5th Meeting, 19th Session Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)

Good morning. Distinguished delegates, participants, and representatives of Indigenous peoples, I have the honor to welcome you to this session. And before we begin with Agenda Item 9 this morning on enhanced participation, I have the distinct pleasure to welcome the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, His Excellency Volker Türk. While he was unable to join us for the opening session on Monday morning, we are particularly pleased to welcome him and have him here with us today. So, High Commissioner, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair, distinguished members of the Expert Mechanism, representatives of Indigenous Peoples, Excellencies, colleagues, and friends, real pleasure to be here, and I honor the presence of indigenous peoples from every region of the world at this session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People. Your participation has been key to the creation and achievement of this body. More broadly, your contributions have led and nourished our efforts to advance the rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination, to participation, to non-discrimination, to justice, and more. At a time of profound global uncertainty, indigenous peoples continue to demonstrate leadership and leadership that the world urgently needs. Your knowledge systems contribute directly to biodiversity conservation, to climate resilience, to sustainable resource management, and to social cohesion. Across the world, indigenous young people are spearheading work to address climate change, to protect biodiversity, to revitalize languages, to preserve cultural heritage, and to promote human rights. Indigenous peoples' rights are not theoretical aspirations for the future, they are obligations for the present, now. And wherever those rights are respected, all of society becomes more just, more peaceful, and more resilient. Yet a persistent gap remains between international commitments to indigenous peoples' rights and their implementation in practice. Mining and extractive activities, deforestation, and large-scale agriculture exploit and destroy lands and territories without the consent of indigenous peoples. These concerns are becoming more urgent. Growing demand for critical minerals, renewable energy infrastructure, and large-scale development projects is placing increasing pressure on indigenous lands and territories. The world's transition to a greener economy is essential, but it cannot come at the expense of the rights of indigenous peoples. There needs to be a just transition firmly grounded in human rights, meaningful participation, and consent to all projects affecting their territories and resources. Indigenous environmental Human rights defenders, including many women and young people, face widespread intimidation, criminalization, harassment, and violence for defending their lands and ecosystems. Between 2023 and 2025, at least 15% of the human rights defenders killed or forcibly disappeared around the world were Indigenous human rights defenders. I want to emphasize this disproportional disproportionate and unacceptable impact on indigenous activists. In addition, indigenous peoples are often targeted for prosecution and their legitimate activities criminalized based on broad and vaguely worded laws on terrorism and extremism. The death of the Nicaraguan Miskito leader Brooklyn Rivera 6 weeks ago while arbitrarily detained reflects such patterns of repression. In this era of turmoil, conflict is surging across many regions. Indigenous peoples are among those facing loss, displacement, and the misery that it engenders. This year's study by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Conflict and post-conflict situations sheds light on these issues and makes clear that systemic issues need to be resolved if peace is to be achieved. Historical injustices, dispossession of lands and resources, denial of self-determination, systematic discrimination and inequalities, environmental degradation, and the erosion of their governance systems are some of the factors that that shape the violence inflicted on indigenous peoples. Yet indigenous peoples have played a longstanding and central role in building peace through governance systems and customary law that support accountability and restoration and traditional practices that are conducive to social harmony. Examples include the efforts of the Mazahua, Otomi, Nahua, Matlatzin, and Tlahuica peoples in Mexico, for example. Durable peace requires inclusion, justice, meaningful participation at every stage, and recognition of rights, and this must involve recognition of indigenous peoples' rights to self-determination and to control over their lands. In this context, the work of this expert mechanism is key to bringing international standards to life in practice. I welcome your recent engagement in Brazil to examine the protection of indigenous peoples who choose to remain in voluntary isolation or who have come into initial contact with the majority population. This engagement demonstrated the value of dialogue among indigenous peoples, governments, and human rights mechanisms in relation to land rights, environmental degradation, illegal mining, and violence. These lessons resonate far beyond one country. I also welcome recent advances in domestic courts. In May, an indigenous group in Australia secured record compensation for mining conducted without their consent, a significant step towards accountability and redress. Distinguished participants, Humanity's oldest tradition can and must help us to guide our newest innovations. The expert mechanism has produced farsighted and useful work on artificial intelligence and digital systems. Data is a cultural, strategic, and economic resource that can be misused to fuel discrimination and dispossession. Indigenous peoples need to be able to exercise control over data relating to their communities and knowledge systems, and I look forward to the expert mechanism's further examination of these issues at this session. I also urge states to strengthen their support for the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, which has enabled thousands of representatives of indigenous peoples to bring their voices to international fora. And finally, but importantly, I encourage all of you to join our Global Alliance for Human Rights, which we launched last month. It will link the work of doers and thinkers from every region, sector, and age group, pooling the thoughts of people working from the Amazon to the Arctic, into a great river of solutions for human rights, and I invite Indigenous Peoples to participate. Together we can work to place all human rights at the center of decision-making everywhere. Thank you very much.

I would like to thank the High Commissioner with most gratitude for the statement today and for joining us every year. We appreciate so deeply the High Commissioner's commitment to the advancement of the rights of Indigenous Peoples and to human rights more generally. And I would just like to express a personal note of gratitude. This will be my last time sharing the podium with you as a member of the Expert Mechanism, and I just want to express my deepest thanks for your work in the area of human rights. And I look forward to working with you in my academic capacity in future.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Well, all the best, especially for the closing remarks.

Okay. Item 9, enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. So on behalf of the expert mechanism, I once again want to welcome all participants to the room. Indigenous Peoples, Member States, NGOs, and all others. It's my pleasure to preside over this discussion on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples explicitly addresses the role of the United Nations in the full realization of the its provisions in Article 41. The Declaration goes as far as stating the ways and means of ensuring participation of Indigenous Peoples on issues affecting them shall be established. In Resolutions 5412 of 2023 and 5715 of 2024, the Human Rights Council decided to continue discussions and develop further steps and measures necessary to enable and facilitate the participation of Indigenous Peoples' representatives and institutions in its work. Following the previous work on concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council, including through the July and October 2024 intersessional meetings, and the October 2025 Human Rights Council Resolution on Indigenous Peoples, the Expert Mechanism wants to consider what the best strategic next steps on this work would be. We posted guiding questions to facilitate today's dialogue. We look forward to hearing your suggestions and recommendations on enhancing participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations, including specifically on questions of what concrete steps can be taken to establish a clear roadmap and timeline to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council, what measures are required to effectively implement the recommendations contained in the Joint Report, support of the co-facilitators and the OHCHR? And what immediate steps can be taken to accelerate progress in enhancing participation ahead of the forthcoming sessions of the Human Rights Council? The Expert Mechanism would like to continue on the momentum of this important work and facilitate broad discussions between Indigenous Peoples, Member States, and other key stakeholders in the room today. Starting with the panel, starting to address the following issues: to continue contributing to the discussion on the ongoing process of enhancing Indigenous participation in the United Nations, and based on the desire of Indigenous peoples for clarity on the roadmap and timeline going forward, and to identify concrete recommendations to accelerate efforts. It's the strong view of the EMRIP that it is absolutely essential that an Indigenous-led mechanism be established to accredit Indigenous peoples. The expert mechanism feels that it could potentially play a role for the accreditation, although there are concerns about the resources necessary to do this work and how the Secretariat could be better supported. Both technically and budgetarily in its administrative capacity. It must be reiterated that the Expert Mechanism's priority is our mandate to interpret, clarify, and provide advice on the implementation of the UN Declaration. We strongly recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples' stated desire for an independent accreditation mechanism, and we support the future development of such an entity. I'd now like to turn to the speakers list. Actually, before we move to the speakers list, the Emirate would like to offer a couple of reminders to the room. And before we proceed, we need to recall that the United Nations promotes dialogue and exchanges between different actors with a view to promoting sustainable peace, development, and human rights. All participants are encouraged to contribute to EMRIP in a spirit of constructive, multi-stakeholder dialogue, keeping a focus on the theme of the discussion. And the meetings of the expert mechanism, as any UN system events, are guided by the highest ethical and professional standards. And all participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards other participants attending or involved with any meeting of the EMRIP. We count on your cooperation to ensure that these standards are adhered to by all participants in this session. We ask all participants to exercise decorum, avoid abusive or disrespectful language, or any derogatory or inflammatory remarks. As established in the UN Code of Conduct to Prevent Harassment at UN Events, the UN system is committed to enabling events where everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful, and safe environment. And this includes without fear of intimidation or reprisals of any sort. The Human Rights Council Resolution 3325 of 2016 established that the expert mechanism shall determine its own methods of work, although the expert mechanism may not adopt resolutions or decisions. national bodies, academics, experts, and nongovernmental organizations. With those reminders, we will proceed with the speakers list. I would first like to call Asia Indigenous Peoples Caucus. You have the floor.

