NATIONS UNIES UNITED NATIONS

COMMISSARIAT AUX DROITS DE L’HOMME HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Study on “Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Participate in Decision-Making”

In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 12/13, the Expert Mechanism
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is requested to carry out a study on indigenous
peoples and the right to participate in decision-making and to present a progress report
to the Council at its fifteenth session, in 2010, and a final study to the Council at its
eighteenth session, in 2011.

The Expert Mechanism will discuss a draft progress report at its third session, from 12
to 16 July 2010, before submitting a final progress report to the Human Rights
Council.

In order to prepare the progress report, the Expert Mechanism would welcome
contributions from States, indigenous peoples, NGOs, National Human Rights
Institutions and regional human rights mechanisms, United Nations human rights
mechanisms and relevant United Nations agencies and institutions based on the
following outline.

1. Analysis of the incorporation and implementation of the international human

rights framework, including related jurisprudence, with regard to indigenous
peoples and the right to participate in decision-making.

2. Identification of indigenous peoples’ own decision-making processes and

institutions as well as challenges in maintaining and developing them.

3. Identification of participatory and consultative mechanisms linked to both

State and relevant non-State institutions and decision-making processes
affecting indigenous peoples as well as challenges in their effective
implementation.

4. Identification of key measures and challenges related to the efforts to

guarantee the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decision-making.

The Expert Mechanism would appreciate if the comments on the above four items
would cover decision-making at both national and local level and include a gender
perspective.