4th Meeting, 19th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)

Good afternoon, everybody.

It's my pleasure to introduce item 12 on the agenda. proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for consideration and approval. As a subsidiary body of the Human Rights Council, the expert mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples has the mandate to provide and make decision proposals to the council. Our debate on item 12 is dedicated to such proposals. This is an extremely important task because those proposals will be subsequently reflected in the agenda of the Human Rights Council. This specific item on the agenda seeks to foster a participatory process, offering a platform to allow the indigenous peoples, member states and other interested parties be able to present contributions today to proposals to be reviewed by the Council and I'd like to assure you that your contributions are essential in this process. I'd like to particularly call for my colleagues, the experts, to actively participate in this issue. This is a unique opportunity to transform our discussions from the last four days into concrete proposals that we would like the Council to consider. We will now move to the list of speakers for this item. So we'll open the list now and we're going to call on Mr. Pascalino Delon, Africa, Chagostin community.

Good Chair. Before turning to my proposals, I wish to make one observation. Too often, the Chagossian people are treated as though our presence in these discussions is irrelevant. We anticipate hearing once again that Mauritius is a multicultural and multiracial state and therefore has no indigenous peoples, and that the ICJ advisory opinion settled the future of the Chagos Archipelago. Yet, neither argument answers the question before this expert mechanism: what are the rights of the Chagossian people as an indigenous people? The advisory opinion addressed the decolonization of Mauritius. It did not determine the indigenous rights of the Chagossian people. Likewise, a multicultural state cannot invoke diversity to deny the existence of an indigenous people, nor can nationality be used to erase indigenous identity. Our right to self-identification belongs to us, not to the states that speak about us. The Chechushan experience exposes a gap in international law. Too often, decolonization and sovereignty are pursued without the meaningful participation of the indigenous peoples most affected. For this reason, I respectfully urge EMRIP to recommend that the Human Rights Council first affirm that decolonization must never come at the expense of indigenous rights and that the UNDRIP must be fully implemented alongside any decolonization process. Second, encourage all United Nations mechanisms to integrate the principles of self-identification, free, prior and informed consent, restitution, cultural continuity and the right to return whenever Indigenous Peoples are affected by territorial disputes or decolonization. Third, strengthen UNRIP's country engagement mandate by encouraging direct dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and ensuring they are not excluded from decisions affecting their ancestral lands. Justice for the Chechen people requires more than resolving questions of territorial freedom.

Thank you very much for your statement. We're now going to move on to the Indigenous Determination of Health Alliance.

Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance. Are you in there?

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a joint statement on behalf of the Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance, the National Indian Health Board, AZUL Network, and Aqal Elhadjib. We welcome this discussion on proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approvals. One of the greatest barriers to Indigenous rights implementation is not the absence of international standards, but the fragmentation of institutions and policies. This fragmentation also undermines Indigenous knowledge systems and practices, including Indigenous midwifery. which depend upon Indigenous governance, culture, lands, knowledge systems, and health systems working together. Over the past four years, the Forum on Indigenous Issues has progressively developed the Indigenous Determinants of Health Framework, demonstrating how policy coherence across institutions directly affects the realization of Indigenous peoples' rights. Grounded in UNDRIP and informed by other relevant standards, the Indigenous Determinants of Health Framework reflects Indigenous worldviews and priorities. We respectfully encourage MRIP to adopt the Indigenous Determinants of Health Framework as a practical Indigenous analytical framework to support the future work, including the proposals it submits to the Human Rights Council, building upon an Indigenous-developed framework that has progressed through four successive Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues studies that would enable MRIP to build on an established body of Indigenous-led work while fully respecting the distinct mandates of both mechanisms. It would also provide the Human Rights Council, Member States and agencies with more coherent and practical guidance while demonstrating how complementary work by the Permanent Forum and MRIP can strengthen policy coherence across the United Nations system.

Thank you for your statement. The Indigenous Coordination Body has the floor.

Thank you, Chair. I deliver this statement on behalf of the Indigenous Coordinating Body on Enhanced Participation of Indigenous Peoples in the UN System. Report A/HRC/59/35 from the Human Rights Council's inter-sessional meetings in 2024 gives the Human Rights Council the principles, modalities and options for enhanced participation. What we are missing is commitment from Member States to a concrete process leading to a resolution. We therefore request the introduction of a resolution at the Council's 63rd session this September, mandating a negotiation process to establish a distinct participatory status for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions with full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples throughout the process. The process should be led by two co-facilitators with equal standing, one Indigenous and one state. Negotiations must deliver a resolution establishing a fair, transparent process utilizing an accreditation mechanism applying criteria that recognizes the diversity of Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions as affirmed in the Alta outcome document. No state may have a veto over accreditation processes. Accreditation should enable Indigenous Peoples representative institutions to participate in meetings and venues where their interests are impacted. We ask the expert mechanism to formally propose this process to the Council. Further, the Council should commit to adequate and predictable funding for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions' participation throughout the process by way of funding for the voluntary fund and the Indigenous coordinating body. Finally, we reiterate that nothing agreed as a result of negotiations may result in lesser participation for Indigenous Peoples than exists today. Thank you.

Thank you for your statement. Now we're going to give the word to joint statement Inuit Circumpolar Council, Sami Council, Sami Parliamentary Council.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. I speak on behalf of the Sami Council, Sami Parliament of Finland, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council. We commend States and Indigenous Peoples for having come a long way in our process to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the UN, particularly within the UN Human Rights Council. Good foundational work has been conducted, including the intercessional meetings of the Human Rights Council in 2024. The joint report of the inter-sessional meetings lay out principles, modalities and options for enhanced participation as deliberated by States and Indigenous Peoples. Now it is time to take concrete steps. We therefore fully support the request by the Indigenous Coordinating Body for the introduction of a resolution at the Council's 63rd session this September, mandating a negotiation process to establish a distinct participatory status for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions. The Arctic Sociocultural Region furthermore supports that the process should be led by two co-facilitators, one from Indigenous Peoples and one from States, working on equal footing. As affirmed in the outer outcome document of 2013, criteria must recognize the diversity of indigenous peoples, own representative institutions. Finally, we join the ICB in asking the expert mechanism to formally propose this process to the Human Rights Council, and we call for a commitment to adequate funding for Indigenous Peoples' participation throughout the process, including through funding of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and the work of the Indigenous Coordinating Body. Let us agree on non-regression, on building on the deliberations that have already taken place, clearly laying out a path ahead and to build on what we have collectively achieved.

