A/66/288 18. Shortly after assuming his mandate in May 2008, the Special Rapporteur was asked by indigenous organizations and the President of the Constituent Assembly of Ecuador, as part of the programme of technical assistance provided by UNDP in the country, to provide technical assistance with the constitutional revision process. The Special Rapporteur visited Ecuador and submitted a number of observations to the Government in the light of relevant international norms (A/HRC/9/9/Add.1, para. 502). Ecuador’s new constitution was approved by referendum in September 2008 with significant provisions affirming indigenous peoples’ collective rights. 19. The Special Rapporteur has continued to monitor the implementation by Ecuador of those reforms and subsequent legislation and, in 2010, presented to the Council at its fifteenth session his observations on progress made and challenges remaining with regard to implementing the constitutional guarantees for indigenous people in Ecuador (A/HRC/15/37/Add.7). Furthermore, he has provided comments on various drafts of legislation currently under consideration by the National Assembly of Ecuador to coordinate indigenous customary justice systems with the national justice system, in accordance with related provisions of the Constitution. 20. Similarly, in April 2009, the Special Rapporteur submitted a report to the Government of Chile outlining and analysing the international norms on the duty to consult indigenous peoples in relation to the constitutional reform process in Chile (A/HRC/12/34/Add.6, appendix A). 21. In July 2010, the Special Rapporteur provided an analysis of international standards relevant to the development in Colombia of a law or regulation on the duty to consult with indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian communities on matters affecting them. His input was part of an initiative launched by OHCHR at the request of an advisory group on the matter of the Ministry of Interior and Justice of Colombia. 22. Likewise, over the course of several weeks in February 2011 the Special Rapporteur provided observations on the initiative of the Government of Guatemala to regulate a procedure for consultation with indigenous peoples. 23. Additionally, at the request of the Government of Suriname and indigenous and tribal peoples, the Special Rapporteur provided observations and recommendations on a process to develop legislation to secure indigenous and tribal peoples’ rights to lands and resources, in the light of binding judgments issued in this connection by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (A/HRC/18/35/Add.7). The observations and recommendations were based in part on information gathered during a visit to Suriname in March 2011. 24. In December 2008, the Special Rapporteur attended a ceremony in Awas Tingni, Nicaragua, during which the Government handed over to the indigenous community the long-awaited title to its ancestral lands, as required by a 2001 judgement of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. He commended the Government of Nicaragua for taking steps to implement the judgement, and has continued discussions with the Government to encourage progress towards securing the rights to land and resources of other indigenous communities in that country. 2. Promoting good practices by international institutions and authorities 25. The Special Rapporteur has sought to promote decisions, programmatic reforms and initiatives by international actors, at both the global and regional levels, 6 11-44942