A/HRC/12/34 page 5 Mechanism, which is mandated by the Human Rights Council to invite the Special Rapporteur to its annual session in order to “enhance cooperation and avoid duplicating the work” of the respective mechanisms (Human Rights Council resolution 6/36, art. 5). 8. During the course of his work, the Special Rapporteur has noted a significant level of confusion among indigenous groups, NGOs, and other stakeholders about the respective roles and functions of the three mechanisms, as well as their place within the institutional structure of the United Nations. Continued education about the individual mandates and functions of these mechanisms is essential. The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues was established in 2000 as an advisory body to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, focusing mainly on indigenous issues in the field of economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.1 The United Nations Permanent Forum is made up of 16 individual experts and meets annually for two weeks in New York. The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which held its first annual session in October 2008, is composed of five individual experts with a mandate to provide the Human Rights Council with thematic expertise on the rights of indigenous peoples, mainly in the form of studies and research-based advice (Human Rights Council resolution 6/36, art. 1, para. (a)). This year, the Human Rights Council has requested the Expert Mechanism to prepare a study on lessons learned and challenges to achieve the implementation of the right of indigenous peoples to education, which was concluded this year (Human Rights Council resolution 9/7). 9. The three United Nations mechanisms with a mandate on indigenous issues were not necessarily designed with a complementary purpose, but were developed separately in response to different historical and political contexts and the demands of the indigenous peoples’ movement. Consequently, on paper, the mandates of these three mechanisms overlap to a certain extent and, in practical terms, many of the activities carried out by the respective mandate-holders could be structured more effectively in relation to those of the other mechanisms. 10. From 4 to 6 February 2009, the Special Rapporteur participated in a seminar in Madrid with the members of the Expert Mechanism and four members of the Permanent Forum, along with a group of experts from various regions, including the former Special Rapporteur, Rodolfo Stavenhagen. The main objective of the meeting was to promote an informal dialogue among the members of the three mechanisms to better coordinate their work, as well as their activities with other United Nations agencies and bodies. During the meeting, the experts discussed methods for streamlining the work of the three mechanisms by examining the priority work area or areas of the respective mandates and identifying ways in which the aspects of each mandate might be maximized. 11. For example, in contrast to the Expert Mechanism and the Permanent Forum, the Special Rapporteur has a clear mandate to investigate and make recommendations on specific human rights situations of indigenous peoples. Nevertheless, as was noted during the expert meeting, following a pattern similar to that of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which is no longer active, numerous indigenous groups attend the annual sessions of the Permanent Forum 1 United Nations Economic and Social Council resolution 2000/22.