A/64/338 70. For the Declaration to be fully operative, States must pursue a range of affirmative, special measures that engage the various institutions of lawmaking and public administration. This involves a complex process of legal and institutional reform, judicial action, specific policies and special reparations procedures. It is a process that requires the full political engagement and financial commitment of States, and which is not free from obstacles and difficulties of all sorts. 71. Governments play a key role in ensuring that different actors involved are aware of the Declaration and sufficiently understand its provisions. Accordingly, the Special Rapporteur encourages and supports the efforts of States to raise awareness and provide technical training to Government officials, members of legislative bodies and of national human rights institutions, judicial authorities and all other relevant actors, including civil society and indigenous peoples themselves, and reiterates his commitment to offer assistance in this regard, where necessary. 72. In carrying out his work, the Special Rapporteur has emphasized that the positive or special measures required to operationalize the Declaration need to reach the existing local institutional arrangements and policy frameworks, which in some cases may have to be reformed to accommodate the particular needs of indigenous peoples, as underlined in the Declaration. This is particularly important in areas, emphasized in the Declaration, in which the realization of indigenous peoples’ rights is inextricably connected to general State policies, such as in the areas of natural resources, education, culture and health, and in State development strategies and plans. 73. The United Nations system and special agencies, funds and programmes, including human rights mechanisms with indigenous-specific mandates (such as the Permanent Forum, the expert mechanism and the Special Rapporteur), play a central role in promoting the implementation of the Declaration at the local level. The principles and rights affirmed in the Declaration constitute or add to the normative frameworks for the activities of United Nations human rights institutions as they relate to indigenous peoples, including with regard to development cooperation targeted for the benefit of indigenous peoples and other activities that may in some way affect indigenous interests. 74. In exercising their rights and responsibilities under the Declaration, indigenous peoples themselves can be guided by the normative tenets of the Declaration, acting as promoters of the rights upheld therein in a spirit of cooperation. The Special Rapporteur underscores that positive action by indigenous peoples themselves is by definition required for the exercise of their rights to maintain and develop institutions and mechanisms of self-governance. Pursuant to his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has emphasized the development of a regular, cooperative dialogue with indigenous peoples in carrying out his work. 75. In a related manner, non-governmental actors have a role in the promotion of and respect for the Declaration. As it does for State and international agencies, the Declaration not only provides civil society organizations with a set of clear programmatic priorities in their activities affecting indigenous peoples, but also with a set of guidelines that should regulate the design and implementation of these activities. The Special 09-50281 21