With the support of the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, I participated in both intergovernmental meetings on enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Human Rights Council. Having been part of this process, we welcome the progress made so far. However, from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples in Asia, we stress that the time has come to move from the repeated discussions to concrete implementation. The Human Rights Council must establish a clear roadmap timeline and responsibility for the implementation. Participants— participation must recognize indigenous peoples not merely as NGOs or civil society, but the peoples with the rights to self-determination reflecting our distinct status and representative institutions. In Asia, many indigenous peoples are still not recognized as indigenous by the states. The absence of states' recognition does not mean that we do not exist as peoples. Accreditation must therefore be independent, transparent, and indigenous-led. States must not have veto power over who represents us. Protection against reprisal must also be an integral part of enhanced participation. Across Asia, indigenous peoples are representatives and human rights defenders, defenders face surveillance and intermediation, criminalization and militarization for defending our lands, territories, and resources and rights. Some are even targeted as terrorists or treated as threats to national security. If we can speak in the UN but face threats or criminalization when we return home, this is not safe or meaningful participation. Meaningful Equal participation is also more than a short statement in a meeting. Indigenous peoples' political institutions and representative organizations must have meaningful input into consultation, negotiation, legislation, reports, and then other council outcomes. Adequate funding, interpretation, visa support, accessibility, and timely access to information must be also ensured. Enhanced participation must—

Thank you for your statement. Unfortunately, 2 minutes has elapsed. I'd next like to call on Mexico, please. You have the floor.

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Mexico was one of the biggest promoters of the full and effective participation of representatives and institutions of indigenous peoples in the relevant organizations and institutions of the United Nations. under their own institutions and representations. Together with Guatemala, we presented the resolution on the rights of indigenous peoples that made it possible to move forward in the implementation of the declaration and promote the participation of indigenous peoples in the work of the United Nations. We welcome today's dialogue and the proposals made by this mechanism related to the participation of indigenous peoples, as well as the specific progress achieved over the last several years in the HRC. In this respect, we reiterate our support to the 6 main principles of accreditations. First, free determination, self-identifications, flexibility, equality between the 7 social cultural regions, non-discrimination, and transparency and accountability in line with Resolution 6030 of the Human Rights Council. On the basis of that resolution, we continue to ensure progress and implementation of the recommendations of the report on the participation 59, 35 of the co-facilitators, and we thank them for their work. In the case of Mexico, we have a National Council for Indigenous Peoples. It's a body for the participation and collegial representations that carries out specialized assessment and is a link between Indigenous peoples in Mexico with the Mexican state to ensure the recognition and implementation of their rights. The representatives participating in this council were appointed according to a methodology that distinguish them on the basis of the Indigenous group and population, and we can share with the mechanism and with the Human Rights Council our experience during the discussion we'll be having in the future on questions of accreditation. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I'd next like to offer the floor to Indigenous World Association.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm speaking for the Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and I'll try to be brief. In response to the questions provided, we wish to make the following contributions. Regarding question 1, we affirm the call in the joint report for formal negotiations to be opened at the Human Rights Council on a 1 to 2 year timeline and to oversee— overseen by one Indigenous co-facilitator and one state co-facilitator. The principles and elements articulated in paragraph 80 should be formalized with the expert mechanism resourced as an interim accreditation mechanism prior to the conclusion of negotiations. Further, we support a council panel dedicated to discussions under HRC Resolution 5935. Regarding question 2, we reaffirm paragraph 81 on the creation of a new independent accreditation mechanism to determine the eligibility of Indigenous Peoples in a new separate accreditation process. In this, it is critical that this mechanism must be led by Indigenous Peoples from the 7 sociocultural regions and be adequately resourced. Regarding question 3, member states can contribute complete— concretely to the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions through the creation of a new accreditation status for representative institutions for Indigenous peoples. Self-determination must be centered as a principle in accreditation, and sufficient funding must be provided. Regarding question 4, we wish to reiterate that the meaningful and enhanced participation of Indigenous peoples on the work of the Human Rights Council and throughout the UN system must shape the outcomes of decision-making by providing access to informal negotiations and the ability to provide written submissions. Enhanced participation is a means to advance reconciliation and to honor the original nation-to-nation relationship and promises and treaties, the foundation of relationships. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for your statement. I appreciate that. I would next like to offer the floor to Australia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Australia reaffirms its longstanding position that meaningful Indigenous participation is fundamental to the fairness and integrity of human rights and United Nations processes. Australia was proud to be a state co-facilitator alongside Canada of the intersessional meetings of the Human Rights Council in 2024 and its subsequent joint report. These meetings progressed the 2023 decision to establish a distinct status for Indigenous peoples accreditation at select HRC meetings. Australia would like to reiterate key recommendations for the accreditation process from the intersessional meetings. The process must be rooted in the principles of UNDRIP, including self-determination, self-identification, flexibility, equality among Indigenous socio-cultural regions, non-discrimination, transparency, and accountability. Accreditation should be guided in a flexible manner, including through the elements outlined in the joint report. Notably, it should be chosen by Indigenous peoples in accordance with their own procedures and be legitimately representative of their peoples. Australia encourages the HRC to take forward these recommendations. Recent advances in the HRC also serve as a positive example for the rest of the UN system, including the work of the President of the General Assembly. Australia encourages innovative ideas by which Indigenous Peoples' right to participation can be further enhanced, in line with UN reform objectives. Australia also encourages member states to support the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous The Voluntary Fund helps to overcome one of the key obstacles to Indigenous Peoples' attendance at UN meetings, the financial costs. Chair, as participation is enhanced, there is also a real risk that exposure to reprisals may increase as well. All forms of reprisals must be condemned unequivocally and addressed promptly to ensure Indigenous Peoples can participate freely, safely, and fully in discussions on issues that impact them.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I'd next like to give the floor to United Confederation of Taíno People.

Seneca Kakona, abundant blessings, Chair, distinguished experts, and Indigenous relatives. My name is Dr. Lisette Rivera Guani, and I am a 2026 UN Indigenous Fellow. Despite centuries of colonization, Taíno peoples continue to live, organize, and revitalize our culture and exercise our inherent rights throughout the Caribbean and the diaspora. UNDRIP affirms in Articles 3, 5, 18, and 33 our right to self-determination, to maintain our institutions, to participate in decision-making, and to determine our own identity and membership. Yet Indigenous peoples living in non-self-governing, unincorporated, and other territories that remain under colonial administration continue to face barriers to the full realization of these rights. More than 112,000 individuals identified as Taíno in the 2020 United States Census, including 50,000 people in Borinquén, Puerto Rico. Despite this documented presence, our peoples often remain overlooked in Indigenous policy discussions and insufficiently represented in decisions affecting our communities and futures. There are many Indigenous peoples globally living under territorial and colonial status whose circumstances remain insufficiently examined within the UN systems. This gap limits meaningful participation and hinders implementation of the Declaration. Consistent with Articles 41 and 42, which call upon UN bodies and mechanisms to contribute to the realization and implementation of Indigenous Peoples' rights, we recommend that EMRIP conduct a study on the implementation of UNDRIP in non-self-governing, unincorporated, and other territories that remain under colonial administration. Without greater understanding of these distinct territorial context, efforts to enhance Indigenous Peoples' participation within the United Nations system will remain incomplete. The UCTP is ready to collaborate. Ha-hom, and thank you. Gracias.

Thank you very much for your statement. I'd next like to offer the floor to Inuit Circumpolar Council.

Madam Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council wishes to reiterate our support for the Indigenous Coordinating Body and call for member states to support ICB and the enhanced participation process through funding and hosting of events and gatherings related to this process. The enhanced participation process is about ensuring legitimacy in the representation of indigenous peoples in the UN. As affirmed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making through their own representative institutions. As specified in the ALTA outcome document, representative institutions include parliaments, governments, traditional councils, and other authorities. An important principle in the enhanced participation process is collective representation. Madam Chair, we are not talking about individual representatives. We want to repeat our call for the expert mechanism to build on the progress made in the past years. And recommend to the Human Rights Council a resolution mandating a process to establish a distinct status for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions to be introduced at the Council's 63rd session. We furthermore call on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue prioritizing the enhanced participation process, ensuring Secretariat capacity for work related to Indigenous Peoples. We from the Inuit Circumpolar Council remain committed to building an inclusive and lasting framework for Indigenous Peoples' enhanced participation in the UN, and as I'm taking the floor for the last time at this session, I would like to congratulate the chair— election of the chair and the vice chairs for the EMRIP and look forward to continue the cooperation in the future. Hoi'ana.

