E/2008/43
E/C.19/2008/13
62. The Permanent Forum urges States and State-owned corporations to consult
and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned in order to
obtain their free, prior and informed consent before the approval of any policies,
plans and projects affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly
in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of minerals, water
and other resources, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
63. The Permanent Forum welcomes the global synthesis report on indicators of
well-being, poverty and sustainability relevant to indigenous peoples, 4 which is the
culmination of efforts by the United Nations system and indigenous peoples’
organizations over the past several years. The Forum invites the United Nations
system, including the United Nations Development Group and the Inter-Agency
Support Group, the donor community, States, indigenous peoples, non-governmental
organizations and the private sector to use those indicators as a guide in
programmes and projects directly or indirectly affecting indigenous peoples and
their communities, in accordance with the standards set by the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
64. The Permanent Forum once again reiterates its concern that reports developed
and presented by many States on the implementation of the Millennium
Development Goals and poverty reduction strategy papers still do not adequately
include and address indigenous peoples, nor do they include their participation, and
it therefore calls on States to rectify this situation and on United Nations agencies to
support their efforts. Furthermore, the Forum encourages the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) to integrate indigenous peoples’ issues into the
global, regional, national and local human development reports, and in particular to
include indigenous experts in preparing those reports and to guarantee that
indigenous peoples’ issues are mainstreamed in them.
65. In order to improve the implementation of its recommendations, the Permanent
Forum calls upon United Nations agencies to ensure that there are systems in place
to share information with and distribute information to indigenous peoples at the
local level so that they have the opportunity to engage with the work of the United
Nations at the country level and express their views and concerns and implement
their policies. The Forum also encourages indigenous peoples’ organizations to
engage actively with the United Nations system at the country level and urges
United Nations resident coordinators’ offices to engage with indigenous peoples’
organizations and representatives and ensure their active participation and
consultation in policy dialogues at the national level.
66. The Permanent Forum commends existing small-grant schemes and
programmes, since they often enable indigenous peoples’ organizations to play an
active role in implementing the recommendations of the Forum. The Forum
encourages the United Nations system to develop small-grant schemes and to
increase the level of funding aimed directly at indigenous peoples and also to
continue establishing mechanisms to ensure that they effectively reach and benefit
indigenous peoples at the local level and provide funds directly to indigenous
organizations for socioculturally appropriate project implementation.
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