A/68/317 made, however, to systematize methods of cooperation, especially in regard to the flow of information on matters of mutual concern. B. Strengthening commitment to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its implementation 87. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the principal normative frame of reference for all aspects of the work of the Special Rapporteur. Despite expressions of commitment on the part of States to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and significant positive developments worldwide, a great deal remains to be done to see the objectives of the Declaration become a reality in the everyday lives of indigenous peoples of the world. Among many States and other powerful actors commitment to the Declaration is weakened by certain ambiguities and positions about the status and content of the Declaration. 88. Debilitating to the Declaration are repeated assertions that the Declaration is non-binding, characterizations of the Declaration as granting privileges to indigenous peoples over others, and the position advanced by some States that the right to self-determination affirmed in the Declaration is different from selfdetermination in international law. These assertions and positions are each flawed, as explained by the Special Rapporteur (paras. 61-78); they only serve to weaken the force of the broad consensus underlying the Declaration and of its role as an instrument of human rights and restorative justice. 89. There is an urgent need for greater awareness about the human rights values and concerns represented by the Declaration and about the standards that are articulated in the Declaration to address those concerns. Greater efforts must be put in place to achieve such broad awareness among governmental and other influential actors, the international system, and the general public. Without broad understanding about the reasons for the Declaration and the path forward that it marks, that path will be difficult, if not impossible to implement. 90. The Special Rapporteur urges States and others to recall why the Declaration exists in the first place — that is to improve the human rights conditions of the world’s indigenous peoples — and to renew a commitment to that end. 22/22 13-42710