Thank you very much for that statement. I'd next like to give the floor to Russian Federation.

Thank you very much, Madam Chairperson. The Russian Federation recognizes the importance of expanding participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the UN. However, this activity should go hand in hand with respect for the charter of the organization and the intergovernmental nature of the association agencies. We note that calls seeking to enhance the participation of indigenous people and their organizations in the United Nations activities stem initially from the— essentially on the political and economic level. where indigenous peoples are not represented or underrepresented. We believe that in the process in the future, the process of enhancing participation of indigenous peoples in the United Nations activities, we need to take into account of the key role of member states to determine the forms of participation, particularly thanks to the consultative status status of ECOSOC, taking that into account. We believe that this institution is often overlooked. Member states must be able to analyze the possibilities of enhancing participation of indigenous peoples and seeing whether they can receive that status. Moreover, my delegation believes that the basis for participation in all activities, whether that be the United Nations or elsewhere, that this is something that stems from the legal status and this needs to be recorded. It needs to be set down as legal personality. There also needs to be transparency in the system. This is mechanism which needs to be used to uphold and defend the rights of Indigenous peoples. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I'd next like to offer the floor to National Iwi Chairs Forum.

Ngā mihi, Madam Chair. The National Iwi Chairs Forum welcomes the discussion and supports the proposals advanced yesterday by the Indigenous Coordinating Body and the Indigenous Determinants of Health Alliance, and the International Indian Treaty Council. The question before us is no longer whether Indigenous Peoples should participate more fully in the Human Rights Council. The question was answered by the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014 and reaffirmed through the Human Rights Council's recent resolutions. The question now is how quickly we will implement these commitments We respectfully recommend that the Human Rights Council adopt 5 practical measures: establish a clear timetable leading to the adoption of the resolution creating a distinct participatory status for Indigenous peoples' representative institutions; appoint Indigenous and state co-facilitators with equal standing to lead that process, reflecting the partnership envisaged by the Declaration; establish an independent transparent transparent accreditation mechanism that recognizes the diversity of Indigenous governance institutions without allowing individual states to veto Indigenous representation. Ensure participation is not meaningful— is meaningful, not symbolic, through speaking rights, written submissions, participation in informal negotiations, and early engagement in drafting outcomes. Finally, providing predictable and sustainable funding through the voluntary fund and other mechanisms, so participation is determined by rights and not resources. Modi ora. Apologies.

Thank you very much for that statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Canada, who will deliver a joint statement with Norway, Finland, Australia, Mexico, Guatemala,

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of Australia, Denmark, Finland, Guatemala, Mexico, Norway, and my own country, Canada. We thank the Chair, the expert members, and the Office of the High Commissioner for their continued work to advance discussions on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the Human Rights Council and United Nations more broadly. We also recognize the engagement and active contributions of member states to advance in a measured but concrete manner towards this goal. Over the last few years, we have made significant progress, and we believe we should continue moving forward. The recommendations contained in the Joint Report 5935 of the co-facilitators and the OHCHR on ways to enhance participation participation provide a strong foundation for action. Their implementation would advance the effective realization of the UNDRIP, whose 20th anniversary should serve as a further impetus to move beyond discussions. The Council should consider establishing a clear roadmap with defined milestones and timelines to follow up on the accreditation principles contained in the Joint Report, as decided in HRC Resolution 6013. This process should include regular consultations with Indigenous peoples and periodic reporting on progress. We welcome a constructive and forward-looking approach, taking into account financial constraints. Member states should further prioritize discussions on how to reduce procedural and structural barriers, barriers that limit access and participation. In doing so, Efforts should make effective use of existing resources and mechanisms, with financial and technical support, interpretation services, and opportunities for remote participation. Meaningful participation requires that Indigenous Peoples have opportunities not only to speak, but also to shape outcomes. We particularly look forward to the next interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, the Expert Mechanism, as well as the annual panel discussion on the rights of Indigenous Peoples at the next Council session. We thank you.

Thank you very much for your joint statement. I would next like to offer the floor to a panel of African experts on Indigenous affairs, joint statement with Congrès Mondial Amazigh, Organisation Intran, UFK. Doesn't appear to be in the room, so we'll move to asking the floor for Malaysia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Malaysia welcomes this discussion on enhancing the participation of indigenous peoples within the United Nations. We believe that deliberations are strengthened when indigenous communities are meaningfully engaged in matters affecting their lives and futures. We acknowledge the progress achieved through EMRIP, the Permanent Forum, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, as well as ongoing discussions on possible modalities for participation in the Human Rights Council. Malaysia believes that any future arrangement should be inclusive, practical, and developed through transparent intergovernmental consultations. It should enable genuine representatives of Indigenous communities to contribute meaningfully while safeguarding the credibility, accountability, and integrity of the accreditation process. Any modality should also reflect the diversity of national legal and administrative systems. Malaysia remains committed to working together with all stakeholders to build inclusive and respectful platforms that serve us all. I thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for your statement. And I would next like to offer the floor to International Committee of Indigenous Peoples of Russia, ICIPR.

Distinguished Madam Chairperson, I'm speaking on behalf of EBRISGIL, and I think that we need to be able to enjoy the status of NGO.

We need to receive sufficient resources. All voices of indigenous peoples are important. They must be heard within the United Nations in line with international human rights standards. Participation should not be limited by the fact that it's supported by a state. NGOs and representatives of indigenous peoples are subject to pressure, as are activists. They are threatened with persecution, and official mandate is requested. They can't have access to UN. They can't vote. We see that Russia every year is showing that for indigenous peoples they are being threatened with deprivation of liberty. In these conditions, asking for this to be recognized by states, that doesn't enhance participation. In fact, it excludes these people. That's why we need to stipulate a clear distinction between those human rights— and those who genuinely participate in meetings and those who that they represent individuals and Indigenous Peoples. There's a difference between the two because we see that very often these individuals are subject to serious pressure. We thank the Voluntary Fund for all of the assistance that's been provided to us. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I'd next like to offer the floor to Denmark.

Thank you, Chair. Denmark, together with Greenland, fully align with the joint statement made by Canada. The governments of Denmark and Greenland attach great importance to enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples throughout the United Nations system. We reaffirm that the full, effective, and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples is indispensable to the realization of their rights. We therefore remain committed to advancing enhanced participation across the multilateral system, including in the Human Rights Council and other UN fora. We commend the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for once again placing this important issue on its agenda and for its continued efforts to advance practical solutions in this regard. In our view, enhanced participation rests on 2 mutually reinforcing pillars. First, the recognition of the legitimate representatives and institutions of Indigenous Peoples based on their right to self-determination. And second, ensuring that Indigenous Peoples have access to and can participate fully and effectively in all United Nations bodies and processes that affect their rights. I am pleased to now pass the floor to my colleague from Nalakasusut, the Government of Greenland.

Chair, it is imperative that we do not reverse course in the matters where we have already made progress. The knowledge, expertise, and perspective brought by Indigenous Peoples strengthen the quality, legitimacy, and sustainability of the UN. The participation is not merely an option. It's a core component of implementing the Declaration. We commit to enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples at the UN, and we also want to reiterate our strong support for the expert mechanism, the Permanent Forum, and the Special Rapporteur, and their distinct mandates in advancing the implementation of the Declaration.

Declaration.

In view of UN 80, we therefore want to underscore the importance of preserving their mutually reinforcing mandates. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, Denmark and Greenland. I'd next like to offer the floor to Métis National Council.

Thank you, Chair. The Métis National Council welcomes this opportunity to contribute to the ongoing discussion on enhancing the participation of Indigenous peoples within the United Nations. For the Métis Nation, participation in the United Nations is inseparable from our inherent right to self-determination and our right to participate in decisions that affect our rights, governance, and future. We recommend that the expert mechanism call upon the Human Rights Council to begin a formal negotiation process with a clear timeline to establish a distinct status for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions within the, within the United Nations. This process must recognize that Indigenous Peoples participate through our own representative institutions, not through frameworks developed for non-governmental organizations. It must be Indigenous-led, grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and respect the diversity of Indigenous governance systems without making participation dependent on state recognition. We further recommend that Indigenous peoples be able to participate meaningfully throughout Human Rights Council processes, including where decisions are developed, and that this participation be supported through sustainable funding and effective protections against intimidation and reprisals. The Métis National Council remains committed to working alongside Indigenous peoples, member states, and the United Nations to ensure Indigenous Peoples participate as peoples through our own representative institutions. Merci. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I'd like to offer the floor to Cuba.

