A/60/358 I. Introduction 1. This is the second report to be submitted to the General Assembly by Mr. Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur submitted his report to the Commission on Human Rights (E/CN.4/2005/88 and Add.1-4). 2. This report covers the activities carried out during the period 11 August 200410 August 2005. Like the Special Rapporteur’s preceding report to the General Assembly (A/59/258), it underscores certain issues of concern which, in his view, require urgent and immediate attention. 3. In this report, particular reference is made, inter alia, to the relevance for indigenous people of Millennium Development Goal 1 (eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) and Goal 2 (achieve universal primary education) and to some of the major challenges in terms of the protection of indigenous people, since these issues are considered key to the process of deciding on activities for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. The report also discusses conflict situations affecting certain indigenous communities in the world. Owing to space constraints and in order to avoid needless duplication, reference will be made where necessary to previous reports on the issue where the questions raised are dealt with at length. II. Mandate and activities A. Functions and legal framework 4. The functions included in the mandate are described in resolutions 2001/57, 2002/65, 2003/56, 2004/62 and 2005/51 of the Commission on Human Rights and, in greater detail, in previous reports of the Special Rapporteur (E/CN.4/2002/97, paras. 2 and 3, and E/CN.4/2004/80, para. 2). 5. The international legal framework for the Special Rapporteur’s work is also set out in the above-mentioned reports (E/CN.4/2002/97 and E/CN.4/2004/80/Add.1, paras. 79-101). 6. By its resolution 2005/51, the Commission on Human Rights, for the first time, requested the Special Rapporteur to begin preparing a study regarding best practices carried out to implement the recommendations contained in his general and country reports and to submit a progress report to the Commission at its sixtysecond session. B. Communications 7. Since his appointment, the Special Rapporteur has been receiving communications regularly on alleged violations of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people. The increase in the quantity and quality of the information received reflects not only increased awareness of the Special Rapporteur’s mandate among indigenous communities, but also broader knowledge of how the various special procedures work in general, as shown by the 4