Thank you so much for your statement.

We're now going to give the floor to Native Americans Rights Fund, joint statement with National Congress of American Indians and the Latin American Rights Fund.

Thank you, Chair. I speak on behalf of the National Congress of American Indians and the Native American Rights Fund. For 25 years, indigenous peoples have dedicated immense effort and resources traveling to Geneva seeking protections for our genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions at the World Intellectual Property Organization. In 2024, with the active participation of the Indigenous Caucus, WIPO member states adopted the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge, WIPO's first treaty including Indigenous peoples. It is a significant step in protecting medicinal knowledge, combating biopiracy, and addressing our exclusion from the intellectual property system. MRIP's study on Indigenous data rights highlights the treaty as a significant milestone in international law and a positive step against misappropriation. MRIP's expert mechanism advice number 18 advises states to become parties to the treaty. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues has also urged member states to join the treaty. Article 31 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples affirms our right to maintain, control, protect, and develop our genetic resources and traditional knowledge and articulates states' obligations to take effective measures to recognize and protect the exercise of these rights. The WIPO treaty expressly references the declaration and provides a concrete pathway for states to fulfill this obligation. To continue amplifying and elevating the call for action on the treaty, we request that MRIP recommend the Human Rights Council urge states to become parties to the treaty and to fully implement it in conjunction with Indigenous peoples in accordance with Article 31. Thank you.

Thank you for your statement.

We'll now give the floor to the International Commitment of Indigenous People of Russia. Are they in the room?

For many years, coal and gold mining has been destroying ecosystems of the lands of the shore people in Kemerovo Oblast and the Khakassia Republic. Open pit mining destroys taiga rivers, pastures, hunting grounds. sacred ancestral site. Over the past decade, there has been an expulsion of residents from the Kazakhs, Ilinca, and Taylep villages due to mining. Moreover, in 2025, the villages of and Ust-Mrasks were excluded from the federal list of places of traditional residence and traditional economic activities, which means a systematic reduction of traditional territories of the shore officially recognized by the state. None of the residents of the above-mentioned villages received any compensation for the loss of territories and sources of livelihood. The principle of free, prior, and informed consent was ignored. Also, the villages of Verkhniy Kinerki and Nyazhdyne have been under threat of destruction. The EMREB study rightly notes the increase in the criminalization of representatives of indigenous peoples cooperating with UN mechanisms. For more than six months, human rights defenders Daria Geryeva and Natalia Lyongard are in pre-trial detention, and their case is cited in the study as an example of such protection. We invite AMRIP to continue monitoring the loss of traditional territories and cases of persecution of representatives of indigenous peoples for cooperation with the UN mechanisms. In addition, recommendations should also include the implementation of mechanisms for the protection of traditional territories and respect of the right of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We will now hear from Australia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The multilateral system matters to Australia. It anchors our sovereignty, agency, and prosperity, manages risks that go beyond our borders, and underpins growth and stability in our region. But we all know the world is changing, and we are facing global challenges that still need global responses. The world needs a system that delivers what no country can alone, including for Indigenous peoples. Australia supports ambitious, meaningful and lasting UN reform to preserve and enhance the parts of the system that matter most to us and to our region. The Secretary-General's UN80 initiative is an opportunity to build a UN that is modern, agile and fit for purpose. We welcome proposals from EMRIP to promote efficiencies, reduce overlap and enhance outcomes on the ground for Indigenous peoples. Australia believes that UN reform must be transparent, inclusive and evidence-based and should enhance, not diminish, the full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples at the United Nations. Australia supports EMRIP's mandate to provide its expertise and advice to the Human Rights Council. We encourage innovative ideas to further enhance implementation of indigenous people's right to participation in line with UN reform objectives and to build on the gains that have been made. Madam Chair, this discussion is timely as we approach the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Human Rights Council should be encouraged to reaffirm and mainstream the principles of UNDRIP across the work of the Council and encourage member states to engage in MRIP. The HRC must continue to champion UNDRIP with determination, turning its principles into concrete action for Indigenous peoples as we look ahead to the next 20 years. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much. We will now hear from... I apologise for the pronunciation, says the Chair.

Gant de Marchat de France et d'Europe.

Bonjour. Hello, thank you very much, Chairperson, Indigenous brothers and sisters, representatives of states. My name is Mohamed Natif. I'm from the Timbuktu region, and I'm speaking today on behalf of my people with pride and dignity. We are a resilient people upon whom a conflict was imposed. For half a century, we've been confronted with a post-colonial conflict, one of the most complex in the Sahel space. This conflict has highlighted the limitations of exclusively military responses in the face of historic identity claims whose roots go back before the formation of states and the post-colonial period. For decades now, our resilience and patience have been put under a terrible test, military occupation has uprooted our people and successive occupation undertaken by Bamako and other centers have led to prolonged conflicts and recourse to Russia through militia and non-state actors has been a new and even more terrible chapter leading to our regional instability. Our people was the first to pay the highest price in this war. Behind the statistics are displaced families, destroyed villages, and generations deprived of a future of peace. This requires a courageous political response founded on justice and resilience. We are a people identified by a language, culture, land and our identity. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I now call on the Crimean Tatar Resource Centre.