Madam Chairperson, Cuba supports the rights of indigenous peoples to participate in the adoption of decisions on matters concerning them, including within the United Nations system. It is a right enshrined in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We also uphold the need to guarantee resources and means ensuring that this participation is effective, namely that it translates to genuine sustainable benefits for Indigenous Peoples and to the protection— for the protection of their rights. Participation in the United Nations system is not only just useful and necessary for Indigenous Peoples, it is for States as well. With the diversity and wisdom of these peoples who are common heritage of humankind, that also contributes to peace, development, understanding, and friendly relations between nations and peoples of the 20 years on from the adoption of the Declaration, participation of Indigenous Peoples in the UN has consolidated. They now have their own voices and genuine decision-making power, such as in the Permanent Forum. Cuba also recognizes and hails progress made in participation of representatives of Indigenous Peoples in Human Rights Council dialogues with the Special Rapporteur. And the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This participation is unique and exceptional in nature, and we support it despite the specific challenges facing these peoples. At the same time, we have stressed that the decision adopted is adopted as recognition of the singularity of Indigenous Peoples and does not constitute a precedent for other groups of the population. Cuba believes that effective participation of these peoples in the UN should not be limited to the mere effect of participation spaces. It's also essential to provide concrete measures which will enable original peoples to make the most of these fora to disseminate their rich cultures and ancestral knowledge. Strengthening of multilingualism in these spaces is also vital. I would conclude by stressing that Cuba will continue to support the important role of the UN and—

Sorry to interrupt. Time is up. Thank you very much for the statement. I'd next like to offer the floor to the Sami Parliament of Finland.

Madam Chair, enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations must be firmly grounded in the rights of self-determination and self-identification, as affirmed in Articles 3 and 33 in the UNDRIP. For the Sami Parliament in Finland, this means that Indigenous representative institutions must be recognized according to our own governance systems. These may include elected parliaments, traditional councils, and other Indigenous authorities, as reflected in the ALTA outcome document. We acknowledge the important progress that has been made. The intersessional meetings and the reports have helped to clarify the issue at stake and must serve as a basis for the next steps. In particular, further mandate negotiation will be needed to define how accreditation should be— how accreditation should take place, including the possible establishment of a new body or a mechanism to assess applicants in a fair, transparent, and Indigenous-led manner. Such a process must respect the diversity of Indigenous governance systems and ensure accountability and true representation. Representation of the people in question. We encourage EMRIP to continue supporting a clear and ambitious path forward for enhancing the participation. This process should include a full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples from all 7 socio-cultural regions. We further underline that adequate funding is essential to ensure full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples at all stages of this process, including support of Indigenous coordinating body. The Sami Parliament in Finland supports development of concrete steps forward with clear timelines, designated facilitators, and equal access to possible informals of the process. We remain committed on working constructively with Indigenous people, states, and UN mechanisms to advance this important process.

Thank you very much for your statement. And I'd next like to offer the floor to Ulithi Falalope, Community Action Program.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am one of the 37 Indigenous fellows from the Federated States of Micronesia. I welcome the recommendations and the reports, especially the resolution the council that adopted last year, that speaks to some of the issues that we've had historically. I'm actually a legacy from the Trusteeship Council, and I would like to highlight that our indigenous leaders who were hereditary chiefs and clan leaders were part of the Congress of Micronesia for 15 years. They engaged in that role and that process because they were recognized as a collective distinctive leader, as well as recognizing that they were part of that process. Then we transitioned to what became now as the Federated States of Micronesia, where the 6 districts became 4. And currently, my state of Yap has the 4th branch of government, which is the Council of Chiefs. And that's a distinctive collective where they provide advice and consent in the political process. They are not treated as non-government organizations because of their distinctive collective identity and what they contribute on behalf of their communities. I would like to highlight and be reassured that EMRIP is in dialogue with special procedures and the universal periodic review that my country is undergoing. And I welcome EMRIP's recommendations on following through the recommendations that were provided by the Special Rapporteur on the field— in the field of cultural rights, because it highlights the issues on tradition, customs, and ceremonies that we are distinctive of. And I also invite EMRIP to provide recommendations on Articles 3 to 5, 11 to 15, 31, and 25 and 30. And we stand in solidarity with our relatives from the islands and the coastal territories. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I'd now like to offer the floor to Organización de los Pueblos Indígenas del Amazonio Colombia.

Gracias, señora presidenta. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

My name is Jenny Alba. I'm an indigenous woman from the Pilata Puyo people. People, a member of the National Organization of the Colombian Amazon. In Colombia, we have 4 requests for the mechanism in line with the agenda item under discussion. Firstly, we recommend to states of the United Nations system that they consolidate specific mechanisms to ensure participation of political, spiritual, and traditional authorities of indigenous peoples coming from the different territories. Our participation cannot be merely nominal or procedural, but effective participation mechanisms need to be generated. Otherwise, we run the risk of reproducing the exclusion that we've historically experienced. On the contrary, strengthening participation spaces regarding our institutions and our own governance systems and representation systems will help. Secondly, Given that this session is addressing participation in the conflict and post-conflict situations, we request the promotion of specific measures to ensure direct participation of indigenous peoples who are affected, together— built together with them to properly respond to their realities and to strengthen protection of their rights. Thirdly, to drive the eradication of financial, technical, language, and procedural barriers which limit our participation at the international level, coordinating these efforts with the UNAT Initiative and with synergies in these mechanisms in the United Nations system to promote coherence and effectiveness of the multilateral system. Fourth, we request that the regional processes coordinating Indigenous Peoples be recognized, including the Caucasus and the Amur spaces. These will enable us to build collective positions of territories and to ensure that our interventions genuinely reflect the thinking and will of our peoples.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for that statement, and I'd next like to offer the floor to Guatemala.

Gracias, señora presidenta.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Our delegation recognizes the important work being done by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous peoples to address in depth a substantive issue affecting rights holders. Improving and broadening Indigenous peoples' participation in the United Nations is a matter of particular importance for Guatemala, and we therefore reiterate our commitment to the work undertaken in this area. We are convinced that the process of participation in the United Nations must remain open, inclusive, and accessible for Indigenous peoples. As a matter of rights. Strengthening their participation in these spheres remains a pending debt and is aligned with full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

While significant progress has been achieved, it remains insufficient given the ongoing gaps.

In this context, Guatemala believes it's important to continue strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations. Current financial restrictions that the organization is facing, together with decisions taken— discussions in the framework of the UNATI, mean that we need to continue to move forward pragmatically and to continue to build consensus which will enable us to strengthen this process gradually, maintaining the drive and forward momentum achieved over recent years. It's therefore vital to hear from the Indigenous Peoples themselves and ensure that their views guide the definition of future participation modalities, fully respecting their right to free determination and self-identification. Guatemala will continue to promote implementation of the Declaration and will work constructively with States, Indigenous Peoples, and specialized United Nations mechanisms to continue promoting initiatives that strengthen their participation. Thank you very much, Madam.

Thank you very much for that statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Interregional Public Organization Union of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples, SOYUS.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I represent the Russian organization SOYUS. Of indigenous peoples. We believe that the participation of indigenous peoples should be expanded in UN institutions in line with Article 18 of the Declaration. This should first relate to representatives, institutions, and bodies of indigenous peoples established along with their own procedures. We give priority to the collective position of representative institutions of indigenous peoples Because the collective aspect of the rights is the most important one, and we believe that the most important thing is to have a mandate to represent collective opinions in our area. The mandate as such is in the hands of representative indigenous organizations, for example, umbrella or regional organizations of indigenous peoples that carry out their meetings or the councils of elders. We recommend to UN system bodies to clearly identify the principle of openness and transparency in the question of who speaks and on whose behalf. It is important to understand whether the individual presents a collective or individual opinion and whether there's a relevant mandate. We see that the collective voice of our people is simply drowned out by individual voices. We recognize the right of informal organizations and activists to be heard, but— and we do not deny their right and freedom of movement. But we do not think that they should take away the voices of indigenous persons— peoples of Russia. We are concerned with abuse of freedom of speech when 3 persons can make a coalition statement that do not reflect the position of indigenous peoples and actually create additional problems. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement. I'd next like to offer the floor— and I'm sorry, this is a little confused on the registration— Indigenous Organization Cultural Association from Africa. Speaker is Mariam Wallet Mohamed Abubakr.

