A/HRC/39/68 31. A total of 17 side events were held during the session on a broad array of themes relating to the rights of indigenous peoples. A full listing is available at the Mechanism’s webpage.2 B. Opening of the session and adoption of the agenda 32. Mohawk Chief Howard Thompson conducted a ceremonial opening prayer, after which Mr. Barume, the outgoing Chair-Rapporteur of the Expert Mechanism, opened the eleventh session and welcomed the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the Human Rights Council. The agenda, as contained in document A/HRC/EMIP/2018/1, was adopted. 33. The President of the Human Rights Council highlighted the following points: the importance of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples in ensuring participation and advancing the rights of indigenous peoples; the proclamation of 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, encouraging States to participate; concerns around the inadequate implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the national level; and the engagement of Member States and indigenous peoples with the Expert Mechanism under its new mandate. The President also brought up the issue of acts of intimidation or reprisals against individuals or groups who cooperated or sought to cooperate with the Council, calling on States to prevent and ensure adequate protection against such acts. 34. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted the following issues: structural discrimination against indigenous peoples; the deprivation of their rights, dispossession of ancestral land and deprivation of resources necessary for physical and cultural survival; attacks on collective rights to land, territory and resources, and the continued attacks against and killings of indigenous peoples across the world; free, prior and informed consent as a manifestation of the right to self-determination; the exercise of the Expert Mechanism’s new mandate for country engagement, which must be understood as inclusive of direct and active engagement by indigenous peoples; and the fact that compliance with free, prior and informed consent helped human rights defenders in the light of reprisals, which represented a grave threat to their freedoms of expression, assembly and association and even their right to life. C. Election of officers 35. Ms. Yamada was elected Chair-Rapporteur and Ms. Vars and Ms. Carpenter were elected Vice-Chairs-Rapporteurs by acclamation. V. Study and advice on free, prior and informed consent 36. On opening agenda item 4, Ms. Yamada stated that the Expert Mechanism looked forward to receiving the views of indigenous peoples, States and United Nations mechanisms and agencies on the draft study on free, prior and informed consent. She welcomed the recommendations of indigenous peoples and other stakeholders as essential to completing the study. 37. Mr. Barume introduced the draft study. He mentioned that the Expert Mechanism had received over 50 submissions from indigenous peoples’ organizations, Member States, academics, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders for the completion of the study. 38. Experts noted that, as free, prior and informed consent was rooted in the right to self-determination, it was both a standard and a norm which imposed a requirement on the State. Of particular concern in relation to self-determination and consent were the rights of indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and/or initial contact. The experts highlighted the 2 See www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Session11/SideEventsTimetable.pdf. 7