A/HRC/36/57 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 6/36, the Human Rights Council established the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a subsidiary body to assist the Council in the implementation of its mandate by providing it with thematic expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples, as requested by the Council. In the resolution, the Council established that the thematic expertise would focus mainly on studies and research-based advice, and that the Expert Mechanism might suggest proposals to the Council for its consideration and approval. 2. In September 2016, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 33/25 amending the Expert Mechanism’s mandate: the Expert Mechanism was mandated to provide the Human Rights Council with expertise and advice on the rights of indigenous peoples as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to assist Member States, upon request, in achieving the ends of the Declaration through the promotion, protection and fulfilment of the rights of indigenous peoples. The specificities of the new mandate are set out in the resolution. The present report is the first annual report of the Expert Mechanism adopted in the light of this expanded mandate. 3. The Expert Mechanism held its tenth session in Geneva from 10 to 14 July 2017. During the session, it discussed the draft methods of work for its reports to the Human Rights Council and for country engagement (see annex I). The summary of the debate in sections V to XII below is not intended to be a verbatim record, but rather an overview of the main points raised by expert members and other participants. The individual contributions of all participants can be viewed on the webcast of the session. 1 II. Intersessional activities 4. Since its last annual session in July 2016, the Expert Mechanism has undertaken several official intersessional activities. In September 2016, it held an interactive dialogue with the Human Rights Council at the latter’s thirty-third session, as part of the process of submission of the Expert Mechanism’s study on the right to health and indigenous peoples (A/HRC/33/57). On the same occasion, Albert Kwokwo Barume, Chair of the Expert Mechanism, served as moderator of the half-day discussion in the Human Rights Council on violence against indigenous women. In January 2017, the Expert Mechanism participated in the expert group meeting on the role of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and other indigenous-specific mechanisms in the implementation of the Declaration. 5. From 2 to 4 March 2017, the members of the Expert Mechanism took part in a meeting hosted by the Government of Canada to discuss their new mandate under Council resolution 33/25, including the development of new methods of work. Members also held a half-day meeting with all members of the Permanent Forum, which was holding an intersessional meeting in Ottawa at the same time, in order to discuss cooperation and possible joint initiatives under the new mandate. 6. On 6 and 7 March 2017, the members of the Expert Mechanism attended the United Nations Expert Seminar on Good Practices and Challenges for Indigenous Peoples’ Entrepreneurship in Boulder, Colorado, United States of America. The seminar was jointly organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the University of Colorado Law School. The objective of the seminar was to support the study on good practices and challenges in business and access to financial services by indigenous peoples. The seminar brought together approximately 30 participants from several regions, including five members of the Expert Mechanism, indigenous human rights advocates, academics and practitioners. The topics addressed included State and regional practices on indigenous peoples’ businesses, the role of 1 Available from http://webtv.un.org. 3