"Participants recommend governments... to establish a high-level, independent commission on truth and reconciliation on indigenous peoples and protected areas," said a document adopted by delegates on the last day of the congress in South Africa's eastern port city of Durban.

For the past 10 days, some 2,500 dignitaries from across the globe have been debating the role of communities living in the world's 100,000 protected areas and how they can benefit from conservation.

Some 150 indigenous groups, including the Coica community in the Amazon in South America, the San people from Botswana's Kalahari game reserve and the Katu from a national park in Indonesia, have been using the congress as a platform to plead their case.

The plenary adopted a "Durban Accord" and "Durban Action Plan" Wednesday morning, which included a list of recommendations and targets for the next 10 years.

The congress adopted a suspension of "all involuntary resettlement and expulsion of indigenous peoples from their lands in connection with protected areas" and advised governments to enact laws "that recognise and guarantee indigenous peoples' rights over their ancestral lands and waters".

It added that indigenous peoples have the right to control their ancestral sacred places even if they fall within protected areas.

"Communities often use protected areas for spiritual reasons, because they inspire and heal them and provide them with a place of peace," the document said.

"Participants acknowledge indigenous people's rights to own and control their sacred places."

Additionally, indigenous people have the right to maintain secrecy about their heritage and sacred places and freely exercise religious and spiritual practices.

The caucus welcomed the recommendations Wednesday, saying a truth and reconciliation commission would investigate historical cases of violations and abuses of their rights within protected areas.

"It will promote healing and reconciliation and have appropriate mechanisms for restitution, and redress grievances," spokesman Victorino Saway of the Philippines said.

TERRA.WIRE