Thank you so much, Tarlasem. Today I have the privilege to speak on behalf of the Indigenous Coordinated Body on Enhanced Participation at the United Nations on issues affecting them. We welcome discussion on enhanced participation of indigenous peoples' representative institutions institutions in the UN. The 2025 joint report of the co-facilitators and OHCHR provides insight to the principles and modalities that Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions identified at 2 international intersessional meetings, and we ask that the expert mechanism recommend the following substantial and procedural steps to put this framework into practice in response to the questions guiding this session. First, the ICB proposes a 3-year mandate to negotiate a resolution on enhancing the participation of Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions in the UN. By the conclusion of this mandate, a resolution establishing a distinct participatory status, which addresses the 4 elements of venues, modalities, accreditation criteria, and accreditation mechanism must be adopted. The ICB requests that the President of the Human Rights Council appoints one state and one indigenous co-facilitator with equivalent standing. The Council should commit to adequately resourcing the co-facilitators over a 2-year mandate. The process should be carried out with the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, including in informal consultations, which must be announced at least two months in advance. Second, participation should not wait for negotiations to conclude. As per paragraph eighty, we recommend the principles and elements should be formalized now. Third, we ask the expert mechanism to propose a dedicated. Council panel, which has yet to be formally formally discussed in a council setting.

Apologies, apologies. Time has ended. I would need to offer the floor to the next speaker from Finland, please.

Chair, members of Emre, indigenous representatives, dear participants, Finland aligns itself. With the EU statement and is happy to continue this important dialogue with all relevant stakeholders. It is time to move forward with concrete outcomes both here in Geneva and in New York. We must continue to build on the progress already made in the context of the Human Rights Council. It remains key that Indigenous Peoples continue to be in the center of these discussions. In our joint effort to enhance participation, We must do our utmost that indigenous voices from all corners of the world are heard, and most importantly, taken into account. Indigenous women and girls, in all their diversity, continue to face barriers in participating both at national and international levels. To make real progress, these barriers must be removed out of the way. Chair, reprisals against indigenous human rights defenders. can never be tolerated, being sometimes even in a bigger risk than other human rights defenders. Finland strongly condemns all acts of reprisals, harassment, or violence against Indigenous or any other representative engaging with the UN and its mechanisms. I thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement. I would next like to call University University of Amsterdam. Speaker is Ashok Danavat.

Thank you, Chair. I'm Ashok Danavat, doctoral researcher, bringing a collective statement by the Adivasi National Coordination Front of India and the Tribal Collective at UN EMRIP. I draw attention to the continued dispossession of indigenous territories in India despite constitutional guarantees under PESA and FRA and 5th and 6th Schedules and Article 371. Evidence points towards active development violence used by the Indian state to criminalize efforts by indigenous people to assert their identity, political autonomy, and rights to lands and resources. The Adivasi communities defending Jal, Jangal, Jameen are branded as extremists and jailed on anti-national charges. 256 were killed in Bastar alone. in 2025, a tenfold rise since its reward-for-killing policy began on 12 July. On 12 July, land rights defender Pranab Doley was arrested without a warrant in Assam for—

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Can you please keep to the agenda item, enhanced participation? Yes, you have 51 seconds. 49.

Since May 2023, hundreds have been killed and, uh, 43,000 people remain displaced in Manipur state. 731 have died in relief camps as per the state RTI disclosures. The state's continued inaction in facilitating a meaningful solution is deepening—

I'm sorry, this is off topic. Please keep to the agenda item. I'm going to next call Ukraine.

Thank you. Ukraine remains firmly committed to upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and advancing the principles and standards it established, including the right of indigenous peoples to meaningful participation in decisions affecting them. Ukraine is the homeland of 3 indigenous peoples: the Crimean Tatars, the Karaims, and the Krimchaks. Ukraine recognizes their distinct status and remains committed to protecting their rights while ensuring their meaningful participation in political, social, and cultural processes. Ukraine continues to facilitate the participation of indigenous representatives in the work of the United Nations, including the expert mechanism and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. We support strengthening of indigenous institutions and organizations so that they can effectively represent their peoples at the national and international levels. In April 2026, the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar People was granted a legally established status as the representative body of the Crimean Tatar People. This step strengthened institutional cooperation between the state and the Crimean Tatar People and further enhanced their ability to convey their positions and participate in decision-making processes, including at the international level. Meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in the United Nations system is not only a human rights obligation but also an essential element of inclusive governance and sustainable peace. Ensuring their participation contributes to more inclusive dialogue and strengthens the foundations for lasting peace. At the same time, Ukraine remains deeply concerned about the situation of its indigenous peoples under the temporary occupation of Crimea. Since Since the Russian Federation's occupation in 2014, serious violations of their rights have persisted. The prohibition of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people by the occupying authorities remains one of the most serious examples of these violations. Thus, we call on relevant United Nations mechanisms to maintain attention to the human rights situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea and ensure that indigenous representatives from temporarily occupied territory can safely engage with the UN system. Strengthened cooperation between UN mechanisms and indigenous representatives remains essential for protecting rights, ensuring accountability, and advancing justice. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. And I'd next like to offer the floor to National Congress of American Indians, please.

Thank you, Chair. I speak on behalf of the National Congress of American Indians. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes the the importance of self-determination and full participation in the political, economic, and social life of our respective states. Recognition and participation of Indigenous Peoples must accommodate the numerous ways we identify, organize, and represent ourselves. The Human Rights Council must guide and implement mechanisms for the self-determination— for the self-directed participation of Indigenous Peoples across all UN agencies where our rights or resources are implicated. It is essential that we participate directly in matters of global concern that affect our environment, health, human rights, and unique rights as Indigenous Peoples. We urge EMRIP to take immediate steps in support of the full implementation of our recognized rights in these actionable ways. 1. Recommend that the Human Rights Council and the UN as a whole adopt and implement the enhanced participation measures outlined in the joint report on the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples prepared pursuant to Council Resolution 5412. 2, recommend that the Human Rights Council begin a negotiation process leading to a resolution establishing a distinct and appropriate status for Indigenous Peoples' representative institutions consistent with the principles set out in UNDRIP Articles 3— oh, set out in UNDRIP Articles 3, 18, and 41, and in paragraphs 78 and 79 of the Joint Report. Number 3, recommend modalities in UN bodies, agencies, and conventions by which member states directly facilitate the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples through consultation, inclusion, and involvement in negotiation processes. And 4, provide all technical, financial, and human resources that will be required to support the enhanced participation of Indigenous Peoples as contemplated in the Joint Report. Nohrón-Lovik, thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement and keeping perfectly to time, to the second. Thank you. Next, I'd like to give the floor to European Union.

Members of the Expert Mechanism, distinguished Indigenous Peoples' representatives, the EU remains strongly committed to continue to engage in all efforts enhance the full, effective, and meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples' representatives and institutions in relevant United Nations bodies, including the meetings of the Human Rights Council, on issues affecting them. We have supported recent measures taken by this Council to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in its plenary debates. The EU welcomes the progress achieved to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples peoples in the works of the Human Rights Council, including the intersessional meetings held in 2024, and in the continued discussions under the Council. These represent important steps towards fulfilling the commitments made at the 2014 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. It is now important to move from discussion towards concrete and institutionally workable arrangement that strengthen participation in practice. We believe the full, effective, and meaningful participation should enable Indigenous Peoples to contribute effectively to discussions and outcomes on issues affecting them in accordance with the principles of self-determination, inclusion, and free, prior, and informed consent. Distinguished members of the Expert Mechanism, what actions would you recommend to advance implementation of the recommendations from the 2024 intersessional meetings and ensure meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Human Rights Council. I thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I'd next like to offer the floor to Red Nacional de Derechos Humanos.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. As part of this discussion, we would like to denounce the alarming degradation of democracy in the Andean regions and the refusal by certain states to implement the recommendations and observations of Indigenous Peoples' Mechanisms. The Human Rights Council should should urge states to comply with decisions of mechanism and step up their financial cooperation. We're alarmed by the process of criminalization of indigenous leaders in the region. We're especially concerned with the situation in Peru, where currently under arbitrary detentions, Mr. Pedro Castillo de Roños, the ex-president of Peru, contradicting the decision of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions.

Thank you.

