A/HRC/42/19 Mechanism for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Aotearoa, New Zealand, on behalf of the Iwi Chairs Forum and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission. The Expert Mechanism provided advice on the development of a national plan of action to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 74. During a session of the Forum on Business and Human Rights in November 2018, a full meeting was dedicated to indigenous peoples. Key messages from stakeholders included the call made by the caucus of indigenous peoples for all actors to respect their rights and consult with indigenous communities in connection with business projects. The key role of States in complying with their obligations to indigenous peoples was emphasized, including through national action plans and when taking adequate measures against companies that violate the rights of indigenous peoples. III. Participation of indigenous peoples in United Nations processes 75. The OHCHR office in Colombia provided technical support to indigenous organizations that had made a written submission to the universal periodic review of Colombia in May 2018, in which they pointed out the precarious state of compliance with the commitments subscribed to by the State both in terms of human rights and the ethnic chapter of the Peace Agreement. 76. In December 2018, OHCHR organized a large-scale regional meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, that brought together indigenous representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico. Participants also included State authorities and international experts from the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Best practices on how to overcome challenges on the ground and the use of autonomous protocols from various countries were discussed. Participants highlighted the need to start identifying private companies that were genuinely interested in engaging with indigenous communities, in line with international standards and norms. The event contributed to advocating for the use of autonomous protocols and enhancing a regional strategy through a multisectoral network of stakeholders. 77. In November 2018, the OHCHR office in Guatemala provided technical assistance to two indigenous Q’eqchi leaders so that they could participate in the Forum on Business and Human Rights, where they presented cases related to contemporary forms of slavery in the departments of Alta Verapaz and Petén carried out by companies in the palm oil industry. The cases also included violations of the rights of indigenous peoples owing to the expansion of large-scale development projects and the criminalization of various indigenous leaders for their opposition to the implementation of those projects, which were approved without obtaining their free, prior and informed consent. 78. The country office in Guatemala supported 43 groups of indigenous peoples who jointly prepared and submitted a comprehensive alternative report to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In collaboration with the International Platform against Impunity, the country office also provided technical assistance to the delegation of indigenous peoples that participated in the ninety-eighth session of the Committee in Geneva, representing the Quiché, Kaqchikel, Ixil, Mam and Tzutujil Mayan indigenous peoples. 79. The OHCHR presence in Kenya supported civil society organizations working on indigenous rights to engage with the universal periodic review, providing financial and technical support. 80. During the visit of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to Mexico in April 2019, the OHCHR office ensured the presence of indigenous representatives in her meetings so that they could share with the High Commissioner some of the challenges of indigenous communities, including on issues related to lack of consultation, land rights, right to water and the criminalization of indigenous human rights defenders. 12