A/HRC/32/26 work; and modalities and methods of work. The workshop ended with a discussion and closing comments by the moderator. 6. The present report is structured according to the programme of the workshop and is therefore divided into four substantive sections, each of which focuses on one of the four themes set out above. 7. OHCHR would like to thank the representatives of States, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders who participated in the workshop, as well as the experts and the moderator. Moreover, it would like to thank all those who provided written contributions prior to the workshop (see annex III). The full text of each response to the questionnaire can be found on the web page of the Expert Mechanism dedicated to the review of the mandate.1 II. Opening of the workshop 8. In her opening remarks, the Director of the Division of Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development of OHCHR stressed the importance of the mandate review process and of using the Declaration as a key reference for the exercise. She underlined that any change to the mandate should aim to ensure that the Expert Mechanism could make a concrete contribution in terms of closing the gap between the standards enshrined in the Declaration and the reality on the ground. The Director emphasized that achieving the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples should continue to be one of the guiding principles of the mandate review process and that the Expert Mechanism must continue to be wide open to indigenous peoples’ representatives. 9. In his opening remarks, Mr. Anaya, who served as the workshop’s moderator, said that the Expert Mechanism had played a key role in making the contents of the Declaration operational. He also said that the Expert Mechanism had to be reassessed in order to reflect the changes that had occurred since it had been established in 2007, adding that the challenges, gaps and lessons learned had to be taken into account. He encouraged the participants to engage in a dialogue on how the Expert Mechanism could promote the respectful implementation of the Declaration. III. Strengths and limitations of the current mandate 10. Several participants highlighted, as a strength of the current mandate, the unique position of the Expert Mechanism as the only thematic advisory body of the Human Rights Council to provide advice on indigenous peoples’ rights. They also highlighted that it was possible for indigenous peoples and other stakeholders to access the Expert Mechanism and participate in its annual sessions, and that such participation was facilitated, inter alia, by the flexible accreditation rules and the support provided by the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples. The annual sessions were seen as an important opportunity for dialogue between indigenous peoples and States. Several participants found the expert advice provided by the Expert Mechanism of particular value, noting that the studies it carried out contained concrete conclusions on the content of international standards, including the Declaration, as well as suggestions for their implementation. 11. Some participants highlighted the multinational approach taken in the thematic studies and the collaboration with academic institutions. Some participants said that the 1 See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Pages/Reviewofthemandate.aspx. 3