A/HRC/33/58
I. Introduction
1.
In its resolution 18/8 of 2011, the Human Rights Council first requested the Expert
Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to undertake, with the assistance of the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a questionnaire survey
on best practices concerning appropriate measures and implementation strategies to attain
the goals of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In its resolutions 21/24,
24/10 and 30/4, the Council requested that the Expert Mechanism continue to send out the
questionnaire, in order to provide summaries of responses for presentation to the Council.
The present report builds upon previous reports presented to the Council at its twenty-first,
twenty-fourth, twenty-seventh and thirtieth sessions (A/HRC/21/54, A/HRC/24/51,
A/AHRC/27/67 and A/HRC/30/54, respectively).
2.
The questionnaire focuses on best practices in the areas of self-determination;
participation in decision-making, including free prior and informed consent; languages and
culture; non-discrimination and equality; lands, territories and resources; treaties,
agreements and other constructive arrangements; and measures taken to promote and
protect the rights of women, youth, children, elders, persons with disabilities and other
vulnerable groups.
3.
The questionnaires for States and indigenous peoples were designed to be as
consistent as possible, as far as is reasonable, in order for the responses to be comparable
and to promote potential partnerships between States and indigenous peoples in working
towards the implementation of the Declaration. All of the questions put to States and
indigenous people are reproduced below. The responses from States and indigenous
peoples have also been placed on the website of the Expert Mechanism.1
4.
The Expert Mechanism thanks all States who responded to this year’s
questionnaires. Responses were received from Australia, Bolivia (Plurinational State of),
Canada, Cuba, Denmark and Greenland, Finland, Mexico, Peru and Romania.
5.
The Expert Mechanism also thanks the following indigenous peoples, indigenous
peoples’ organizations and representative bodies, and non-governmental organizations for
their responses: Agrupación de Derechos Humanos Xochitépetl A.C.; Associação União
das Aldeias Apinajé-Pempxà; Bubi People of Bioko Island; Chemudep Organization of
Kenya; World Amazigh Congress; FDAPID-Hope for Indigenous Peoples; Gudang Clan of
far northern Cape York, Queensland; International Presentation Association; Organisation
Tamaynut; Quixelos People.
II. Responses from States and from indigenous peoples
6.
The present section summarizes the responses from States and from indigenous
peoples to the questionnaire. It must be borne in mind that responses from States and
indigenous peoples may have conflicting views on the benefits of measures adopted to
implement the Declaration or the ideal strategies to achieve its implementation.
1
2
See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Pages/QuestionnaireDeclaration.aspx.