A/HCR//18/42 of life. Consultations must be conducted in good faith with a view to obtaining the free, prior and informed consent of the concerned indigenous peoples.38 54. Another example is the establishment in Thailand of the Indigenous Peoples’ Council to engage directly with the National Reform Committee in the national reform process. The formation of an independent local indigenous council in areas populated largely by Karen indigenous peoples acted as a mechanism for their participation in the establishment of a district office, later becoming a body representing the voice of indigenous peoples in the development of the district.39 55. In Australia, the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples is a recently established company with the objective of providing a national voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.40 It has the potential to play an important role as a vehicle for Aboriginal input into formal State governance structures in the interests of the recognition of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. 56. The Maya K’iches of Totonicapán participate in decision-making through a municipal council. The council is made up of 48 representatives, each from the 48 districts of Totonicapán, elected according to the Mayan tradition. The council deliberates on matters concerning the administration of Totonicapán in the areas of education and cultural, environmental and judicial issues.41 57. In Guatemala, the Academy for Mayan Languages is an autonomous State entity that promotes the development of Mayan languages in the country. It includes a representative for each of the 22 linguistic groups and has played a key role in promoting the law on national languages and a unitary normative framework on the writing of Mayan languages.42 58. The Guatemalan Association of Indigenous Mayors and Authorities is composed of municipal indigenous mayors elected according to indigenous practices and originating in the Agreement on Identity and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Association draws attention to the interests of indigenous peoples in the local Government context.43 38 39 40 41 42 43 Ibid. Submission by Suraporn Suriyamonton (Network of Indigenous Peoples in Thailand) to the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples available http://natiotu.customers.ilisys.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/2010/11/fact_sheet-what_is_the_congress.pdf. Submission by the Government of Guatemala to the Expert Mechanism (March 2011). Ibid. Ibid. 15