This situation runs counter international human rights law and the cooperation with multilateralism and special procedures of the United Nations. The Human Rights Council must urge countries to comply, respect, and take into account the work of mechanisms to strengthen civil society. This is a democratic space of participation, and we fully realize that United Nations requires the cooperation of all countries. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I would next like to call on the Royal State Tahiti and its Islands.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to convey our respectful greetings on behalf of the head of state. I take the floor on behalf of the Maui people, the indigenous peoples of our islands that bear the culture and history since times immemorial. We're here to ensure respect for international law and the rights of Indigenous peoples. On behalf of my people, I make 4 requests. First, full and complete implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons— Indigenous Persons in Our Territories. 2, recognition of our Indigenous identity, of our legitimacy, and our right to self-determination. 3, respect of our rights on ancestral lands. The text of 1981 provided for that land tenure rights are in the hands of Indigenous peoples. We hope and we urge that this law be respected. 4, the respect of our right to govern our own people on the basis of our institution, our laws, and our culture. We have adopted a constitution in 2018. We presented a treaty in 2021 to the United Nations, and we done that on behalf of more than 10,000 citizens. We, we are a people. We are not asking for any privileges. We simply are asking for the respect of rights recognized for Indigenous peoples by international law. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement. I'd next like to offer the floor to New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Anne Dennis. I'm a councillor for the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council. NewsWalk welcomes the continued work to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations and remind member states that this is not a new aspiration. It is a commitment made at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples more than a decade ago, and one that now requires implementation. We therefore recommend: 1, a clear roadmap and timeline for the implementation of enhanced participation; 2, formal recognition of Indigenous peoples' representatives institutions within the United Nations process. 3, a single streamlined accessible and transparent accreditation and registration process across relevant United Nations mechanisms. And 4, dedicated and sustainable funding for Indigenous participation, including support for preparation, coordination, and following through. Madam Chair, participation must be meaningful, not symbolic. Our experience demonstrates both the values of Indigenous participation and the practical barriers that continue to limit us. I may remind you that the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, a membership of 30,000 people, we have recently paused its participation in Australia's national Close the Gap framework because commitments to partnership and shared decision-making are increasingly and not being matched by practice. This demonstrates why meaningful participation cannot simply be procedural. We stand with the Australian Government, we share the aspirational views of Australia, but time now is for implementation. We need to As we say, do nothing about us without us. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

Thank you very much for that statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Society for Threatened Peoples' joint statement with Indigenous Women's Organization.

Спасибо, спасибо, президент.

Thank you very much. Madam Chair, Indigenous peoples who have the opportunity to fully participate in the work of the Human Rights Council and have an impact on decisions taken. The broadening of participation should be based on the right of Indigenous peoples and several self-determination, self-governance. States should refrain from interfering in the process of self-governance of Indigenous peoples and determine their institutions and stop the persecution of organizations of Indigenous. Peoples that represent collective rights and have the relevant mandate. States should stop creating any political, administrative, or any other barriers to the participation of independent organizations and their representatives in the work of the Human Rights Council and other mechanisms of the United Nations. The right to identify and create their own representative institutions— this is something that can only be done by indigenous peoples in line with Articles 18 and 33 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. No single representative of Indigenous Peoples should be persecuted or threatened or punished for cooperating with the Human Rights Council. This is a necessary prerequisite for full, safe, and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council. The co-chair of the International Caucus of Indigenous Peoples on Climate Change, Daria Iregueva, previously participated actively in intersessional meetings of the Human Rights Council related to the question of the participation of Indigenous peoples in the work of the Council in 2024 and made a significant contribution in finding specific ways of strengthening such participation. She has to be here today and represent Indigenous peoples, but instead of that, she was persecuted by the authorities of the Russian Federation because of her human rights work. This is a direct example that broadening the participation of Indigenous peoples is impossible with effective guarantees against any repressions against those who cooperate with UN mechanisms.

Time is up. I would like to next offer the floor to Bolivarian State of Venezuela. Muchas gracias, Presidente.

Thank you very much, Chair. The delegation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would like to thank you for presenting this agenda item, and we reiterate our commitment to strengthening the participation of indigenous peoples and communities in the UN system. For my country, such participation is an expression of the cultural diversity that characterizes us. For that reason, we believe that any accreditation mechanism should be based on criteria of transparency, legitimacy, inclusion, and accountability, ensuring that representation authentically represents— responds to Indigenous peoples' needs and avoid any distortion or appropriation of their voices. We also believe that it is crucial to ensure that this process is built on the basis of broad and inclusive consultations with the support of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Questions and the Economic and Social Council in order to define modalities for participation that fully respect the identity and the representativeness of Indigenous peoples. Venezuela reiterates its readiness to contribute constructively to this process, convinced that only through clear and consensus-based criteria will we be able to consolidate the full, genuine, and respectful participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the United Nations. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I'd next like to offer the floor to Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program, University of Arizona.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm Heather Whiteman-Runsim, and I represent the United States on the Indigenous Coordinating Body. I offer this intervention to suggest concrete steps that member states can take to support Indigenous peoples' enhanced participation as directed by the UNDRIP and the World Conference outcome document. First, member states should table and support at the Council session this September a resolution mandating an intergovernmental negotiation process resulting in a resolution implementing the recommendations from the 2025 Joint Report in coordination with and with the Indigenous Coordinating Body and with full and meaningful participation by Indigenous Peoples. Second, member states must dismantle the documented and persistent structural barriers outlined in the 2025 Joint Report. For example, securing ECOSOC accreditation demands recognized standing, including formal head headquarters, executive officers, registration, and financial statements. Many Indigenous Peoples' Representative Institutions may not be recognized by a state and function less formally or through unwritten traditions rather than written documentation. So many structural and procedural requirements exclude Indigenous Peoples' Representative Institutions by design. Third, any new accreditation mechanism must include transparency and safeguards as outlined in the Joint Report. Fourth, access must extend at a minimum to all venues open to NHRIs and CSOs, including Universal Periodic Review, and to all current and future Council venues with no predetermined limiting lists. Finally, robust financial support for the UN Voluntary Fund and the Indigenous Coordinating Body throughout this process and afterwards remains critical. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Norway.

Thank you, Chair. Norway is still committed to protecting and promoting the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including their rights to participate in all decision-making concerning themselves. We're proud to have consistently and proactively supported the process process of enhancing Indigenous Peoples' participation in relevant UN meetings, including in the Human Rights Council. Norway is actively engaging in the current process in New York to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples' representatives and institutions in meetings of relevant United Nations bodies on issues affecting them. Significant progress was made when Indigenous Peoples' representatives from the 7 socio-cultural regions participated in the interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and with EMRIP in the Council's 57th session in 2024 and the 60th in 2025. We're now looking ahead to the 63rd session in September. We commend the core group of this resolution on human rights and Indigenous Peoples Mexico, and Guatemala for their leadership and encourage further steps to enhance participation. Indigenous Peoples have a long history of contributing to and enhancing the work of the UN in tackling global and national challenges. The expertise, perspectives, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples are essential to the Human Rights Council's work. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Runai Earth.

Madam Chair, distinguished members of the mechanism, I am a biologist, and on my basis experiences, I observed that many indigenous communities create information related to the state of their territories through community monitoring of of water, biodiversity, and other ecosystems. Nevertheless, this knowledge and evidence are not recognized by official systems that underpin public decision-making. The studies of EMRIP have reaffirmed that effective participation means going beyond simple consultations and recognize the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decisions that affect their rights. Nevertheless, such participation continues to be limited when governments do not react in the face of the death of persons due to water contamination. For that reason, we recommend to the mechanism to develop guidelines directed at states to recognize and integrate community monitoring systems by indigenous persons and the information generated by our communities in decision-making processes. Respecting the sovereignty of data, and also strengthen the participation of young Indigenous people in these processes, providing a space that could contribute to the dialogue between science and traditional knowledge, focusing on issues like climate change, loss of biodiversity, and sustainable management of natural resources. I would like to invite you to ensure that Indigenous science is Take into account. Thank you.

Thank you very much for this statement, and I would like to offer the floor to Colombia.