Uh, thank, uh, thank you, Madam Chair. Russia's military aggression against Ukraine violated, uh, the UN Charter and the declaration. 183 of the Crimean Tatars are in Russian prisons. And enforced, uh, disappearances and, uh, torture. persecution of indigenous peoples and human rights defenders continue. Recommendations. The Human Rights Council should adopt a special resolution on the situation of indigenous peoples under occupation as a specific category of human rights violations. Prepare a UN special report on the situation of indigenous peoples in armed conflict and militarization. Strengthen mechanisms for reporting and interaction with indigenous peoples' representatives. Approve mandatory consultation with their representatives when considering their situation. Support the establishment of a global rehabilitation and integration program aimed at restoring the rights of indigenous peoples who have been forcibly deported, expelled, and exiled from historical homeland. Develop the emergency response mechanism for the enforced disappearance of indigenous peoples' representatives. Establish an indigenous rights defenders award to annually recognize indigenous human rights defenders. facilitate funding for international lawyers to defend indigenous political prisoners in a detention center. Thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much for that. We want to hear from.

Thank you, Chair. I'm speaking as legal advocate representative for the traditional authority of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, the matriarchal, matrilineal, spiritual leadership and indigenous people's representative institution. The Winamum Wintu tribe is an indigenous people in a federally unrecognized or non-recognized tribe still living in its traditional territory in the United States, practicing tribal traditions. We recommend that EMRIP proposes to the Human Rights Council that establish under the work of enhanced participation and in its upcoming resolution on human rights and indigenous peoples in its 63rd session, an urgent and timely deadline and hearing manner, a commitment to and realization of a new distinct participatory status for indigenous peoples representative institutions at the Human Rights Council. This must be done with respect to the fact that indigenous peoples' representative institutions, including traditional spiritual authorities and of non-recognized indigenous peoples, are indigenous governments accountable to their people and their survival and well-being, upholding own distinct cultures' rights and appointing own representatives in accordance with own customs. Also imperative is that the minimum of the equivalent of permanent observer status be made available to indigenous peoples' representative institutions. We support the ICB in this process and the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, and in particular, as distinct rights holders and responsibility bearers, indigenous peoples' representative institutions. We also recommend that EMREPP propose to the Human Rights Council that in its upcoming 63rd session resolution on indigenous peoples, it expands the current list of participation at the HRC to include UPR sessions. The Winnemem Wintu Tribe is deeply affected by the ongoing colonial laws, policies, and practices of the United States. The USA is scheduled for a delayed UPR this November 2026. A resolution expanding participation to include UPR reviews will enable appointed representation and engagement at the review and especially regarding crucial matters. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor.

Now to the Native American, Tairona.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm going to give us the floor on behalf of the National Commission on the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the National Commissions of Indigenous Territories, and National Commission of Indigenous Women, and the Technical Secretariat of Indigenous Women. of Colombia. We play a central role in defending territory, collective memory, and reconstructing the community fabric. And we've been hit in a differentiated and disproportional manner by the armed conflict. Many indigenous women are victims. Only 1.3 percent of them had received reparations. We continue to suffer from forced recruitment, attacking the cultural identity of our peoples. As a priority, we demand that the expert mechanism proposed to the Human Rights Council, the realization of a discussion panel focusing on the forced recruitment of indigenous children in the context of conflict and post-conflict. This panel would make it possible to visualize make more visible this phenomenon and its differentiated impact on our peoples, exchange best practices related to prevention, and strengthen the link between international mechanisms of human rights and indigenous authorities, making this an urgent priority of the international system for the protection of indigenous peoples and consolidation of peace. In addition to this, we request that proposals to the Council include in a trans universal manner, the gender perspective and territorial focus, because in addition to reparation, which recognizes the collective damage and guarantees our participation in the peace processes and transitional justice to protect us and our children, is protect the collective future of our peoples. Thank you very much.

Now I would like to give the floor to the statement Asia Indigenous People Caucus and Indigenous People from Nepal.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As we approach the 20th anniversary of UNDRIP, the Asia Indigenous Caucus emphasizes that global climate action must align with UN80 reform and international human rights obligations under Article 4.6.3. The rapid scaling of the just transition and critical mineral extraction has intensified environmental degradation, particularly through mass plantation and agribusiness expansion. This has triggered several indigenous health crisis, acutely impacting indigenous women and persons with disabilities. Concurrently, the political sensitive issues of indigenous peoples displaced into non-indigenous territories demands urgent human rights oversight. to ensure domestic legal and policy reviews such as those critical indeed needed regarding recent developments in the Nepal and Bangladesh, complete with international standards, we propose the following strategic actions for the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approval. Number one, our thematic study on just transition, critical minerals and agribusiness, we propose A comprehensive study assessing the cumulative impact of green energy extraction and mass plantation expansion on Indigenous lands, specifically evaluating the distinct health and socioeconomic vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and persons with disabilities. Thematic report and panel discussion on displaced indigenous peoples. We propose an expert report followed by a dedicated panel discussion addressing the rights, legal protection and political sensitivities surrounding indigenous peoples living in non-indigenous territories. Furthermore, we call for a more formal evaluation tracking the domestic implementation of EMRIP advice issued since 2009, moving forward The ESIA caucus will initiate immediately.

Thank you so much for your statement. I give the floor to Cuba.

Madam Chair, this Human Rights Council cannot continue to tolerate the continued violation of human rights of indigenous peoples, despite progress achieved. During the 20 years since the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, forced dismissals, the negotiation of the right to lands, criminalization of leaders of indigenous leaders, the impunity of transnational corporations, among other things, continue to be realities that is being faced by many communities throughout the world. Cuba proposed, therefore, to the Human Rights Council the following practical steps in line with the commitments taken related to the full implementations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. First, continue to encourage States to elaborate policies and practices to promote the implementation of the UN declarations on the rights of indigenous peoples in consultation and cooperation with these peoples to include in reports of the States to the UPR progress achieved and challenges to overcome and the promotion protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and the implementation of the convention three organize during the 66th session of the Council, a thematic panel on the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, with the objectives to assess the progress achieved and identify remaining challenges and ensure the exchange of best practices for the full realization of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to...

WINSport International. Chief William Olerichard.

Respected greetings to all delegations, your excellencies, experts, and esteemed members of the forum. Our delegation respectfully calls for two, I think, non-controversial proposals, and indeed, I think, focus on our youth and.

Children in a positive way.

