A/HRC/18/26 I. Introduction 1. In its resolutions 12/13 and 15/7 concerning human rights and indigenous peoples, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit to the Council an annual report on the rights of indigenous peoples containing information on relevant developments of human rights bodies and mechanisms, and activities undertaken by the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) at Headquarters and in the field that contribute to the promotion of and respect for, and the full application of, the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and follow up on the effectiveness of the Declaration. 2. The present report focuses particularly on some illustrative examples of the activities and the initiatives undertaken at Headquarters and by field presences that contribute to the full application of the rights of indigenous peoples. They do not aim to offer an exhaustive overview of the work of OHCHR on indigenous peoples’ rights. The report also presents an overview of the recent developments undertaken by United Nations treaty bodies, the Human Rights Council special procedures and mechanisms, including the universal periodic review. The significance of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been further reinforced by the recent endorsement of Member States that had previously voted against its adoption at the General Assembly in 2007. II. Activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 3. During the period under review, OHCHR continued to work for the promotion and the full application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. These rights figure prominently in the Strategic Management Plan of the High Commissioner. The Declaration is a shared tool and framework for action in this area. 4. At the international level, OHCHR continued to service the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by, inter alia, supporting the preparation and organization of its annual sessions and organizing a technical workshop in 2011 to contribute to its thematic studies. OHCHR also continues to organize coordination meetings between the three United Nations mechanisms devoted to indigenous peoples, including the Expert Mechanism, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. 5. OHCHR continued to manage the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations to support the participation of indigenous peoples’ organizations in the sessions of the Expert Mechanism and the Permanent Forum. At its twenty-fourth session, from 7 to 11 February 2011, the Board of Trustees of the Fund recommended 30 grants for representatives of indigenous communities and organizations to attend the tenth session of the Permanent Forum, as well as 24 grants to attend the fourth session of the Expert Mechanism. Following the enlargement of the mandate of the Fund by the General Assembly in November 2010, the Board of Trustees of the Fund also set aside resources to enable indigenous peoples’ representatives to attend, for up to five days, sessions of the Human Rights Council and the treaty bodies, which will be held between September 2011 and March 2012. 3