A/HRC/21/53 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 16 August 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Twenty-first session Agenda item 5 Human rights bodies and mechanisms Role of languages and culture in the promotion and protection of the rights and identity of indigenous peoples Study of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Summary In resolution 18/8 the Human Rights Council requested the Expert Mechanism to prepare a study on the role of languages and culture in the promotion and protection of the rights and identity of indigenous peoples, and to present it to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-first session. This study outlines international and regional standards on indigenous peoples’ rights to language and culture, describes the relationship between indigenous cultures and languages to their self-determination and rights to their lands, territories and resources and analyses indigenous peoples’ languages and identities and cultures and identities, including challenges faced in the promotion and protection of indigenous language and cultural rights. The study finishes with the Expert Mechanism’s Advice No. 3 on indigenous peoples’ languages and cultures. GE.12-16052