First, we call for the endorsement and adoption of the Commonwealth Sports Declaration to advance reconciliation in partnership with Indigenous peoples, a copy to which is attached to our submitted text. Secondly, to support and endorse the call for the establishment of a legally binding UN Convention on Indigenous languages. Both calls have a common foundation for the advancement, implementation, and enforcement of the 10 UN principles for reconciliation that have been previously adopted.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

I give the floor now.

Bonjour. Good afternoon. In order to ensure the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Persons, the customary council of the Kanak proposed for review the approval of the inclusion of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as part of a UPR review, just like the Declaration on Human Rights and the UN Charter, because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is individual and not collective right. Custom is my natural religion. It's my constitution.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I give the floor to the Indian Treaty Council.

We express profound concern regarding the spreading insistence by some States in a range of UN bodies to conflate and combine Indigenous Peoples with undefined entities called local communities. We appreciate MRIP's firm position, standing with the other two UN mechanisms addressing Indigenous Peoples, to oppose this conflation, recognizing that it undermines the unique collective rights of Indigenous Peoples as peoples in international fora as well as in our homelands. Last week at the UN Committee on Food Security in Rome, this situation reached the level of crisis as a small group of states insisted on adding local communities to a previously agreed thematic focus on indigenous peoples' food systems. Most states, the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism, and FAO's Indigenous Peoples Unit opposed this. However, three states were so insistent that a conclusion could not be reached by the end of the meeting on Friday. We therefore request that the EMRIP reaffirm its position calling for non-conflation of Indigenous Peoples with any other entities, and also advise the Human Rights Council to maintain its position in this regard, including by ensuring that its annual resolution continues to focus on the unique, distinct, collective and individual rights of Indigenous Peoples. Finally, we respectfully restate our request for EMRIP to advise the Human Rights Council to carry out a fourth UN study on treaties and agreements concluded by Indigenous Peoples and States as a key activity honoring the 20th anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2027. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you.

Now I give the floor to the Indigenous of Russia Foundation joint statement with Asian of Russia Foundation.

Thank you, Chair. Despite the guarantees contained in the UN RIP, indigenous communities in Russia continue to face shrinking civic space, increasing restrictions on indigenous organizations, and systematic limitations on their ability to participate in decision-making affecting our lands, territories, resources, languages, and cultures. Indigenous human rights defenders who peacefully advocate for the people's rights are labeled as foreign agents, extremists, and terrorists, forcing many into exile. We encourage the Human Rights Council to request greater monitoring of the impact of the historic emigration of the indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands. due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine and oppression against any indigenous self-organization. We also encourage the Council to pay special attention to the militarization of the indigenous children and its consequences for their rights, education, and future. And lastly, we encourage the Council to acknowledge and examine the continuing colonial practices of the Russian Federation affecting indigenous peoples and national minorities. including systemic crucification policies, restrictions on cultural and linguistic rights, and exploitation of Indigenous peoples' traditional territories. Mahtal, thank you.

Thank you for your statement.

I give the floor to the Indian Social Institute.

Distinguished Chair, experts, Johar, my name is Dr. Ashish Kakkar, and I belong to the Orang peoples of India. India's non-recognition of its First Nations is a serious mishap, and their claim that all Indians are indigenous is a claim that collapses the distinction between First Peoples and later settlers, between the colonized and those who colonized them. India abstained from ratifying the UNDRIP despite voting in favour with no formal recognition mechanism for Adivasi peoples under international indigenous rights frameworks. We respectfully ask the mechanism to bring three concrete proposals to the Human Rights Council at its 63rd session in this September. First, the Council should call on India to formally recognize its 104 million Adivasi citizens as First Nations under UNDRIP and ending two decades of non-implementation since its 2007 vote in favor and to establish a constitutional amendment or to mechanism which enables that recognition. A state that runs a domestic tribal affirmative action system is also denying them their status in an international framework. Second, the Council should call for Gram Sabha consent under the PESA Act to be treated as a binding and non-overridable by the coal-bearing acts in the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Finally, the Council should call for the immediate enactment of the Municipal Extension to the Schedule Areas Bill, pending since 2001. None of these are aspirational asks, and each responds to a mechanism that India has built and just- Thank you, Chair.

Thank you for your statement. I give the floor to the Association of Indigenous Women.

Thank you very much. Madam Chair, we propose that the Human Rights Council demands AMRIP to elaborate a thematic study on the rights of indigenous persons in the context of energy transitions and exploitation of critical minerals to see the impact of this on indigenous people. The growing demand for rare minerals of strategic nature are creating additional pressure on the indigenous territories in numerous countries, including Argentina. This transition moves forward without providing any guarantees of free, prior and informed consent, the protection of territorial rights, nor does it involve effective participation of indigenous peoples. Such a study will make it possible to identify best practices and the obligations of states and enterprises in line with international human rights law, and formulate recommendations to guarantee an energy transition that is just, that does not reproduce new forms of pillage, discrimination, or violence against Indigenous Peoples. Also, we propose that study includes a specific focus on the differentiated impact that such activities generate on Indigenous women, that play a fundamental role in the protection of water, territories, biodiversities and traditional knowledge. The energy transition cannot be built at the cost of the rights of the Indigenous Peoples. A true, just transition should respect our free determination, our territories and our effective participation in all decisions that affect us. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor now to the.

National Iwi Chair Forum.

Tenakue, Madam Chair. The National Iwi Chairs Forum supports the proposals presented by the Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance, the Indigenous coordinating body on enhanced participation and the International Indian Treaty Council. We urge the expert mechanism to recommend that the Human Rights Council move from dialogue to action. Nearly 20 years after adoption, indigenous peoples continue to participate at the United Nations through arrangements that fall far short of the standards contained in the Declaration itself. Articles 18, 19, 41 and 42 require more than consultation. They require us to participate in decisions affecting our rights through our own representative institutions. and they call on the United Nations to actively promote the implementation of the declaration. Our AIM 26 report demonstrates how quickly indigenous rights can be weakened when indigenous institutions are excluded from decision making. Our report calls for non-regression, meaningful partnership, free, prior, and informed consent, and stronger constitutional protections of indigenous rights and treaties. We support a Human Rights Council resolution establishing a formal negotiation process to create a distinct participatory status for indigenous peoples' representative institutions. That process should be co-facilitated by one indigenous representative and one state representative, operate through transparent accreditation without state vetoes, and be adequately resourced to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples throughout. The credibility of the United Nations depends on ensuring that Indigenous Peoples are able to participate, standing in their rights, and not just merely as observers. We respectfully encourage the Expert Mechanism to recommend these proposals to the Human Rights Council and support their timely implementation.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Ashani Nk'amilare Organization.

