A/HRC/12/34 page 7 on 20 May 2009, in which the Special Rapporteur emphasized the role of United Nations agencies and programmes in implementing the Declaration. The following day, the Special Rapporteur met in New York with members of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs to exchange views on indigenous issues in relation to major political and economic trends. 16. At the regional level, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have played groundbreaking roles in developing a distinct body of jurisprudence concerning the rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas, with an important normative effect in other regions. On 25 October 2008, the Special Rapporteur participated in an expert seminar on indigenous land rights and the principle of free, prior, and informed consent in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; he has exchanged information with the Commission on various cases. The Special Rapporteur has also confirmed his willingness to cooperate with the Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and looks forward to exploring concrete ways in which he may enhance collaboration with the Commission in the future. 17. The Special Rapporteur has also cooperated with the World Bank, and on 3 June 2008 was the featured speaker in a seminar on “Advancing indigenous rights and development in Latin America and the Caribbean” in Washington, D.C., in which he focused on the role of the World Bank in relation to various challenges and initiatives concerning indigenous peoples. He continues to maintain contact with representatives of the World Bank to explore ways of further coordination. B. Areas of work 18. The Special Rapporteur has engaged in a range of activities within the terms of his mandate to monitor the human rights conditions of indigenous peoples worldwide and promote steps to improve those conditions. He has sought to incorporate a gender perspective, and be attentive to the particular vulnerabilities of indigenous children. Overall, the Special Rapporteur has tried to develop work methods oriented towards constructive dialogue with Governments, indigenous peoples, NGOs, relevant United Nations agencies and other actors, in order to address challenging issues and situations and build on advances already made. The various activities that he has carried out in this spirit can be described as falling within four, interrelated spheres of activity: promoting good practices; thematic studies; country reports; and cases of alleged human rights violations. 1. Promoting good practices 19. A first area of the Special Rapporteur’s work follows from the directive given by the Human Rights Council “to identify … and promote best practices” (Human Rights Council resolution 6/12, art. 1, para. (a)). The Special Rapporteur has been focused on working to advance legal, administrative, and programmatic reforms at the domestic level to implement the standards of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other relevant international instruments. Reform of this kind is a major undertaking, as it is full of all kinds of complexities and requires a strong commitment, both financial and political, on the part of Governments.