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16. Recognizing that the creative economy is among the most dynamically
developing economic sectors, and noting its capacity for the sustainable development,
the Permanent Forum recommends that the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization develop, in cooperation with indigenous peoples and Member States, a
comprehensive programme for the development of indigenous businesses and creative
industries, including through capacity-building programmes on entrepreneurship for
indigenous peoples and mechanisms for financial support to start-ups. In that regard,
funding from Member States for the development of start-up incubators based on
cultural heritage, traditional occupations, crafts and knowledge is encouraged.
17. The Permanent Forum expresses its readiness to examine existing practices and
ways of developing various forms of administrative and territorial autonomy for
indigenous peoples’ communities whose representatives lead a traditional, nomadic
way of life, as part of the development of the guiding principles on indigenous
peoples’ autonomy and self-government as recommended in the study on indigenous
peoples’ autonomies: experiences and perspectives (E/C.19/2020/5). Such work will
be conducted by an online working group of the Permanent Forum. Indigenous
peoples’ organizations, representative decision-making bodies and institutions,
together with United Nations system entities, Member States and other stakeholders,
are invited to contribute financially and practically and to take an active part in the
work of the working group.
18. The Permanent Forum invites the African Development Bank to develop a
policy of engagement with indigenous peoples that includes effective safeguards, and
invites the African Development Bank to report to the Permanent Forum at its twenty third session, to be held in 2024, on its progress.
19. The Permanent Forum is concerned by issues related to land tenure, the
collective rights of indigenous peoples, customary rights, land -grabbing and the
closure of transhumance corridors. The Permanent Forum therefore recom mends that
States of the Sahel and the Congo basin establish a legal framework to consolidate
their national and local land tenure regimes with a view to resolving conflicts
peacefully. In addition, those States should enhance access to justice for the aff ected
indigenous pastoralists and provide training for judicial officials on those issues.
20. The Permanent Forum therefore requests the United Nations Office for West
Africa and the Sahel to support Member States in the Sahel and the Congo basin in
this work, in collaboration with indigenous peoples. In general, indigenous peoples
should be invited to contribute to the implementation of the mandate of the Office.
Other initiatives of importance to indigenous peoples are the Joint Force of the Group
of Five for the Sahel and the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative.
The Permanent Forum invites the Office to attend its twenty-second session, to be
held in 2023, to share information on progress in its work.
21. Decision-making bodies, including customary and traditional bodies of conflictaffected indigenous peoples, should be recognized as legitimate parties to conflict
resolution efforts. Therefore, administrative and customary authorities and traditional
leaders of indigenous peoples should receive training on peaceful dispute resolution.
Relevant United Nations system entities, including the Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the International Organization for
Migration, should mobilize the financial and technical resources necessary for the
worldwide use of peacebuilding tools that have been tested with success in the Sahel
and of the Congo Basin.
22. The Permanent Forum recalls that, to ensure effective implementation, the
Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights must be aligned with the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous and Tribal
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