Thank you very much, Chair. My name is Clayton Valentin Chumpati, Namatij Singa Indigenous Representative and representative of the Organization Millenaria Shanyinka. We praise the work of EMRIP in preparing proposals that will be sent to the Human Rights Council. They represent an opportunity to strengthen the implementation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples at the global level. On the basis of the experience of the Ashaninka and Nomatsigenka peoples of Peru, we believe that these proposals should contribute to reduce the gap that continues to exist between international standards and the realities faced by communities. In this respect, we recommend that the Council strengthen mechanisms of follow-up related to recommendations aimed at states promoting periodic assessments that are transparent and fully participative. Also, we propose that priority is given to actions aimed at guaranteeing the protection of the defenders of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the environment and ensure the effective application of free, prior, informed consent in line with international standards and strengthen the measures of protection for Indigenous Peoples' situation of isolation and initial contact. It is also important for the Council to promote greater cooperation on the technical level between States, UN mechanisms and Indigenous organizations in order to ensure that this work is translated into specific public policies with sufficient resources and the relevant mechanisms of accountability. The decisions adopted by the Council should respond to the real needs of our peoples and contribute to guaranteeing the full exercise of our collective rights. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to.

It's AIPR. Thank you, Chair, distinguished members of the expert mechanisms, excellencies, indigenous representatives and colleagues. I'm Kiwa Kadekare and I'm speaking on behalf of the Association of Indigenous Peoples in the Ryukyus. We respectfully invite the expert mechanism to recommend to the Human Rights Council the establishment of a special rapporteur on the human rights impacts of the militarization of lands and territories in military prisons. The expert mechanisms 2023 study on the impact of militarization on the rights of indigenous peoples, together with the presence study on the rights of indigenous peoples in conflict and past conflict situations. demonstrates that militarization is not solely a matter of security. It is also a structural driver of interconnected human rights impact affecting, among others, self-determination, the rights of women and girls, territories and resources, health, water, food, the environment, culture, and access to effective remedies. Existing special procedures make a central contribution. However, this impact remain addressed separately across different mandates. leaving no mechanism able to examine militarization as a cross-cutting driver of interconnected human rights concerns. A dedicated mandate would complement existing special procedures by strengthening coherence across these areas and enhancing the Human Rights Council's contribution to conflict prevention through a human rights-based approach. We therefore respectfully urge the expert mechanism to recommend the establishment of this mandate to the Human Rights Council.

Thank you very much.

Thank you for your statement. Now I give the floor to Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Thank you, Chair. The Nishnawbe Aski Nation encourages the expert mechanism to undertake a future thematic study on regression and the implementation of the UN Declaration. This emerging implementation challenge has not yet received the dictated thematic attention. Along continuing efforts to secure recognition of indigenous rights, protecting implementation gains from regression is emerging as a new challenge requiring dictated attention. Canada is entering a period in which implementation of the UN declaration is becoming increasingly vulnerable to regression.

The Building Canada Act Bill C-5 and Ontario Bill 5 establishes accelerated legislative frameworks for projects designated as being in the national interest by compressing decision making and around strategic projects. These frameworks risk approving projects before Indigenous peoples can meaningfully exercise their rights. The challenge is no longer simply achieving implementation of the UN Declaration. It is protecting implementation where governments invoke the national interest to restructure governance before Indigenous peoples can meaningfully exercise their rights.

As governments increasingly incoordinate decision making.

Indigenous governments remain excluded from governing partners, leaving rights formally recognized while diminishing their effective exercise through governance reconstructing. Regression may occur not only through governance restructuring and legislative change, but also through domestic interpretations of the United Declaration that narrows its protection below international standards. We encourage the expert mechanism to examine the drivers of implementation, progression, and develop practical guidance to safeguard implementation gains while upholding self-determination, treaty implementation, Indigenous jurisdiction, meaningful participation, and FPIC. Migwitch.

Thank you very much for your statement. Now I give the floor.

To Armini, the Armini Occidental.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. The Van Lake, 3,760 square kilometers, the largest lake in Western Armenia and the main ecosystem in the Near East. Beyond its ecological importance, it represents historical, cultural, and landscape heritage of exceptional value to humanity, especially because of the close connection with Armenian civilization and with several millennia of history. Our contribution demonstrates a rapid degradation of Lake's ecosystems and its watershed. Observations and research show a continuous decline in water levels. worsening drought due to climate change, the accumulation of solid waste, the growing presence of microplastics, water pollution, as well as the expansion of mining, industrial, and other extraction activities in the immediate vicinity of the lake. These phenomena are putting increasing pressure on biodiversity, wetlands, and migratory bird habitats along the main migration corridors for birds between Africa, Middle East and Eurasia. The study also notes that certain environmental assessment studies and authorizations given to industrial projects also give rise concerns regarding their transparency and effective consideration of the cumulative impact on the lakes ecosystems. Despite the existence of national strategies for water management and drought management, the measures that are implemented appeared, according to the insufficient to halt the degradation that is being observed. Under international law, the situation requires special attention under several international instruments, including the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the report states that this is not simply an environmental issue. This also relates to the preservation of cultural and historical heritage of exceptional nature, closely associated with the identity of the indigenous peoples of the region, in particular Armenians of Western Armenia, and with the memory of one of the oldest civilizations.

