A/HRC/24/49 peoples. States also highlighted the situation of indigenous women and girls and their efforts to ensure the effective participation of women and girls in decision-making processes. Some States noted the Expert Mechanism’s role in providing technical advice in the creation of specialized mechanisms to realize the rights enshrined in the Declaration. 89. National human rights institutions (NHRIs) highlighted their efforts to increase awareness of the Declaration among indigenous communities, government agencies and indigenous peoples, especially through advocacy, complaint handling, educational activities, policy analysis and human rights’ monitoring. NHRIs also noted their strategic role for forging better communication between the State and indigenous peoples, and advancing the standards contained in the Declaration. NHRIs highlighted their strategies to combat the increased marginalization of indigenous peoples with disabilities. 90. Mr. Tsykarev noted that the Declaration is widely acknowledged as containing a set of minimum standards for the rights of indigenous peoples and it should be used as an instrument to promote constructive dialogue between States and indigenous peoples, based on the recognition of indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination. He also highlighted the importance attached to the legal recognition of indigenous peoples as indigenous peoples, and to the development of strategies to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages using internationally recognized standards and methods. Mr. Tsykarev emphasized the need for policies that recognize and promote cross-border rights of indigenous peoples and for parliamentary attention to the implementation of the Declaration. In particular, he mentioned States’ bias in implementing cultural rights to the exclusion of other rights. VIII. Interactive dialogue with the United Nations mandated mechanisms on indigenous peoples and international, regional and national mechanisms 91. Ms. Lasimbang, in her opening as the chairperson of the interactive dialogue, welcomed the panellists: International Chief Wilton Littlechild, Chairperson of the Expert Mechanism and Chairperson-Rapporteur of the session; James Anaya, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples; Paul Kanyinke Sena, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; Francisco Cali Tzay, member of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; Rafendi Djamin, ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights; and Michael Gooda, Australian Human Rights Commission. She expressed the hope that the interactive dialogue would prove useful to States, indigenous peoples and other participants, and that the discussion would highlight and inform the critical role of different actors in advancing the application of the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 92. International Chief Littlechild discussed the implementation of the Declaration at the international and national levels. He explained that the Declaration is the normative framework for the work of the Expert Mechanism, including its studies and advice and emphasized that the mechanism’s studies are built on the foundational right of selfdetermination. 93. Mr. Anaya underscored that the full implementation of the Declaration is a complex process that requires sustained efforts by a myriad of State and other actors. He highlighted that the Declaration calls upon States to play a central role in operationalizing it, including by adopting specific affirmative measures in relation to the various rights. He reminded participants that greater efforts are required by States to implement the standards of the Declaration and to harmonize existing laws policies and programmes with those standards. 18