A/HRC/10/56 page 7 3. The Expert Mechanism was attended by representatives of 37 Member States, the Holy See, 4 United Nations organizations and programmes, a national human rights institution and a large number of indigenous delegates and non-governmental organizations. A total of 367 participants were accredited, with 222 effectively participating (see annex I). 4. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, James Anaya, and Mick Dodson and Bartolomé Clavero, members of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, attended the session. The President of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee, Miguel Alfonso Martinez, also attended the session. The Expert Mechanism would like to express its appreciation to the Indigenous Peoples’ Centre for Documentation, Research and Information, the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs and the Indigenous Portal for their support for indigenous participants during the session. B. Documentation 5. The Expert Mechanism had before it the provisional agenda (A/HRC/EMRIP/2008/1) and the annotated provisional agenda (A/HRC/EMRIP/2008/1/Add.1), as prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). C. Opening of the session 6. The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kyung-Wha Kang, opened the first session of the Expert Mechanism. She referred to the institutional changes represented by the creation of the Human Rights Council and its enhanced normative framework. In particular, she encouraged the experts to consider how they would contribute to the promotion and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. She recalled that the Declaration set out a clear and universally agreed upon framework for the advancement of the rights of indigenous peoples. Although the Declaration is non-binding, it nonetheless offers the basis for reconciliation between indigenous peoples and States. She added that the provisions of the Declaration provided an agenda for dialogue and practical policymaking. 7. The Deputy High Commissioner assured the participants and the members that the work of her Office was to assist States and indigenous peoples in implementing the Declaration. She stated that the Expert Mechanism also had its role to play in helping to contribute to that end. 8. The President of the Council, Martin I. Uhomoibhi, recalled that the Declaration was one of the first international instruments adopted by the Council and provided, together with International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries and other human rights standards, the international normative framework on the rights of indigenous peoples. He said that the Expert Mechanism was directly accountable to the Council and this gave it more leverage and significance as a veritable organ of the Council, to which it could propose how to contribute best to ensure the respect and advancement of the rights of indigenous peoples.