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E/C.19/2018/11
of the study on next steps to put into action the recommendations of the study, and to
report to the Forum at its eighteenth session on progress made .
Culture
57. The Permanent Forum encourages UNESCO, States, the Expert Mechanism on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and indigenous peoples to continue to engage in
active dialogue aimed at achieving recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples to
repatriation of their human remains and sacred items, in accordance with the outcome
document of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and articles 11 and 12 of
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Forum
reiterates its call for a new United Nations mechanism for international repatriation.
58. The Permanent Forum is concerned that the WIPO Voluntary Fund for
Accredited Indigenous and Local Communities is depleted, and emphasizes the
critical importance of the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and
local communities in the negotiations of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on
Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore in
accordance with article 41 of the Declaration. To that end, the Forum strongly
encourages the Member States of WIPO to contribute to the WIPO Voluntary Fund
and invites them to explore and identify innovative ways of raising funds for the Fund,
including through use of the regular budget of WIPO. The Forum also recommends
that WIPO increase the number of indigenous participants through the regular budget
and allow their full and effective participation in the negotiations.
Environment
59. The Permanent Forum heard from many indigenous peoples who expressed their
concern regarding States granting concessions for extractive industries, infrastructure
projects, large-scale agriculture or hydroelectric dams without the free, prior and
informed consent of indigenous peoples. This has led to inevitable social, economic
and cultural conflicts between governments and indigenous peoples such as those
concerning the Arctic Railway in Finland. The Forum reiterates that the Member
States must act in compliance with international human rights standards, including
through adequate consultations with affected indigenous peoples, respecting the right
to their free, prior and informed consent at all stages while also ensuring mitigation
measures, compensation and fair and equitable benefit-sharing.
60. The Permanent Forum reiterates its concern over environmental violence, in
particular the pervasive impacts of such violence on indigenous women and girls. The
Forum takes note with appreciation of the recommendations from the third
International Indigenous Women’s Symposium on Environment and Reproductive
Health, held at Columbia University in New York on 14 and 15 April 2018. The Forum
recommends that members of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous
Peoples’ Issues and the relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council
consider ways to address and incorporate the recommendations from that Symposium.
Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
and the Chair of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
61. Human rights defenders are increasingly targeted as terrorists for promoting and
protecting decades-old guaranteed rights. This alarming trend is seen in every region.
Even the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli Corpuz; former expert member of the Permanent Forum Joan Ca rling; and former
member of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples José Molintas,
have been declared terrorists in a petition by the Government of the Philippines. The
Forum rejects this dangerous precedent and calls on the Government of the
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