A/59/258 Summary The present report, on activities carried out from 10 August 2001 to 10 August 2004, highlights some concerns which the Special Rapporteur deems to be worthy of special and urgent attention. Since his appointment in 2001, the Special Rapporteur has focused on three main areas of work: thematic investigation of issues that have an impact on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people; country visits; and communication with governments with respect to allegations of violations of indigenous people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur received information about a number of situations where indigenous people’s human rights and fundamental freedoms relating to land, territory, the environment and natural resources; the administration of justice and legal conflicts; poverty, standards of living and sustainable development; language, culture and education; selfgovernment, autonomy, political participation and the right to self-determination had been violated. The Special Rapporteur was also apprised of situations relating to matters such as the failure to apply the international anti-discrimination standards in force; death threats against indigenous leaders; forced disappearances of indigenous activists and representatives; violence and deaths of indigenous people through excessive use of force by officers of the police and security forces during situations of social conflict; extrajudiciary executions of indigenous people attributed to paramilitary groups or private forces either working with or tolerated by the State, as well as forced displacements due to the implementation of development projects, social conflict or political and economic insecurity. The country visits constitute a crucial component of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate and an excellent vehicle for on-the-spot analysis and understanding of the situation of indigenous peoples. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur undertook official visits to Chile, Colombia, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico and the Philippines and visited a number of communities in other areas at the invitation of various indigenous peoples of the Nordic countries, southern Africa and Japan. 2