A/HRC/4/77 page 13 Pygmy (Republic of the Congo), Udege, Dolgan, Shor and Veps (Russian Federation). In December 2006, an evaluation of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme was carried out by OHCHR. The evaluation underlined the importance of the programme to indigenous peoples and its multiplier effect. All those responding had undertaken training with their own communities and many had subsequently made use of the human rights mechanisms. Some have subsequently taken up leadership positions, others have participated in expert seminars or were involved in negotiating with legislative bodies, and some had worked with UNCTs. VIII. VOLUNTARY FUND 39. The Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations assisted 46 indigenous representatives to attend the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York (for a sum of US$ 244,000) and 50 representatives to attend the twenty-fourth session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations (for a sum of US$ 148,900). Further information is available in the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to the General Assembly on the status of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations (A/61/376). IX. PARTNERSHIP AND COOPERATION 40. Over the past years, inter-agency cooperation on indigenous peoples has grown, stimulated by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues which is mandated to contribute to coordination of the United Nations system on indigenous issues. The broadening of the membership of the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues (IASG) to some 30 United Nations agencies signifies an institutional commitment to promote greater integration of indigenous questions into country programmes. In the course of the year, OHCHR undertook several activities with United Nations partners. These activities included participation in the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues, which in 2006 was organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and focused on a review of policies and programmes relating to indigenous lands and resources. The decision by the United Nations Development Group to invite the IASG to develop guidelines for integrating indigenous issues into country programmes gives an opportunity to OHCHR and its partners to raise the visibility of indigenous questions, including the concern that efforts to implement the Millennium Development Goals are largely bypassing indigenous communities. OHCHR and ILO were invited by IASG to elaborate the first outline for the guidelines. 41. OHCHR participated in the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues held from 15 to 26 May 2006 with a principal theme of the Millennium Development Goals and indigenous peoples and a discussion day on indigenous peoples in Africa. Both the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous peoples and the Chairperson/Rapporteur of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations took part and 10 members of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme were also present. 42. Prior to the session of the Permanent Forum, OHCHR contributed to an expert workshop on indigenous peoples organized by the International Organization for Migration and the secretariat of the Permanent Forum in Geneva from 6 to 7 April 2006. The meeting brought together over 30 participants who agreed on a number of recommendations covering three main