A/HRC/21/54 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 18/8 the Human Rights Council requested the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to undertake, with the assistance of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a questionnaire to seek the views of States on best practices regarding possible appropriate measures and implementation strategies to attain the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 2. The questionnaire asked whether States had developed a national implementation strategy; whether specific legal, policy or other measures had been adopted to implement the Declaration; whether Governments take the Declaration into account when devising new laws, policies and other measures; whether steps have been taken to raise awareness of the Declaration at community and Government level; whether the Government had encountered any challenges when adopting measures to attain the goals of the Declaration; and States’ views on best practices regarding appropriate measures and implementation strategies to attain the goals of the Declaration. In their responses, States were asked to consider six different thematic areas: self-determination and autonomy; participation in decision-making, including obligations to seek to obtain indigenous peoples’ free, prior and informed consent; culture and languages; non-discrimination and equality; lands, territories and resources; and treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements with States. 3. The Expert Mechanism thanks the States that responded to the questionnaire. State responses were received from Australia, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Burkina Faso, Chile, Congo, Denmark, France, Guyana, Iraq, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Peru and the United States of America. The responses are available in full on the website of the Expert Mechanism. 4. The Expert Mechanism also thanks the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba, Canada, for its technical assistance in reviewing the responses from States II. Questionnaire 5. The questionnaire is set out in full below: In relation to each question, please take into account, and provide information in relation to, indigenous peoples’ rights in relation to: • Self-determination and autonomy. • Participation in decision making, including obligations to seek to obtain indigenous peoples’ free, prior and informed consent • Culture and languages • Non-discrimination and equality • Lands, territories and resources • Treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements with states • References to the Declaration are to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. • Measures and implementation strategies 3