E/2021/43 E/C.19/2021/10 to prevent contagion, including through the non-discriminatory delivery and administration of vaccines, and in recovery plans and efforts. In that context, the important roles of indigenous women should not be overlooked. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Secretary -General’s call to action on human rights provide important tools in guiding those efforts. 90. The Permanent Forum welcomes efforts by Member States to organize specific vaccine programmes for indigenous peoples and encourages the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi Alliance, WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, in their administration of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility, to ensure that indigenous peoples are uniquely included in vaccine dissemination efforts. Given the disproportionate effect of the COVID -19 virus on the mortality of indigenous peoples in many countries, the Forum underlines the urgency of ensuring that all indigenous peoples are uniquely considered in vaccine planning and distribution. Due attention should also be given to indigenous peoples affected by conflict and post-conflict situations and complex humanitarian emergencies. 91. The Permanent Forum recognizes that, owing to historical and ongoing discriminatory practices in the delivery of healthcare, including in the administration of vaccines, there is distrust that needs to be acknowledged and addressed by governments. Therefore, the Forum recommends that governments collaborate with indigenous peoples’ representatives and leaders, provide culturally appropriate information in indigenous peoples’ languages, engage with indigenous healthcare practitioners and support indigenous peoples’ organizations that are already providing pandemic-related support in their communities. Indigenous women and girls 92. The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected indigenous women and girls, who already face violence and higher rates of poverty in conjunction with limited access to health-care services, information and communications technologies, financial services, education and employment, while also suff ering from multiple forms of discrimination and exclusion. Violence against women and girls is a “shadow pandemic” that has increased during the COVID-19 crisis. With the closure of schools, pregnancy rates among indigenous young women and girls have risen . In that context, support for indigenous women’s organizations and networks is vital, since they are on the front lines of the responses to both pandemics. Recommendations 93. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for the collection of disaggregated statistical data on the situation of indigenous peoples. Where such data are available, they have shown that the pandemic has affected indigenous peoples differently than other populations, requiring culturally appropriate approaches and solutions. The Permanent Forum reiterates its recommendation to Member States to collect and disseminate disaggregated statistical data on indigenous peoples, in close cooperation with indigenous peoples themselves, in order to support evidence-based policymaking and programming. 94. The Permanent Forum recommends that WHO create and convene regional round tables to address the issue of indigenous peoples and the pandemic in ord er to ensure that the indigenous peoples of the globe are uniquely considered in mitigation efforts. Such round tables would also offer a timely opportunity to coordinate actions for responding to the impact of the pandemic on indigenous peoples. 21-06102 19/29