A/HRC/42/19 education, including recommendations to step up efforts to promote and preserve the languages of indigenous peoples through the education system, take relevant measures to safeguard intangible cultural heritage and invest in the preservation of endangered languages. Other recommendations included requesting the removal of all discriminatory practices against indigenous peoples in their access to health, educational and social support and services, as well as ensuring the sustainable socioeconomic and cultural development of indigenous peoples. H. Violence against indigenous women and girls 61. The OHCHR office in Guatemala organized a contest and exhibition, in coordination with the network of Mayan women weavers, to promote the rights to intellectual property and cultural rights relating to textiles, under the title “Que cuenta ese güipil”. The contest promoted the interaction and hands-on capacity-building of 150 university students, who were in direct contact with approximately 200 Mayan weavers, raising awareness of the rich history, tradition and cultural value that textiles have in the context of the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The country office also provided support to organizations of indigenous weavers that were advocating in Congress for the approval of a law that would protect their intellectual property rights, in line with the provisional injunction granted to them by the Constitutional Court in 2017. 62. In Guatemala, the cultural appropriateness of indigenous midwifery has been recognized by the Constitutional Court, which in a judgment in March 2019 provided national protection to Mayan, Xinkan and Garífuna midwives. The country office provided technical assistance under the Maya programme to the midwives in the case, resulting in a judgment that took on board international human rights standards with regard to maternal and neonatal health and requested the State to respect traditions, customs and practices in line with a cultural perspective and without discrimination. 63. In April 2018, the OHCHR Regional Office for South America, in cooperation with the meeting of the Ministers and High Authorities for Women of MERCOSUR and the Embassy of Spain in Uruguay facilitated a regional workshop for representatives of Afrodescendant and indigenous women’s organizations of MERCOSUR in Montevideo. The training session brought together 40 women from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and addressed the international human rights protection system and relevant mechanisms aimed at combating racial and gender discrimination. 64. The Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises organized global consultations to inform their report to the Human Rights Council on the gender dimensions of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (see A/HRC/41/43). During the consultations, the situation of indigenous women and the impacts suffered in the context of business activities were discussed. I. Rights of indigenous peoples and financial institutions 65. In October 2018, the OHCHR office in Cambodia released a report entitled “Assessment of the credit opportunities for indigenous communities in Cambodia holding a collective land title”. In the report, the Office reviewed the economic conditions of indigenous communities that had obtained a collective land title and made recommendations to the Government of Cambodia, financial institutions, civil society organizations and indigenous communities on issues related to collective land titling processes, credit loan processes and the protection needed by indigenous communities. 66. In February 2019, the OHCHR office in Mexico held a meeting with the French Development Agency, which is collaborating with the Mexican Ministry of Energy on financial loans. The country office explained the importance of consultation with indigenous peoples as a mechanism to guarantee participation and compliance with other fundamental rights. 10

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