A/61/490 and human rights organizations on follow-up to his recommendations after his mission to Canada in 2004. On 5 to 7 October, an international expert seminar was held on general follow-up to his Special Rapporteur’s recommendations. These events, which reflect a growing interest in the matter of implementation, will provide important inputs for the completion of the study of “best practices” carried out to implement the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations, as requested by the Commission on Human Rights. Likewise, this type of event represents a model for strengthening activities aimed at following up the Special Rapporteur’s recommendations in other previously visited countries. Similar events in Chile and the Philippines are being planned for the year 2007. C. Communications with Governments and follow-up to reports of violations of the human rights of indigenous people 32. The Special Rapporteur has continued to receive a growing number of communications from indigenous and civil society organizations containing complaints of violations of indigenous peoples’ rights. Increasingly, these communications have resulted in letters of allegation or, where there exists a serious or imminent threat to human rights, urgent appeals to Governments. The rise in the number of communications is a sign that indigenous people and organizations are becoming more aware of reporting mechanisms, but it is also a disturbing reminder of the number of serious violations and restrictions of the human rights of these people. Of special concern is that only a few States involved in this communications system have followed up the letters of allegation and urgent appeals addressed to them in any systematic or satisfactory way. The Special Rapporteur has recommended to the Human Rights Council that special attention should be given, during the universal periodical review of special procedures, to this serious constraint on the building of an effective system for protecting indigenous peoples’ rights. III. Future international protection of indigenous rights 33. At the international level, the Special Rapporteur points out the importance of the adoption, on 29 June 2006, of the draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the Human Rights Council at its first session. This event, which took place after nearly 20 years of negotiations in Geneva, is an outcome that has been long awaited by indigenous peoples and by the universal human rights community. Unfortunately, this new international human rights instrument was not adopted by consensus, and it is therefore particularly important for this General Assembly to endorse its adoption and thereby demonstrate support for the constructive work of the Human Rights Council. 34. The draft Declaration, in the Special Rapporteur’s view, is already a useful mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights among indigenous peoples throughout the world and a reflection of the emerging international consensus on the content of indigenous peoples’ rights. The Special Rapporteur sincerely hopes that the Council and this Assembly will continue to give this important development in the human rights field all the attention it deserves. 06-55256 9