A/RES/51/78 Page 2 Recalling Economic and Social Council decision 1992/255 of 20 July 1992, in which the Council requested United Nations bodies and specialized agencies to ensure that all technical assistance financed or provided by them was compatible with international instruments and standards applicable to indigenous people and encouraged efforts to promote coordination in this field and greater participation of indigenous people in the planning and implementation of projects affecting them, Recalling its resolution 50/156 of 21 December 1995, 1. Affirms its conviction of the value and diversity of the cultures and forms of social organization of indigenous people and that the development of indigenous people within their countries will contribute to the socio-economic, cultural and environmental advancement of all the countries of the world; 2. Notes that the programme of activities for the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People may be reviewed and updated throughout the Decade and that at the mid-point of the Decade the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly should review the results of the activities in order to identify obstacles to the achievement of the goals of the Decade and to recommend solutions for overcoming those obstacles; 3. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the programme of activities for the Decade;2 4. Welcomes the resolve of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen efforts to achieve the goals of the programme of activities for the Decade; 5. Reaffirms the adoption of a declaration on the rights of indigenous people as a major objective of the Decade, and notes that there have been two sessions of the open-ended inter-sessional working group of the Commission on Human Rights established pursuant to Commission resolution 1995/32 of 3 March 19953 with the sole purpose of elaborating a draft declaration, considering the draft United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples annexed to resolution 1994/45 of 26 August 1994 of the Subcommission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities;4 6. Underlines the importance of effective participation by indigenous representatives in the working group, and encourages organizations of indigenous people that are not already registered to participate and wish to do so to apply for authorization in accordance with the procedure set out in the annex to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1995/32; 2 A/51/499. 3 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 1995, Supplement No. 3 and corrigenda (E/1995/23 and Corr.1 and 2), chap. II, sect. A. 4 See E/CN.4/1995/2-E/CN.4/Sub.2/1994/56, chap. II, sect. A. /...