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The Special Rapporteur on the Situation of the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People

On 28 September 2007, the Human Rights Council, during its sixth session, decided to renew for an additional period of three years, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People.

Professor Rodolfo Stavenhagen was the first United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous People. He was appointed by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2001.

Undoubtedly, the Special Rapporteur’s mandate has been a crucial instrument for making the situation of indigenous peoples more visible in the work of human rights bodies and international agencies, and has opened spaces for dialogue among indigenous peoples, states and international organizations.

Reinforcement of the mandate

The Council’s resolution reaffirms and reinforces the Special Rapporteur’s mandate as described in previous resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights, in areas such as the Special Rapporteur’s official visits, communications, and annual reporting.

The Council’s resolution further includes a number of important innovations in relationship to previous resolutions, including the following:

The resolution entrusts the Special Rapporteur with the follow-up of the recently adopted UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, along with other relevant international standards.

The resolution invites the Special Rapporteur to work in close cooperation with the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and to participate in its annual session.
The resolution invites the Special Rapporteur to identify, exchange and promote best practices in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.
The resolution calls the Special Rapporteur to pay a particular attention to the situation of indigenous women and children, and to apply a gender perspective in his/her work.

Read more on the OHCHR website
See the list of new Special Rapporteurs

New Special Rapporteur:
Professor S. James Anaya

Go to UNSR James Anaya's website which aims at facilitating communication with stakeholders such us indigenous peoples organizations, human rights defenders; civil society organizations, etc.

Publication from IWGIA on the Special Rapporteur mechanism This book, which IWGIA has published in cooperation with Rights and Democracy, Canada, and the Canadian Friends Service Committee, looks at the Special Rapporteur mechanism, how it functions, and what has been achieved so far. It gives recommendations to the UN System on best practices and how to strengthen the Special Rapporteur mechanism. Another set of recommendations are addressed to Indigenous peoples and their organizations, these focus on how they can collaborate more effectively with the Special Rapporteur mechanism and draw more benefits from it. The book can be ordered by sending an email to iwgia@iwgia.org or you can download it free of charge from this web site - click here for more information.