A/HRC/38/23 institutions could play. She also encouraged indigenous nations and communities to give young persons space to participate in their governance structures. 29. Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild said that, 40 years previously, when indigenous representatives, including him, had come to Geneva for the first time, they had not been allowed to take the floor at United Nations meetings. The current challenges regarding the participation of indigenous peoples at the United Nations were regrettable. It was important to acknowledge the contributions of indigenous peoples to the human family, including through the recognition of spiritual rights and indigenous peoples’ role as stewards of the environment. He welcomed the fact that the Council had focused on youth through the panel, and called on States, indigenous peoples, civil society and the United Nations to work together to advance the rights of indigenous peoples. He appreciated the ongoing support of all States, indigenous peoples, civil society and the United Nations over the past 40 years, and urged those States that had not found a way to recognize indigenous peoples or support the Declaration to join in the movement towards not only the implementation of the Declaration but also peace and reconciliation. 30. Mr. Barume said that there was a need to raise awareness and build capacity around the Declaration, particularly among civil servants. The principle of free, prior and informed consent was one of the Declaration’s most important contributions to international law, encapsulating, as it did, the basic principle of inclusive governance of society, under which all voices were heard. 6