36. Recognizing the urgent need for concerted action to address conservation and  the rights of indigenous peoples, the Permanent Forum held its second dialogue on  the topic during its eighteenth session. Research increasingly and consistently  demonstrates that recognizing indigenous peoples’ rights to their territories and resources is the most effective way to safeguard biological diversity and protect the  ecological integrity of critical ecosystems. Ecological knowledge systems and resource management strategies of indigenous peoples play a key role in implementing truly sustainable conservation strategies and policies.

37. This dialogue follows on the international expert group meeting on the theme “Conservation and the rights of indigenous peoples” (E/C.19/2019/7). The Permanent Forum endorses the recommendations from the meeting and urges States, conservation organizations, indigenous peoples and United Nations entities to work together in implementing the recommendations.

38. The Permanent Forum expresses concern about continuing violations of  indigenous peoples’ rights in relation to conservation initiatives and will continue to advance efforts to develop concrete action to ensure that conservation strategies and programmes are in line with the Declaration.

39. The Permanent Forum recommends that the specialist group on indigenous peoples, customary and environmental law and human rights within the Commissionon Environmental, Economic and Social Policy of the International Union for Conservation of Nature host a series of regional meetings to discuss the development

of standards for the conservation of indigenous peoples’ lands and waters by 2020, together with indigenous peoples, NGOs and other stakeholders, in consultation with the Forum, United Nations special rapporteurs and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

40. The Permanent Forum urges the member organizations of the Conservation Initiative on Human Rights to commission independent evaluations of the impact of their organizations’ work on indigenous peoples.

41. The Permanent Forum recommends that the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination conduct a study on the use of private military and security companies in conservation and their impact on the rights of indigenous peoples.

131. The Permanent Forum expresses concern that indigenous peoples’ participation  is insufficient and traditional knowledge not respected in the intergovernmental conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Forum invites the conference organizers to ensure the participation of indigenous peoples through the establishment of an indigenous peoples’ advisory committee, in its third session, in  August 2019, and fourth session, in the first half of 2020.