E/2014/43 E/C.19/2014/11 our societies”. 1 Many examples of bad governance were cited, in particular with regard to bureaucracy, such as Governments making decisions without indigenous participation, consultation, or free, prior and informed consent; Governments making policy in centralized locations without input from indigenous peoples; and the imposition of new policies and programmes without any notice. Such actions lead to disempowerment, a lack of identity and violations of indigenous peoples’ human rights. In particular, some States have policies that criminalize indigenous peoples when they exercise the right to self-determination, including over their lands and territories. 9. Good governance must be considered from an integral view. Indigenous peoples’ own forms of government are based on their social, economic, political, cultural and spiritual institutions, customs and practices. Indigenous peoples’ forms of governance are addressed within the framework of article 3 of the Declaration. Indigenous forms of governance must be supported, as they often comply with indigenous peoples’ identity, customs, rituals and principles of respect and rights to their territories and administration of natural resources. Indigenous governance must be recognized and respected in the context of collective rights, including free, prior and informed consent, in order to ensure legal pluralism. 10. The Permanent Forum congratulates its member Edward John on his report entitled “Study on the impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery on indigenous peoples, including mechanisms, processes and instruments of redress” ( E/C.19/2014/3), and reaffirms that all doctrines, including the doctrine of discovery, that advocate superiority on the basis of national origin or racial, religious, ethnic or cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemn able and socially unjust and should be repudiated in word and action. Expert group meeting on the theme “Sexual health and reproductive rights: articles 21, 22 (1), 23 and 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” 11. At its twelfth session, the Permanent Forum recommended that the Economic and Social Council authorize a three-day international expert group meeting on the theme “Sexual health and reproductive rights: articles 21, 22 (1), 23 and 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples”. On 7 November 2013, at its reconvened substantive session, the Council authorized the international expert group meeting (decision 2013/259), with the following participants: members of the Permanent Forum, representatives of the United Nations system, other interested intergovernmental organizations, experts from indigenous peoples’ organizations and interested Member States. The Council requested that the results of the meeting be reported to the Permanent Forum at its thirteenth session, in May 2014. In January 2014, the three-day expert group meeting was held at United Nations Headquarters. 12. Recognizing the central role of health as a precondition for economic and social development, the Permanent Forum reaffirms the right of indigenous peoples to the highest attainable standards of health, including sexual health and reproductive rights, within the context of the International Conference on Population and Development, including access to health-care services for all __________________ 1 14-54937 See www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/good-governance.pdf. 7/22