A/HRC/11/11 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Special Rapporteur carried out an official visit to Bolivia, at the invitation of the Government and at the instance of the country’s indigenous organizations, from 26 November to 4 December 2007. 2. In accordance with the mandate given to the Special Rapporteur in Human Rights Council resolution 6/12, the objectives of the visit were to examine ways and means of overcoming existing obstacles to the full protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people in Bolivia, gather information from all relevant sources on alleged violations of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, and formulate recommendations and proposals on appropriate measures and activities to prevent and remedy such violations. 3. The Special Rapporteur expresses his sincere appreciation to the Government of Bolivia for its invitation and for the open and cooperative manner in which it received his visit, as well as to the many indigenous and civil society organizations that extended him hospitality and support. He also expresses particular appreciation to the country office in Bolivia of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and to the United Nations country team. 4. The Special Rapporteur also wishes to acknowledge the assistance provided by the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program (IPLP) of the University of Arizona in preparing his mission, as well as the generous support provided by the Danish organization IBIS, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) for the purpose of holding consultations with the Bolivian indigenous organizations. II. PROGRAMME OF THE VISIT 5. During his mission, the Special Rapporteur visited the departments of Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí and Santa Cruz. In the capital, La Paz, the Special Rapporteur held meetings with various government officials, including the President of the Republic, Evo Morales Ayma; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Rural Development, Farming and the Environment, and Labour; various vice-ministers; and officials responsible for the Indigenous Rights Mainstreaming Unit and the Community-Based Policy Department of the Ministry of the Presidency. He also met with the president of the Constituent Assembly and several of its members, as well as with the Ombudsman. During his visits to the various departments, he met with the prefect of Oruro, with representatives of the prefecture of Santa Cruz and with various municipal authorities. 6. The Special Rapporteur also held meetings with traditional authorities and leaders of the various Aymara and Quechua nations, as well as with, inter alia, the Ayoreo, Chiquitano, Guaraní, Guarayo, Mojeño, Movima, Tacana, Trinitario, Uru, Yuqui and Yuracaré peoples. He also met with the main indigenous organizations of the country, including the Confederation of Bolivian Indigenous Peoples (CIDOB), the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ), the Trade Union Confederation of Original Settlers of Bolivia (CSCB), the Single Trade Union Confederation of Tenant Farmers of Bolivia (CSUTCB) and the National Federation of Women Tenant Farmers of Bolivia “Bartolina Sisa” (FNMCB “BS”), as well as