Thank you very much for your statement. Now I give the floor to Sander.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Lyudmyla Korotkych. I speak on behalf of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people of Ukraine. We would like to highlight several priorities that require continued attention from the Human Rights Council and the United Nations system. This year turns 20 years since the UN REIP was adopted, but despite the development of international standards, significant gaps remain in ensuring accountability for violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Across different regions of the world, Indigenous Peoples continue to face violations in situations of armed conflict, occupation, forced displacement, environmental degradation, and restriction on their fundamental freedoms. We therefore encourage further work towards developing strong international mechanisms and approaches for assessing State responsibility and ensuring accountability for violation of Indigenous Peoples' rights, including access to effective remedies and justice for affected peoples. We reiterate the importance of advancing and enhancing direct participation of Indigenous Peoples within the UN system and international decision-making processes. Meaningful participation is not only a procedural issue, but a necessary expression of the rights of Indigenous people to self-determination. In this regard, the principle of free, prior and informed consent remains fundamental. It is essential to maintain a clear distinction between consultation and consent. Consultation cannot substitute for free, prior and informed consent, nor can it replace Indigenous people's rights to participate in decision-making on matters affecting our rights, lands, territories, resources, cultures and futures. The effective implementation of FPIC should therefore be understood as a practical mechanism for realizing self-determination and ensuring that Indigenous Peoples exercise genuine influence over decisions that affect us. Finally, in the context of the UN80 initiative and ongoing discussions on UN reform, it is essential to ensure that the rights of Indigenous Peoples remain a priority. Efforts to improve efficiency and coherence within the United Nations must not result in the of existing mechanisms dedicated to indigenous peoples. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples each perform distinct and complementary functions.

Thank you very much for your statement. The Regional Council of Tsiman has the floor.

Thank you, honourable experts. I'm speaking on behalf of the Regional Tsiman Council from the Pilon Lajas region in Bolivia. I am a student training to be a teacher and I would like to say that the recommendations of this mechanism should lead to binding commitments before the Human Rights Council. For years now, our communities have been reporting the violation of ancestral lands and violence meted out against our leaders. Without the Bolivian state being able to or complying with the rulings handed down to restore rights, we need effective supervision mechanisms, obliging states to implement monitoring mechanisms and legal rulings protecting our territorial rights. Representing my people, I'd like to propose that the mechanism propose the following to the HRC: establishment of a implementation monitoring mechanism. That the Council establish annual direct follow-up concerning the implementation of legal rulings to restore territory in favour of indigenous peoples to ensure that the ongoing violence perpetrated by the state is ceased. Secondly, defence of human rights defenders. and the early warning protocol, as well as protection for indigenous leaders who have been criminalised because of their defence of their territories against mining and forestry. There is delayed justice, and this is unfair. We urge the mechanism to highlight this to the HRC.

We are profoundly grateful for your statement. We will now pass the floor to the next speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

As the expert mechanism prepares recommendations for the Human Rights Council, I would like to draw attention to two issues that continue to affect my people, people of the Republic of Abkhazia. The first concerns the Geneva international discussions. More than 15 years after their establishment, meaningful progress remains limited because the Republic of Abazia is still not accepted as an equal party in the negotiations. Sustainable peace cannot be achieved if one of the parties directly affected by the conflict is included from genuine political dialogue. The second concern, the practical consequences of the non-recognition of documents issued in Abazia. Every day, many people face restrictions on freedom of movement, access to education, employment and international academic and cultural opportunities simply because their documents are not recognized. These are practical human rights challenges that deserve greater international attention. I therefore encourage the expert mechanism to recommend that the Human Rights Council support more inclusive dialogue process and promote practical arrangements that facilitate freedom of movement and broader acceptance of identity and travel documents for humanitarian, educational, academic, and cultural purposes. Such recommendations would make a meaningful contribution to improving the daily lives of people living in situations of prolonged unresolved conflict and negotiations. Thank you.

Thank you very much. The Indigenous Global Confederation joint statement with the Adamaria Basa Foundation, please.

Thank you, madam. Johar, thank you for this opportunity. Post independence, the government of India consider every person as the indigenous people. On behalf of Adivasi Mahasabha Congress, India, I would like to state that Adivasis and tribals of India are the indigenous peoples of India. We are humbled that government of India has recognized Adivasis as scheduled tribe in the constitution of India. We have fifth and sixth scheduled areas in India to respect their rights. Adivasi and tribals have been celebrating and recognizing 9th August as the International Day of the World's Indigenous People. Since Government of India considered every person as indigenous peoples, however, it does not legally recognize 9th August as the Indigenous Day or Adivasi Divas. Many state governments like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan earlier have recognized this day and have granted public holidays in the commemoration of this day. We would like to also raise the concern about the exclusion of migrated Adivasis in New Delhi as scheduled tribes in the census of India. Conflict happening in Manipur, acquisition of land for corporate projects in Karbi Anglong, Assam, which violates the FPIC. To add, displacement of Adivasis and cutting of hundreds of trees from Hazdev Forest, Chhattisgarh, proposed Aravali Forest Hills, proposed project in Andaman Nicobar Island, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and development projects are threatening lives and culture, languages and identity of Adivasis or indigenous peoples. We suggest and urge that Government of India should recognise 9th August as the Indigenous Day or Adivasi Diwas and include migrated Adivasis in Delhi as the Scheduled Tribes. Since Government of India recognize all people as indigenous people, then they should also ratify ILO 163. We need peace and prosperity and it will come together with a mutual collaboration of this mechanism, government and Adivasis of India. Johar and thank you.

Thank you very much. Bantani has the floor.

Thank you very much, Chair. Currently, we have noticed a worrying trend and the worsening situation in human rights compliance related to indigenous people cooperating with the UN. These trends require additional measures by the Human Rights Council. The repressions are becoming more and more serious, including the application of terrorist and extremism legislation against the defenders of Indigenous peoples' rights. In Russia, this practice is used to persecute the representatives of Indigenous persons for their cooperation with UN mechanisms. In Russia, on the 17th of December, 2025, arbitrary detain Daria Yegerev, the president of the caucuses of the United Nations on climate change, and Natalia Leangark, defender of the rights of indigenous peoples. They all face 20-year present sentences. We'd like to make the following recommendations to the Human Rights Council to call upon the Russian Federation to stop the repression of indigenous peoples and immediately liberate the president of the caucuses of the United Nations on climate change Daria Yegerev and the protect defender of the rights of indigenous peoples. We recommend to the Human Rights Council to annually review the situation related to the criminalization of indigenous peoples, cooperating with UN mechanisms as a separate aspect of discussing questions of repressions to ask the MRIP to carry out a special study related to the criminalization of those who cooperate with the United Nations to look at the causes and what can be done to prevent such violations. These recommendations are fully in line with UNDRIP resolutions of UN General Assembly 79159 and also obligations of states to prevent acts of intimidation or repressions against those who cooperate with the United Thank you.

