A/66/288 60. On occasion, the Special Rapporteur has issued media or other public statements in response to issues of immediate concern arising in specific countries. He has issued public statements on the following issues: Government reactions to protests by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island (Chile); concerns surrounding a hunger strike by Mapuche indigenous prisoners protesting charges brought against them under an anti-terrorism law (Chile); protests by indigenous peoples against legislation on mining (Panama); laws and policies regarding consultation with indigenous peoples (Peru); and concerns over legislation adopted by the State of Arizona (United States) giving the police the power to detain suspected illegal immigrants and the effects of this legislation on indigenous peoples in the United States/Mexico border region. D. Thematic studies 61. During the first three years of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur sought to identify common issues or matters of concern to indigenous peoples throughout the world and to address those concerns with informed analysis and recommendations. His analyses of thematic issues have built upon his examination of national situations and cases, and have been further informed by his experiences in the promotion of good practices. In each of his annual reports to the Human Rights Council, he has examined key issues, including the following: the significance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; the duty of States to consult with and obtain the consent of indigenous peoples before adopting measures that affect them; the responsibility of corporations to respect the rights of indigenous peoples; and, most recently, and building on the previous themes, issues related to extractive industries operating in or near indigenous peoples’ traditional territories. IV. Overview of key thematic issues examined 1 A. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 1. Overview 62. During the last three decades, the demands of indigenous peoples across the world have led to the gradual emergence of a common body of opinion on the rights of these peoples based on long-standing principles of international human rights law and policy. The emergence of this common understanding has further been reflected in and supported by constitutional, legislative and institutional reforms at the national level. The adoption by the General Assembly in 2007 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the most prominent manifestation of this common body of opinion, encapsulating as it does a widely shared understanding of the rights of indigenous peoples that has been building over decades from a foundation of existing sources of international human rights law. 63. The Declaration’s preamble stresses the essentially remedial purpose of the instrument. Far from affirming special rights per se, the Declaration aims at __________________ 1 12 This section summarizes the Special Rapporteur’s examination of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People in A/HRC/9/9 (paras. 18-43). 11-44942