A/HRC/36/57 that, in future universal periodic review cycles, the Declaration be explicitly included in the list of standards on which the universal periodic review process is based. Proposal 10: International Year of Indigenous Languages 20. The Expert Mechanism proposes that the Human Rights Council participate in the action plan led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to ensure a human rights-based approach to the programmes and events which will be organized for the International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019. IV. Organization of the session A. Attendance 21. The Expert Mechanism held its tenth session in Geneva from 10 to 14 July 2017. Six members, Mr. Barume (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chair-Rapporteur), Megan Davis (Australia), Edtami Mansayagan (Philippines), Alexey Tsykarev (Russian Federation), Laila Vars (Norway) and Erika M. Yamada (Brazil), attended the session in person.4 22. States, parliaments, indigenous peoples, United Nations programmes, bodies and specialized agencies, national and regional human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions participated in the session as observers (see annex II for a complete listing). 23. Also participating in the session were: Claire Charters, one of the advisers to the President of the General Assembly on the question of enhancing indigenous peoples’ participation at the United Nations (via video link); Anne Nuorgam, member of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples; Yuval Shany, Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Committee; Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples; and Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Chair of the Permanent Forum. B. Opening and adoption of the agenda 24. Mr. Barume, the Chair-Rapporteur of the Expert Mechanism, opened the tenth session of the Expert Mechanism and welcomed the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council. 25. The High Commissioner highlighted the following issues: the gap that continues to exist between international commitments relating to indigenous peoples and the reality on the ground; the nature of development projects, which often subsumes indigenous peoples’ rights to their lands and territories, and the worrying increase in murder and harassment of indigenous peoples, often related to defence of their lands; the many good national, regional and international practices initiated by States and indigenous peoples since the adoption of the Declaration in 2007; the opportunities for change and implementation of the Declaration that should be taken up, including support for the new mandate of the Expert Mechanism, follow-up to the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples and contributions to the Voluntary Fund. 26. The President of the Human Rights Council highlighted the following points: the importance the Council gives to the work of the Expert Mechanism and confirmation that it will continue to support the latter’s work and its new mandate; the necessity of the participation and partnership with indigenous peoples in United Nations processes; challenges to the implementation of indigenous rights at the national level; and the information that the Council will hold a half-day panel discussion at its thirty-sixth session on the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration. 4 6 Kristen Carpenter (United States of America) participated remotely.