by indigenous peoples throughout all stages of the World Conference is essential if the international community is to arrive at a constructive result that will genuinely improve the status and conditions of indigenous peoples worldwide. 123. The Permanent Forum is of the view that the most feasible time to have a broad-based interactive dialogue between Member States and indigenous peoples would be during, after or before its forthcoming annual sessions and that all stages of the preparatory process for the World Conference should be conducted in equal partnership between Member States and indigenous peoples. 20 11-37063