A/HRC/24/26 34. Under the auspices of the Regional Office, the NHRI organized dialogue sessions with indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants. The Office guided the discussions and contributed, through these sessions, to building confidence between the indigenous peoples and Afrodescendant populations on the one hand and the NHRI on the other. These dialogue sessions have been a key step in enhancing the credibility of the NHRI and are expected to contribute to the improvement of its action and monitoring capacities for the human rights situation of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in 2013. In addition, the Regional Office encouraged the Ombudsperson to appoint the members of the National Commission against Discrimination and supported the development of the Operational Annual Plan 2012, the Strategic Plan and the Internal Rules of Procedure. In order to develop the Internal Rules of Procedure, the Regional Office held several working sessions with the Commission members to clarify key concepts and definitions concerning equality and non-discrimination and to highlight how racial discrimination occurs in different areas. 35. In Bolivia, the Plurinational Constitutional Court (PCC) issued a decision regarding the right of indigenous peoples to consultation, specifically of the indigenous communities living in the Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS) in June 2012. This important decision describes the nature and scope of the right to consultation, the principles applicable, the steps to ensuring its enjoyment, and other intertwined rights, such as the right to self-determination, according to international standards. OHCHR in Bolivia played a key role in assisting the PCC to develop its doctrinal knowledge on the subject matter. The office enhanced the awareness of judges and magistrates of these issues by organizing training activities, an international seminar and other activities, with the participation of 130 judges and judicial officials from the PCC. 36. OHCHR in Bolivia also delivered several training sessions on the right to consultation and legal pluralism, including for officials from the Ministry of the Interior and parliamentarians. These activities improved the knowledge and understanding of elected authorities and civil servants of the right of indigenous peoples to consultation, with the aim of facilitating the inclusion of international standards in the forthcoming framework law on the right of indigenous peoples to consultation. 37. The Office in Guatemala provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM). In coordination with the Vice-Ministry of Sustainable Development, the office organized two training sessions with the staff of the MEM, on international human rights standards and the rights of indigenous peoples, particularly as regards the duty of States to consult with indigenous peoples. Following these capacity-building activities and meetings with the Vice-Ministry of Sustainable Development, the MEM is leading a discussion with other Ministries on a proposal to initiate a dialogue process with indigenous communities that would be affected by a project involving a hydroelectric plant and another related to a mining operation. The Office is also expecting that this process will open the way for a dialogue process in other cases. 38. In Ecuador, OHCHR supported the project “Watching out for racism: critical community monitoring of anti-discrimination policies in Ecuador” carried out by the Observatory on Racial Discrimination and Ethnic Exclusion. This important monitoring and evaluation mechanism has as its main objective to promote the critical observation of the implementation of public policies against racism and racial discrimination, including the national action plan against racial discrimination by indigenous and afro-Ecuadorian communities. The project generates knowledge about human rights, particularly equality and non-discrimination and anti-discriminating public policies in Ecuador among local indigenous and afro-Ecuadorian organizations. 39. In South America, the Regional Office delivered training on indigenous peoples’ rights to the United Nations Country Team in Peru and, in Temuco, Chile, focusing on the rights of indigenous children and how to present individual cases to international bodies. 9