Gracias, señora presidenta.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Colombia attaches fundamental importance to strengthening the participation of indigenous peoples in the United Nations system. Our country recognizes indigenous peoples as holders of specific and differentiated collective rights who require participation mechanisms that are different to those provided for, for civil society organizations. Colombia has supported discussions aiming at establishing more appropriate, inclusive, and effective forms of participation within the multilateral system. We believe it vital to continue moving towards recognition of a differentiated status which reflects the collective nature of Indigenous Peoples and which ensures significant participation in international processes that affect them directly. On the national level, Colombia has developed relevant protocols for effective participation of Indigenous Peoples to enable joint construction protection of national positions, autonomous participation in international spheres, and the integration and incorporation of Indigenous representatives within official delegations. Implementing these protocols has enabled us to identify around 20 priority international scenarios to ensure Indigenous participation in matters related to biodiversity, climate change, security, gender, intellectual property and other issues of strategic interest. I thank you very much, Madam.

Thank you very much for that statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Ontario Native Women's Association.

Thank you, Chair. The Ontario Native Women's Association is here amplifying the collective voices of over 35 Indigenous women's agencies. UNRWA acknowledges the work of the many Indigenous peoples who have been fighting for our enhanced participation in the Human Rights Council. To complement these efforts, we would like to reiterate 2 recommendations. First, modalities must ensure the enhanced participation of Indigenous women and girls in the organizations that we choose to represent us. Particular attention should be paid to increasing the safe inclusion of Indigenous women-led organizations and associations. This must include the broad representation of Indigenous women's organizations in urban Indigenous agencies who are chosen by us to represent issues of importance for us as our right affirmed by Article 18 of the UN Declaration. Indigenous women have inherent leadership rights and have always been leaders in our families, our communities, and in our nations. While colonization and ongoing colonial practices and policies disrupted our leadership, our right to leadership is inherent and must be upheld. Yet states like Canada push colonial systems that only recognize structures they created. These systems and structures cause Indigenous women harm by excluding us in decision-making processes that impact our lives. It is our inherent right and responsibility as matriarchs to speak on our own behalf and represent ourselves, our families, and our future generations. Second, member states must create concrete measures to address the structural and procedural barriers to the participation of Indigenous women in our organizations. The liquidity crisis must not be used as an excuse to delay our enhanced participation. Miigwech.

Thank you for your statement. I would next like to offer the floor to Oirat Indigenous Community. O-I-R-A-T is the spelling, Indigenous Community.

Thank you, Chair. My name is Boindukhto Suetar, current Indigenous Fellow representing Oirat Indigenous Community in Mongolia, and I speak today as a nutrition as educator and mother. We face a modern crisis. Climate change, migration, mining, and poverty drive nomadic families into cities where our children encounter a culture of embarrassment and pressure to abandon their traditions. These pressures fall heavily on Indigenous women, the primary guardians of our language and culture. Indigenous women, women are knowledge holders and agents of transformation. From an indigenous feminist perspective, the protection of our rights is inseparable from the participation of indigenous women. My community proves this through the Oirat Mongol Culture Center and Nomad Girls Club, bridging nomadic heritage with digital skills. Upholding the UNDRIP requires moving beyond rhetoric to tangible action. I respect respectfully urge states and international partners to prioritize funding gender-responsive Indigenous-led initiatives consistent with Article 22, to ensure meaningful partnership by including Indigenous women in decision-making processes as mandated by Article 18 and 19, free, prior, and informed consent, support Indigenous children education that integrates technology without sacrificing cultural identity. When indigenous women are empowered, discrimination fades, knowledge lives on, and our future grows stronger. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I will offer the floor to one more speaker before offering the floor to my colleagues From the expert mechanism for their comment, so we will turn to the expert mechanism following the next speaker I would like to call, which is Spain.

Madam Chair, delegates, representatives of indigenous peoples, Spain is fully committed to the rights of indigenous peoples and therefore. We support in all ways full, effective, and significant participation of Indigenous Peoples in all United Nations fora, including this Expert Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples. The commitment that Spanish cooperation has to rights and development, to well-being and the living well of Indigenous Peoples, has already been underway for 3 decades since the Spanish International Cooperation Agency for Development has been carrying out actions and projects as part of our Indigenous Program. One of the main areas of action for us is strengthening and ensuring participation of Indigenous Peoples in all matters and areas that genuinely affect them, in line with the relevant international standards, as well as free prior informed consent. Therefore, Spain supports the Voluntary Contribution Fund of the United Nations for Indigenous Peoples, which seeks to assist and facilitate the presence of all representatives of Indigenous Peoples in fora like this one, providing training and opportunities to more Indigenous People, because the voice of Indigenous Peoples cannot be represented by others, only by themselves. Nothing about us without us. Madam Chair, Spain's commitment to this Voluntary Contribution Fund has been in place for years now and intends to stay. with contributions to the Fund that are reliable, constant, and sustainable every year, as we have just done in 2026 once again. Our goal is to support the Indigenous movement, for it to be strong and organized, with sufficient capacity to defend their rights and to have their voices heard, to move forwards towards effective enjoyment of their rights and living standards and the living well of all Indigenous people. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement, and I would now like to offer time to my colleagues from the expert mechanism. Thank you, Osho. You have the floor.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. UNDRIP places participation at the heart of the protection and promotion of Indigenous Peoples. Article 41 affirms the responsibility of the United Nations system to ensure the participation of Indigenous Peoples in matters affecting them. This commitment is reinforced throughout the Declaration. Article 5 recognizes the rights of Indigenous Peoples to participate fully in the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the state in which they reside. Article 18 guarantees Indigenous Peoples' rights to participation in decision-making in matters affecting their rights. Article 27 further requires Indigenous Peoples' participation in processes concerning the recognition and protection of their lands, territories, and resources. These provisions demonstrate the importance of the rights to participation for indigenous peoples. As the body entrusted to assist member states in achieving the goals of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, EMRIP should actively promote a meaningful effective, informed, inclusive, and non-discriminatory participation of all Indigenous Peoples across all the 7 UN sociocultural regions in the UN system, including within our mechanism. Contemporary human rights jurisprudence and scholarship recognizes participation not merely as a procedural mechanism for for realizing other rights, but also as an autonomous substantive right in itself. Meaningful participation therefore requires more than symbolic representation, as mentioned by many in the room, but it also demands the genuine inclusion and equitable participation of Indigenous Peoples in decision-making, including leadership level. As EMREP, we can advance this objective by strengthening and consistently applying the established practice of rotational leadership. A transparent, inclusive, and predictable rotation of leadership would provide each socio-cultural region with a fair opportunity to serve, reflecting the principle of equality, non-discrimination, and self-determination that underpins the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Such an approach would not only enhance the legitimacy and credibility of the mechanism and the UN system at large, but also fosters trust, shared ownership, and unity among Indigenous representatives. At a time when the rights of Indigenous peoples face increasing challenges across the globe, our collective priority must be to strengthen unity, mutual respect, inclusivity, and meaningful participation of all Indigenous Peoples from across the 7 UN sociocultural regions in the UN system. I thank you, Madam Chair.

Are there any other colleagues Are there any other speakers from the expert mechanism who wish to take the floor? Seeing none, I will continue with the speakers list. I'd next like to recognize International Funders for Indigenous Peoples. Thank you.

With the permission of our ancestors, peoples, and territories, we are here introducing ourselves as guardians of birth and the continuity of life. We are the Continental Alliance of Traditional and Indigenous Midwives and Birthers. Today we are currently facing a new form of epistemicide with processes of professionalization, certification, and institutionalization, which under the label of safety or intercultural— interculturality, they are seeking to deprive us of our knowledge. We see and denounce the political will of these organizations to not have our voices heard, but these policies are modern forms of colonialism. We are against the professionalization, imposed professionalization, which is seeking to align birthing with biomedic standards that are outside of our spirituality. We recommend to EMRIP and to member states that there be full, effective, and binding participation of Indigenous birthing support in United Nations, to provide sufficient resources and timely resources such as interpretation from our languages, to facilitate our participation in various decision-making spaces, to ensure participation and for an effective representation in decision-making processes through the development of public policies to ensure that our voices be heard and that they translate to specific actions and that they don't just remain at the dialogue stage. Birth is not a medical act, it is a territorial, spiritual, political act. Defending Indigenous midwifery means defending the ongoing continuity of people, their knowledge, and balance of life in Mother Earth. We are still here and we will continue to defend life, our knowledge, and our territories.

