E/2013/43 E/C.19/2013/25 5. The Permanent Forum recalls the many recommendations that call for statistics on indigenous health. Data collection and disaggregation remain a challenge. In particular, the delivery of health care in rural and remote areas remains a major obstacle to the right to health. In addition, there remains an urgent need for more indigenous health professionals, mental health services and programmes addressing non-communicable diseases and reproductive health. In particular, the Forum reaffirms the recommendation of the eighth session that an expert group meeting on sexual health and reproductive rights be held. 6. Good practices are emerging that complement public health services with traditional health practices. These practices emphasize intercultural dialogue and discussion to ensure that health care is delivered in a culturally specific way, consistent with articles 23 and 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. These practices should be supported and promoted. 7. In sexual health and reproductive rights there is a need for HIV-sensitive, gender-sensitive and age-sensitive sexual health education that respects cultural sensitivities in pre-testing and post testing conditions and delivery of services. The Permanent Forum recommends: (a) That, in the design and implementation of its strategic plan for the period 2014-2018, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) take into consideration the rights of indigenous women and young people; (b) That contributions be made to ministries of health and indigenous women’s organizations to consolidate their work on intercultural standards for high-quality sexual health and reproductive rights and maternal health and to assess experiences of intercultural health models in other regions of the world in order to identify opportunities for South-South cooperation; (c) That efforts be made to ensure the integration of indigenous peoples’ rights into national and subnational strategies on gender-based violence and to promote the delivery of culturally acceptable critical services to address genderbased violence and sexual violence, with a focus on adolescents, youth, migrants and indigenous women with disabilities; (d) That the United Nations country teams contribute to strengthening and integrating the rights of indigenous women and youth into national and subnational development strategies and sectoral plans, particularly but not exclusively in the areas of sexual health and reproductive rights and maternal mortality and morbidity, as well as in adolescent and youth policies and plans; (e) That contributions be made to supporting work at the country level on the elimination of female genital mutilation/cutting among indigenous girls, including the elimination of other forms of harmful practices, for example early and forced marriage and early unwanted pregnancies; (f) That efforts be made to promote the rights of indigenous youth at the regional and country levels, including their participation in the International Conference on Population and Development beyond 2014 processes, and, where possible, their participation in UNFPA-led discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. 8. The Permanent Forum reiterates its previous recommendations that address the alarming number of suicides among indigenous youth. The Forum encourages 13-36172 3