A/HRC/39/37 human rights instruments and mechanisms, and explored issues of particular relevance to indigenous peoples, such as climate change, human rights and business, women’s rights and gender equality. The programme included training to develop specific skills in the areas of lobbying and media advocacy, resource mobilization, and mainstreaming human rights through human rights education. It culminated with the fellows’ participation in the tenth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, where they organized their own side event celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme. In addition, OHCHR published a booklet entitled “Indigenous Fellowship Programme 1997–2017: 20 years, 20 stories”. The booklet highlights the achievements and challenges of 20 former fellows, from each of the language components, together with their achievements and the obstacles they face in their work. 99. OHCHR also hosted, at its headquarters, a senior indigenous fellow from Nicaragua for a four-month in-depth training experience on the relevant international human rights systems and mechanisms. She also had the chance to gain practical knowledge by contributing to the activities of OHCHR. 100. In 2017, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples allocated 78 grants to support the participation of indigenous peoples in the sessions of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (24), the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (20), the Human Rights Council (3), including its universal periodic review (4), and in human rights treaty bodies (27). 101. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples also provided support to 15 grantees in order to help them attend the General Assembly consultation process aimed at enhancing the participation of indigenous peoples’ representatives in United Nations meetings on issues affecting them. In addition, the Fund allocated resources to equip indigenous people with the tools needed to make their participation in meetings more effective. 102. Indigenous peoples’ representatives participated in the third regional consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean on the implementation of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago on 12–14 December 2017. The meeting was jointly convened jointly by the United Nations Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and the OHCHR Regional Office for South America. One of the key issues addressed was the protection of indigenous leaders from human rights abuse perpetuated by private sector actors.57 103. To ensure that the voices of indigenous peoples are channelled to the United Nations and its human rights bodies and mechanisms, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples regularly meets with representatives from indigenous peoples’ groups and communities. At the seventeenth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, she met with 26 groups from different regions. 104. The OHCHR office in Guatemala provided technical assistance to civil society organizations and promoted indigenous women’s participation in the drafting of alternative reports for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Human Rights Committee, while supporting the participation of indigenous peoples’ representatives in the universal periodic review of Guatemala. 105. The office also provided technical assistance to the Presidential Commission on Discrimination and Racism against Indigenous Peoples when drafting periodic reports regarding Guatemala for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 106. During the reporting period, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reviewed 18 States parties and received a significant number of alternative reports submitted by indigenous organizations. The dialogue involved numerous indigenous 57 16 See A/HRC/32/45/Add.4.