Thank you very much for your statement. I would next like to give the floor— offer the floor to Tsaihtkotiin National Government.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'm Dakota Diablo from the Tsaihtkotiin Nation. The Tsaihtkotiin Nation wishes to thank the expert mechanism for the opportunity to share the reflections of our nation on this important matter, as we've done regularly in the past. As we have said in the past, As an Indigenous nation, the Tsaihtekot'in have the right to self-determination and self-governance. This includes the right to external self-determination, which we have regularly exercised in our participation here at the United Nations. Further, we are not NGOs, but as a government, we have our own NGOs, and we incorporate these important civil society voices in our governments. For example, women participate in our governments through the Tsai Koting Women's Council. It supports women's participation in the Tsai Koting Nation leadership at both the community and nation level. As a government and as a nation, we have the sacred responsibility to represent all our people, our youth, our elders, and our women. Therefore, let me be clear, our nation is Indigenous representative institution in question. To put it another way, we are the peoples in the UN Declaration, and the civil society organizations must never attempt to speak on our behalf or take the space of our governments. In response to the first question in the concept note, Indigenous representation— representative institutions require recognition at the UN in the form of a distinct status that reflects our inherent self-determination. Therefore, it will be important to formally adopt and utilize the accreditation principles in paragraphs 78 and 79, which keep the focus on Indigenous representatives' institutions. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that statement, and we will have time for a few more from the floor. I'd like to offer the floor

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ethnic integration is often promoted as a path to national unity, yet in many cases it has resulted in genocide and erasure of indigenous identities. The Hmong indigenous people are one such community facing ongoing suppression and erasure. Centuries of discrimination and marginalization have left the Hmong people afraid to participate openly in local, national, and international cultural life, including at the United Nations. Hmong people are forced to identify as other ethnic groups to access education, healthcare, legal protections, and other basic services. Without official recognition, there is no data on the Hmong, resulting in structural exclusion. Public discussion on the Hmong identity is often discouraged when it falls outside officially recognized ethnic frameworks, and educational systems frequently omit or misrepresent the Hmong history and culture. These barriers undermine cultural preservation and limit meaningful participation, including at the United Nations and with the Human Rights Council. To help end these human rights violations and barriers and to ensure that Indigenous people can fully participate in the United Nations, we respectfully call on the United Nations, the international community, and Madam Chair to support The official recognition of the Hmong indigenous people as well as others. The official recognition will allow Hmong to freely and equally participate in social, economic, cultural life and in the United Nations. Thank you, Madam Chair, for your kind attention.

Thank you very much for that spot-on time statement, and my colleague No one has asked for the floor for time as AMRIP, so I'd like to offer the floor to Vice Chair Anexa Alfred Cunningham.

Thank you very much indeed. I wanted to thank all states, indigenous peoples, national human rights institutions, and organizations who have spoken in this dialogue. Your inputs reflect commitment to strengthening the participation of Indigenous Peoples within the United Nations. I wanted to highlight 3 comments essentially under this agenda item. Firstly, there is broad recognition that participation of Indigenous Peoples does not constitute a concession but rather a right enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Thank you. Its effective implementation requires spaces for inclusive participation that are culturally appropriate and respectful of the institutions respecting our peoples— representing our peoples. Secondly, participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations cannot be separate from the reality faced by many Indigenous leaders in their countries. Criminalization, restrictions on freedom of movement, evictions— these all directly affect the possibility of Indigenous voices coming to the international stage. Strengthening participation also means ensuring a safe environment for those who defend the rights of Indigenous peoples, ensuring that nobody be silenced. For exercising that leadership and for bringing the voices of their peoples to these spaces. Lastly, strengthening participation of Indigenous Peoples means strengthening the United Nations system itself. Decisions affecting Indigenous Peoples must enjoy their direct, effective, and good faith participation in fully in line with their right to free self-determination and the principles of the Declaration. I hope that these elements shared throughout this dialogue will help the— will help us move forward towards more robust, effective, and long-lasting mechanisms to ensure full, effective, significant participation of Indigenous Peoples in the United Nations and above all safe participation.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Anexa. I would next like to offer the floor to Windsports International.

Greetings to all delegations. We from the Musqueam Nation Treaty 6 territory welcomes the zero draft and adopts the principles for enhanced participation, including the multi-year structure. We reiterate that Indigenous peoples, tribes, and nations are sovereign governments and must be recognized as such. The current NGO and ECOSOC accreditation process is a contradiction for the recognition of Indigenous peoples' governments and is therefore inappropriate. The rules of procedure do not allow interventions at the UN General Assembly, even as a UN Permanent Forum member. Therefore, we strongly support and call for the consultation process to ensure the full equitable participation of Indigenous Peoples, including the strength and wisdom of our traditional elders. The establishment of the Enhanced Participation Workshop as an essential mechanism for participation is guaranteed by Article 18 and in accordance with Article 19 of the UN Declaration. The organization of informal interactive hearings ensuring the development of fulsome, concrete procedural and institutional steps, all of which must occur with Indigenous Peoples and Member States together in the same room and not separately. We finally call for one, the General Secretary General, excuse me, to compile the reality from all 7 regions, including existing practices, acknowledgement of Indigenous peoples' representative institutions, good practice, while documenting all significant barriers faced by Indigenous peoples and that they formally and proactively invite, receive, and review written submissions of Indigenous peoples. Thank you.

Thank you very much for your statement. Next, I'd like to offer the floor to Peru. Not in the room. A few minutes left on the clock. Floor can go to Association of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation, Raipan.

Distinguished members, Chair, the process of participating of indigenous peoples in the United Nations bodies should be broadened, and this should first and foremost refer to representative institutions of indigenous peoples. In this respect, we believe that we should ensure the full-fledged participation of legitimate representative bodies and taking into account the decisions of indigenous people in the work of UN institutions. We have concerns with questions that have a direct bearing on broadening the participation of Indigenous peoples in the UNR. Indigenous peoples have been recognized and they have their own systems for taking decisions that have the mandate to speak on their behalf. However, in different fora, we see representatives of émigré organizations taking the floor, stating that they represent the Indigenous peoples of Russia, but they do not have such a mandate. They claim that they're reporters. They create organizations with fancy names consisting of only 3 people, but they do not represent our people. They make politicized statements, allegedly speaking on behalf of indigenous peoples of Russia. In this respect, we'd like to clearly say that they do not have mandates from our people and do not have any support back home. And also, they're not accountable to their own indigenous peoples. At the time when the voices of true indigenous organizations and indigenous people is not her. We urge you to focus on removing visa, logistical, and language barriers and any other artificial obstacles to the participation of indigenous peoples from all social cultural regions of the world. Would like to draw the attention of the main coordinating body for our social cultural regions. It's extremely important to ensure the participation of representatives of our people in these bodies. Unfortunately, there's not enough information in our social-cultural region about the work of this body. This hampers reaching consensus and does not allow the equal participation of Indigenous peoples of Russia in this process.

Thank you for your statement. One last statement, uh, to close us out. Young Diplomats of Canada.

Thank you to the chair and the expert mechanism. My name is Megan Lewis with Indigenous Youth Roots, supported by All My Relations International and Young Diplomats of Canada. I would like to speak about the necessity of Indigenous youth leading conversations about their rights and their work as rights holders in so-called Canada. Indigenous youth consistently reiterate that their lives and rights are interconnected across communities, borders, and lands. Upholding Indigenous rights now and into the future requires a multifaceted and intergenerational approach. Indigenous youth are not only leaders of tomorrow, they are leading today. They care for families and communities, hold systems and one another accountable, name issues early, and mentor younger generations. Indigenous youth repeatedly call for meaningful inclusion in spaces where their rights are discussed and decisions affecting them are made, including at the United Nations. In 2022, we engaged over 100 youth about how they envision UNDRIP implementation in their communities. One youth told us that inclusion made them hopeful, their voices and concerns were being heard, and called for spaces where youth can come together to propose solutions. This call was reinforced through our Indigenous Youth Reconciliation Barometer 2024, which engaged more than 1,100 youth. Youth did not only participate as respondents, their experiences informed concrete actions for advancing their rights and futures. This participation is essential in implementing Canada's UN Declaration Act in a way that reflects those whose rights and futures are directly affected. Effective Indigenous participation cannot happen without stable funding and capacity capacity building, and we implore this body and its adjacent agencies to look beyond inclusion, tokenization, or siloing of youth, and instead weave youth into leadership and decision-making structures at every level, creating intentional, consistent, and well-resourced paths for youth to lead and shape implementation. And human rights work can only strengthen this work, and we urge member states to hold their governments to this standard, not only to young people—

Thank you. Thank you for your statement. And that runs out the clock on this discussion item, this agenda item. So I would like to thank all those who participated in this conversation. Very robust and comprehensive dialogue. And this will close out this agenda item. And we will welcome you back into this room at 3:00 to proceed with item 5 of our agenda. This, this item is adjourned.