Thank you.

Laura.

Thank you very much. The Ontario Women's Association has the floor. Native Women's Association.

Thank you, Chair. Today, we respectfully ask EMRIP to recommend two actions to the Human Rights Council. First, urge member states and the United Nations to ensure the full, effective, and meaningful participation of Indigenous women's organizations. including urban indigenous organizations in decision making at every level. Article 18 of the declaration affirms our right to participate through representatives chosen by us and to strengthen our own indigenous institutions. Indigenous women must not simply be consulted. We must be partners in shaping decisions that affect our lives. Inclusive decision-making means working directly with Indigenous women's organizations and rejecting colonial approaches that continue to exclude our voices. As we remind member states, nothing about us without us. Second, recommend that member states establish transparent monitoring and public reporting mechanisms on the UNDRIP and CEDAW General Recommendation 39 in partnership with Indigenous women's organizations. Article 22 affirms Indigenous women's right to protection from violence and discrimination, yet Indigenous women continue to experience disproportionate levels of violence. In Canada, Indigenous women are approximately 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than other women. The homicide rate for us has doubled in the last 10 years. The commitments already exist. What is missing is implementation and accountability. We must not regress. especially now. We must move forward and act with urgency. We call on member states to establish transparent mechanisms to measure progress, report publicly, and work directly with Indigenous women's organizations to ensure these commitments become a reality. Indigenous women are asserting our inherent right to lead. We collectively have an opportunity and responsibility to act now for our future generations. Accountability cannot wait.

Thank you. I now recognize the Amazigh World Council.

Thank you very much, Chair. I'm speaking on behalf of the Union of Kabyle Women concerning the Amazigh situation. We would like to submit two proposals. The first is to put a permanent item on the agenda entitled "The Voice of Indigenous Victims". within EMRIP sessions and Human Rights Council sessions to ensure direct testimony from Indigenous Peoples who have had their rights violated to clarify this for the work of UN mechanisms. This proposal is justified due to the repeated serious violations of Indigenous Peoples' rights, repeatedly imprisoned, exiled, sentenced to death, killed, as was the case of Kamel Laba in Algeria, or where the government of this country has given itself a legal arsenal enshrined in anti-terrorist law under famous Article 87 bis of the criminal code. Last week, the pacifist lobbyist Said Bizar, 74 years of age, was sentenced to 10 years in prison because They published on social networks while journalist Morad Antimoumou was placed under arrest for having denounced this. mercenaries from Africa, who at the same time live in complete impunity. Our second proposal concerns the time allocated to the Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples in the Human Rights Council. Currently, this time is extremely insufficient to allow the rapporteur to present his report and to respond to answers from the public. As a result, we would propose that this allocated time is doubled for the Special Rapporteur. Indigenous Peoples don't only need to be represented, they must be heard. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. I now recognize the Traditional Council for New Caledonia.

Thank you very much, Chair. Ladies and gentlemen, experts, pursuant to article 1B of resolution 6 and paragraph 2 of resolution 3325, The movement of indigenous peoples in New Caledonia and the Kanak people submits three urgent proposals to the Human Rights Council. The first is the recommendation of an international independent investigation in New Caledonia. Four investigations and reports agree on the same 14 deaths, much damage and many arrests. The issues of Namibia, the Chagossian Islands, Timor Este demonstrate that the international community cannot ignore this illegal context. The second is the formal. connection between MRIP and the Decolonisation Committee, in line with proposal bis of the last MRIP report 60/65 from 2025 concerning indigenous peoples' rights in non-independent territories such as Kanak in New Caledonia or not incorporated as Puerto Rico. The proposal, which was adopted on 18 June 2026 on New Caledonia, the Tokyo Declaration and the Suva Summit, as well as the 104th Pacific Forum, represents a regional corpus which must enter into explicit dialogue with the work of this mechanism. The third proposal would be the incorporation of resolution 1325 into the monitoring mandate. Senatorial report No. 810 confirms that the Kanak bear a disproportionate brunt of the ramifications of systemic inequalities. They must be formally involved in any reconstruction and dialogue process. We call on MRIP to put these three proposals in its final report and ensure follow-up of that before the Human Rights Council in its forthcoming session.

Thank you very much. I now recognize George, State of New Mexico. Native American Church, State of New Mexico.

They don't seem to be present, so we'll proceed to give the floor to the Leningrad Regional Public Organization. That would be the last speaker, and they don't seem to be in the room either. So we will pass the floor to the association.

In the Far East of the Russian Federation, RAIPON.

RAIPON.

