A/HRC/39/68 7. The Expert Mechanism’s annual sessions also offer national human rights institutions opportunities for side events, making statements and taking part in panel discussions on various human rights themes relevant to indigenous peoples. 8. National human rights institutions can make oral statements during any other relevant item of the agenda, including providing follow-up information on the item relating to the Expert Mechanism’s thematic studies. Reports and studies undertaken by the Expert Mechanism 9. The Expert Mechanism’s core mandate includes annual reports on specific rights enshrined in the Declaration. So far, the Expert Mechanism has undertaken such studies on the rights to health, education, language and others. It has also undertaken studies on global human rights trends relating to indigenous peoples. 10. The Expert Mechanism also prepares an annual report on good practices and lessons learned regarding the efforts to achieve the ends of the Declaration. National human rights institutions can make significant contributions to the Expert Mechanism’s studies, including by: • Making suggestions during annual sessions on thematic studies to be undertaken by the Expert Mechanism within its mandate • Providing inputs to studies and reports undertaken by the Expert Mechanism by written submission, including sharing their own reports on such studies, or orally during annual sessions • Participating in expert technical meetings in preparation for the studies • Contributing to the dissemination and awareness-raising of the Expert Mechanism’s reports, studies and advice Country engagement, including country missions 11. The Expert Mechanism’s new mandate provides for country engagement with a view to providing technical assistance and facilitating dialogue between States, indigenous peoples and other actors. 12. National human rights institutions, in particular those with a strong indigenous component, have the potential to facilitate the Expert Mechanism’s country engagement missions, including by: • Providing relevant, independent and evidence-based information on the country situation and the status of implementation of the Declaration • Dialogue facilitation, facilitating contact with indigenous peoples and other relevant stakeholders, participating in meetings with indigenous peoples or other forms of support, when deemed necessary and appropriate • Contributing to capacity-building, training activities and similar technical assistance interventions that the Expert Mechanism may undertake as part of its country engagement • Supporting awareness-raising activities Seminars/expert meeting 13. National human rights institutions can take part in regional seminars and expert meetings held by the Expert Mechanism for the purpose of contributing to its reports and studies. Joint activities by the Expert Mechanism and national human rights institutions 14. The Expert Mechanism and individual national human rights institutions, or through the Global Alliance, may organize joint activities including: 17