E/2026/43
E/C.19/2026/6
a practical blueprint for this coordination, strengthening coherence and cooperation
among United Nations entities and ensuring that Indigenous Peoples’ rights are
systematically reflected across the broader framework of international law.
Recommendations for Member States
100. The Permanent Forum urges Member States participating in ongoing climate,
biodiversity, water, intellectual property and digital governance negotiations to
recognize Indigenous Peoples as distinct rights holders and decision makers, while
ensuring that they do not undermine Indigenous Peoples’ governance processes.
101. The Permanent Forum calls upon Member States, by 2028, to advance
meaningful and sustained participation in the World Health Assembly and at the
Conference of the Parties to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological
Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction by establishing an Indigenous
advisory mechanism within each institution, mandated to engage regularly with
Indigenous Peoples, to advise and support the respective governing bodies of the
World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Agreement on Marine Biological
Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction and to report annually on their
contributions to decision‑making processes.
102. The Permanent Forum calls upon Member States, by 2027, to ensure the
meaningful engagement of Indigenous Peoples in deliberations on water governance,
artificial intelligence, UN80 Initiative reform discussions, the 2026 United Nations
Water Conference to Accelerate the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal
6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, and
related multilateral processes, including through structured consultations and
participatory roles, in order to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are recognized and
enabled as decision makers in reform initiatives.
103. The Permanent Forum acknowledges the entry into force on 17 January 2026 of
the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction
and its relevance to Indigenous Peoples, particularly in relation to ocean governance,
marine biodiversity and traditional knowledge. It urges States that have not yet
ratified the Agreement to do so without delay, and calls upon States, United Nations
entities and funders to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous
Peoples, including women and young people, in its implementation, including through
preparatory processes, subsidiary bodies and meetings of the Conference of the
Parties.
Recommendations for United Nations entities
104. The Permanent Forum urges the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and
the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) to lead the annual observance of the
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Women and Girls (see General Assembly
resolution 80/10). It also encourages UN-Women to allocate human, technical and
financial resources, including through partnerships and voluntary contributions, to
support meaningful observance at all levels.
105. The Permanent Forum calls on Rio Conventions secretariats, through a mandate
by their Joint Liaison Group, to map past, current and ongoing activities that support
Indigenous Peoples’ rights across their instruments, frameworks and bodies, with a
view to encouraging other United Nations entities to engage in similar mapping
exercises, and report to the Forum at its twenty-sixth session.
106. The Permanent Forum invites the secretariats of the three Rio Conventions to
provide, at its twenty-sixth session, updates on efforts to strengthen coordination
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