A/HRC/36/57
C.
Election of officers
27.
Mr. Barume invited members to nominate a Chair-Rapporteur and two Vice-ChairRapporteurs for 2017-2018. Mr. Tsykarev nominated Mr. Barume for a second term as
Chair-Rapporteur and Ms. Vars and Ms. Yamada as Vice-Chair-Rapporteurs. All three
were appointed by acclamation.
V. New mandate of the Expert Mechanism: activities and
methods of work
28.
On opening the agenda item, Mr. Barume stated that, under the new mandate of the
Expert Mechanism, the implementation of the Declaration should be “home-grown”: a call
subsequently echoed by States, indigenous peoples and other participants. The Chair
presented the proposed methods of work, designed to enable the Expert Mechanism to
facilitate dialogue between indigenous peoples and States at the national level (see annex I).
29.
Numerous interventions were made on the need to ensure mutual coordination
between the Expert Mechanism, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
and the Permanent Forum in order to ensure complementarity between the three
mechanisms. Thoughtful coordination and the sharing of information was required to
ensure their efficient and effective functioning. Participants called on the Expert
Mechanism to strengthen its engagement with the human rights treaty bodies and universal
periodic review process at all stages, from the review itself to the implementation of
recommendations. It was also suggested that the Expert Mechanism should strengthen its
engagement with other United Nations funds, agencies and programmes, in particular with
regard to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
30.
The participation of indigenous peoples under the new mandate was a recurring
theme. The members of the Expert Mechanism noted that it was vital that consultations
with indigenous peoples should continue throughout the implementation of the new
mandate and that indigenous peoples should actively engage with the new mandate, in
particular peoples from regions and countries where previous participation had been
limited. It was also noted that, although the Expert Mechanism now had the authority to
choose the themes for its own studies, it would continue to consult States and indigenous
peoples.
31.
Regarding the Expert Mechanism’s engagement in country situations, participants
noted that that aspect of the new mandate would be influential in developing a coherent
interpretation of the Declaration. Technical advice supplied to States on the development of
domestic legislation and policies should, pursuant to the new mandate, also consider
recommendations from relevant human rights mechanisms, including the universal periodic
review process, treaty bodies and special procedures. When carrying out country
engagement activities, the Expert Mechanism should encourage States to develop and
implement national action plans to achieve the ends of the Declaration and provide States
with technical advice regarding the content of national action plans and ways of
incorporating those plans into the legislative, policy and administrative structures of the
State concerned. Members pointed out that cooperation and openness on the part of States
was required to maximize the effect of the new mandate.
VI. Interactive dialogue with national human rights institutions,
regional human rights institutions and similar mechanisms
32.
The session commenced with a panel discussion by Maria Luisa Aguilar (Mexico,
national human rights institution), Mohna Ansari (Nepal, national human rights institution),
Karen Johansen (New Zealand, national human rights institution), Soyata Maiga (African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights), Samia Slimane (OHCHR) and Laila Vars
(Expert Mechanism member), that focused on four key themes: contributions that national
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