A/60/358
procedures whose effective operation is essential for the full enjoyment of their
human rights, such legal measures will fall short of their objectives.
71. On the basis of the preceding observations, the Special Rapporteur wishes to
make a number of recommendations, which he is pleased to present to the General
Assembly for its consideration.
72. Armed conflicts in territories or areas where indigenous populations live
require, in addition to monitoring by international humanitarian agencies, specific
efforts to monitor their impact on the human rights of individuals and their
destructive consequences for whole communities. The situation of indigenous
women, in particular displaced and refugee women, is particularly severe, and
should be addressed through targeted, culturally appropriate programmes. United
Nations bodies responsible for follow-up and support in cases of forced
displacement should carefully scrutinize such situations and identify suitable
solutions. The Special Rapporteur recommends that these bodies make use of the
specialized experience of OHCHR in developing protection programmes.
73. In cases in which violence perpetrated by illegal armed actors and others
endangers the survival of small and especially vulnerable indigenous communities,
the Special Rapporteur recommends that field visits be conducted by an independent
international commission, with OHCHR support, to investigate the facts and to
propose concrete and effective protection measures.
74. It is essential to enhance the quantity and quality of information about the real
situation of indigenous peoples and communities, with a view to improving social
policies that target them. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the relevant
technical bodies adopt suitable measures.
75. With regard to Millennium Development Goals 1 and 2, States should, in all
cases, adopt specific goals and policies for indigenous populations, with their full
participation, and should ensure that the measures taken to achieve these objectives
have no adverse impact on the human rights of such populations.
76. Indigenous people everywhere show a pattern of persistent poverty which calls
for urgent, comprehensive and multidimensional measures aimed at the neediest
indigenous communities and regions.
77. United Nations country teams that have not yet done so should formulate
specific human rights goals for indigenous populations and should guide and
coordinate their activities on that basis. Particular attention should be paid to the
special situation and needs of indigenous women and girls, and precise criteria
should be established for evaluating progress.
78. Efforts to combat child labour should be stepped up. In this context, all
activities related to the abolition of child labour should pay close attention to
indigenous girls and should take into account all the social and economic factors
behind this phenomenon.
79. States should adopt emergency measures to guarantee the provision of basic
services to indigenous communities that have little or no access to such services.
80. The Special Rapporteur recommends that Governments attach high priority to
the objectives and principles of indigenous education and provide public and private
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