A/HRC/61/49/Add.2 Annex Report of the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Alexandra Xanthaki, on her visit to the Federated States of Micronesia I. Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights conducted a mission to the Federated States of Micronesia at the invitation of the Government from 2 to 13 June 2025. She thanks the Government for its invitation and was honoured to be the first special procedure mandate holder to conduct such a visit. She appreciated the openness of the Government in organizing the visit, which allowed her to hold discussions on various aspects of her mandate. She commends the Government for its commitment to the human rights system and for supporting her efforts to see various areas of the country and meet with as many people and communities as she did. 2. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur met officials from four national departments and the National Fisheries Corporation, as well as the speaker of Congress and the heads of the Office of National Archives, Culture and Historic Preservation and the College of Micronesia. The Special Rapporteur visited three states, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Kosrae. In each of them, she held meetings with state and local government officials, as well as with traditional authorities and representatives of the Historic Preservation Offices. She also had the opportunity to visit an outer island, the Tonoas digital hub in Chuuk, Second World War sites and various heritage sites, including Nan Madol, the Lelu ruins and one of the many sunken ships of the Chuuk Lagoon. She regrets that Yap could not be included in the visit. 3. The Special Rapporteur spoke with representatives of 20 civil society organizations, working with seniors, youth, women and persons with disabilities, on such issues as participation in cultural life, heritage protection, the preservation of nature, education and sports. She also spoke with various academics, individual youth and wider communities to gather their views about cultural rights in the State. The Special Rapporteur thanks all of them for their time, commitment and the wealth of information that they shared with her. She also extends her gratitude to the colleagues from the United Nations country team and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for their assistance and support in the preparation and conduct of the visit. II. General context 4. The Federated States of Micronesia encompass 607 islands (65 inhabited), distributed over 2,900 kilometres in the North Pacific Ocean and comprising four States: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. The topography varies from high volcanic islands to low-lying coral atolls, which has contributed to the relationship of the inhabitants with their environment and their ways of life. The distance between the islands contributed to the diversity of Micronesians’ expressions, practices and languages. Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Yapese and Kosraean are all widely used and such minority languages as Pingelapese and Mortlockese are also spoken by some. English is the main language of education, commerce and the government at the federal level; the state authorities also operate in the local languages. 5. The Federated States of Micronesia is a constitutional federation with many layers. The Federation is responsible for external affairs, security and the resolution of national problems and assumes a coordination, oversight and facilitating role. The national capital is Palikir (Pohnpei), which is also the seat of the Federal Government and most federal institutions, including the Parliament and the Supreme Court. The states are responsible for most government affairs, including education, health, cultural and social services. Each state has its executive (governor), legislature and judicial system. The local governance level is further subdivided into districts and municipalities, but they have limited powers. In parallel, traditional leaders continue to hold significant influence, particularly at the state level. 2 GE.26-01464