A/64/338 mandates of those three mechanisms, which were created at different times and in response to different moments in the international movement to protect the rights of indigenous peoples, are complementary but also overlapping in certain ways. Ongoing efforts at coordination among the three mechanisms should be strengthened and consolidated into a permanent feature of their work, both jointly and separately. 66. Likewise, the Special Rapporteur welcomes opportunities for his cooperation with agencies and programmes throughout the United Nations system, as well as with regional and specialized institutions. This cooperation should continue in order to promote awareness of indigenous issues and programmatic action that is conducive to mainstreaming those issues and to effectively implementing standards of indigenous rights as affirmed in relevant international instruments. B. Areas of work 67. The Special Rapporteur’s work pursuant to his mandate falls within four interrelated and mutually reinforcing areas: promoting good practices; thematic studies; country reports; and cases of alleged human rights violations, with the latter category being the one that has required the greatest amount of attention on an ongoing basis. The Special Rapporteur is grateful for the cooperation received from several States, indigenous peoples and others in all aspects of his work. He urges States that have not responded to his communications of alleged human rights violations to do so, and urges States which have not responded to requests for country visits to respond positively. C. Operationalization of the rights set out in the United Nations Declaration 68. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples represents an authoritative common understanding, at the global level, of the minimum content of the rights of indigenous peoples, upon a foundation of various sources of international human rights law. The product of a protracted drafting process involving the demands voiced by indigenous peoples themselves, the Declaration reflects and builds upon human rights norms of general applicability, as interpreted and applied by United Nations and regional treaty bodies, as well as on the standards advanced by ILO Convention No. 169 and other relevant instruments and processes. 69. Accordingly, the Declaration does not attempt to bestow indigenous peoples with a set of special or new human rights, but rather provides a contextualized elaboration of general human rights principles and rights as they relate to the specific historical, cultural and social circumstances of indigenous peoples. The standards affirmed in the Declaration share an essentially remedial character, seeking to redress the systemic obstacles and discrimination that indigenous peoples have faced in their enjoyment of basic human rights. From this perspective, the standards of the Declaration connect to existing State obligations under other human rights instruments. 20 09-50281

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