Madam Chair, I represent an umbrella organization that brings together 40 indigenous peoples of Russia. We're convinced that the further development of the mandate of the expert mechanism should be aimed at improving the quality of its studies and the practical applicability of the recommendations. Studies and recommendations should be based on an objective and verifiable information, taking the national specificities and reflect the priorities of Indigenous Peoples. Only with compliance with these principles, recommendations can be universal, practically applicable and enjoy the trust of states and Indigenous Peoples. We recommend development of single methodological approaches in the preparation of studies that provide for transparent criteria for selection verification of information, taking into account the collective positions of Indigenous Peoples, recommend to the Human Rights Council to propose to the expert mechanism to take into account collective studies of Indigenous Peoples confirmed and approved by the representative institutions as one of the instruments of expert accompaniment of thematic studies, country engagement and preparation of practical recommendations. We recommend the elaboration of practical recommendations and take into account the views of representative institutions in the activities of UN mechanisms and also recommend develop practical recommendations on organization of culturally acceptable consultations during all stages of preparing these studies and taking into account the views of indigenous peoples as well as of other parties.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. We will now move on to recognize my distinguished colleagues. if they would like to take the floor, could you please indicate it? I call on my colleague, Ms. Lightfoot. You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, for giving us some time to offer some closing thoughts on the agenda item in front of us, proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approval. This is probably one of the most important agenda items on our agenda for this week. And so we really, as experts, appreciate hearing all of your input on proposals because this is the next task ahead of us is not only to finalize the study that we talked about yesterday, but also to prepare proposals that will go forward, hopefully to the Human Rights Council. So your proposals that are thoughtful and clear and substantive, uh, help us do our job and bring those issues forward to our sponsors to take to the council. And so this, this agenda item is a critical part of that process and absolutely essential for advancing the mandate of the MRIP. At the same time, we noticed, interspersed with proposal recommendations were also some future work suggestions for the MREP. So we've taken note of those in a separate page and are happy to add those to our working list and also look forward to that agenda item later in the week. So again, just deepest thanks for everyone who has thought so carefully and thoughtfully about what proposals they are bringing to us. We are very, very appreciative for the time that everyone takes on this item. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Would anyone else like to speak from among the colleagues? We have a couple more minutes, so we can hear some more statements, so I'll pass the floor then.

Action on Indigenous health governance.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Dr. Krista Stilgaitis, and I'm Tsilq N' K'linkit, an Indigenous scholar from British Columbia, Canada, and the director for the Centre for Collaborative Action on Indigenous Health Governance at Simon Fraser University. I respectfully encourage the expert mechanism to consider undertaking a future thematic study on the implementation of Indigenous peoples' right to health through self-determination and Indigenous-led health governance under UNDRIP. Globally, more than 476 million Indigenous people continue to experience profound and persistent health inequities. The World Health Organization reports that, in many contexts, Indigenous people have a life expectancy up to 20 years shorter than non-Indigenous populations and continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of infant mortality, chronic disease, and preventable illness. These inequities are not inevitable. They are direct consequences of colonization, structural racism, and the failure to fully realize the human rights affirmed in the declaration. Despite commitments made under UNDRIP, implementation remains inconsistent across many member states. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the declaration, there is important opportunity to move beyond recognizing rights towards strengthening implementation. Therefore, we propose a thematic study by the expert mechanism that could identify promising practices and provide practical recommendations and guidelines to States on implementing these rights through Indigenous-led health governance, inequitable partnerships, culturally safe health systems, accountability, and the elimination of systemic and structural racism. Therefore, we recommend the expert mechanism undertake a thematic study focused on implementation of these rights through upholding self-determination and Indigenous-led health governance, and provide practical guidelines on implementing articles set out in Article 3, 18, 19, 21, 23 and 24.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Disability group has the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I speak on behalf of the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association of Nepal and Indigenous Persons with Disabilities Global Network. I would like to reiterate that indigenous peoples are not heterogeneous groups. They comprise of women, children, youth and persons with disabilities, as enshrined in the Declaration. Most often, these groups remain largely absent from these discussions, and our issues are not documented. We want to speak for us, by us, In all those discussions, we comprise of 58 million indigenous persons with disabilities and 28 million indigenous women with disabilities. We recommend the Human Rights Council to ensure the effective, full recognition and inclusion of indigenous persons and women with disabilities across all its mandate, resolutions and mechanisms, including in the reports produced by the Human Rights Council. The Council should call upon the States to implement, to look at the intersections of indigeneity and disability under the United Nations Declaration and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including the CEDAW General Recommendation 39, through inclusive laws, policies and programs. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Declaration, reviewing the UN 80, we recommend the Human Rights Council to undertake the thematic study on the rights of indigenous persons and women and girls with disabilities aligned with the CEDAW General Recommendation 39. We urge the Human Rights Council to promote the meaningful and accessible participation of indigenous persons and women with disabilities in all the decisions affecting their lives, including those related to climate actions, biodiversity, digital technology and sustainable development. The Human Rights Council should encourage States to ensure that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are developed and governed in a way that are accessible, culturally appropriate and free from discrimination of disability. Finally, we encourage the Human Rights Council to strengthen among the United States, including the human rights mechanism and support the dedicated resource for capacity building and disaggregated data collection for the effective participation of indigenous persons with disabilities.

Thank you very much for your statements.

I now recognize Education Initiative. Grassroot World Education Initiative. Are they in the room?

Okay, so we recognize then.

Runia Hair.

Good afternoon, distinguished experts. I am from Peru. I'm a member of Runa Yats and we work on investigations in the social, education and environmental spheres concerning indigenous peoples. Greetings. The community and youth, Ketchwa and Amara particularly, are concerned about the representativity of youth. New generations are beginning to trust more in the responses of a monitoring mechanism than in the wisdom of generations and ancestors, our grandfathers and grandmothers. The lack of opportunity in education and labor is partly responsible, growing of illegal and legal mining. associated to pollution in all of its forms exacerbates the insertion of young people into the system of consumerism and extraction because of a lack of support in community and professional training. The denigration of our identity is growing over the years. It's growing because We believe that being a professional in a suit and tie is better than being an Indigenous professional. Indigenous education isn't just information, it's better understanding our shared home and community life. Observation, battles and practice require youth engagement. Our fathers and mothers are persecuted for defending our territories. These realities incorporated within the Declaration, particularly in articles 11, 13 and 31, it's important for young people and I'd like to ask the Board to consider the effective participation of young people in the design and governance of future sessions and call on States to improve the educational system. not to allow us to lose our historic roots and leave us with a legacy of the modern politics and problems I'm talking about. We need to count on those who represent the future because we are here to be counted and represent the present as well because we can't protect what we don't know. Thank you.

Good, well, thank you very much. That brings us to the conclusion of our list of speakers for today. It's allowed us to properly inform our decisions. I remind members that the High Commissioner for Human Rights will be here tomorrow. We will begin with the open list of speakers from 11 am tomorrow. With that, I conclude the current item. I thank everybody present for their very valuable contributions to this debate. The session is adjourned.