A/HRC/10/56 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. In its resolution 6/36 of 14 December 2007, the Human Rights Council decided to establish the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a subsidiary expert mechanism to assist the Council in the implementation of its mandate, by providing it with thematic expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples in the manner and form requested by the Council. The thematic expertise was to focus mainly on studies and research-based advice, and the mechanism could make proposals to the Council for its consideration and approval, within the scope of its work as set out by the Council. II. PROPOSALS FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Proposal 1: Organization of work The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 1. Proposes that the Council authorize the Expert Mechanism to meet for five working days in 2009 and to hold two days of preparatory meetings prior to its second session; 2. Invites participants to submit relevant written documentation to the Expert Mechanism. Proposal 2: Durban Review Conference The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 1. Affirms its support for the Durban review process and welcomes the request from the Human Rights Council to contribute to the outcome of the Durban Review Conference; 2. Notes the achievements in the area of indigenous peoples’ rights since the 2001 Durban Conference and, in particular, the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the establishment of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people in 2001, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, which held its first session in May 2002, and the creation of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which met from 1 to 3 October 2008; 3. Welcomes the positive steps taken by Governments to address the discrimination faced by indigenous peoples, including through the introduction of legislation and ratification of ILO Convention No. 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples in independent countries; 4. Recommends that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action be revised to take into account the above-mentioned developments; in particular, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action should acknowledge that the right of self-determination and the principle of free, prior and informed consent are now universally recognized through the adoption of the Declaration, making paragraph 24 of the Durban Declaration obsolete; the Expert Mechanism