A/HRC/39/37 armed conflict. A total of 156 indigenous women, including women from the Mam, Chuj, P’opti’, Kaqchikel, Ixil, K’iche’ and Q’eqchi’ peoples, received assistance during and after strategic litigation cases, including 14 Q’eqchi’ Maya women who participated in the landmark Sepur Zarco case. 68. In Peru, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture financially supported a project that provided legal support to about 650 indigenous Quechua people seeking truth, justice and reparation for their lost family members. The project was implemented by the National Association of Families of the Kidnapped, Detained and Disappeared of Peru, an organization created by Quechua mothers, wives and families of victims of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance during the internal armed conflict. 69. During the reporting period, the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, managed by OHCHR, financially supported one organization exclusively assisting indigenous victims of contemporary forms of slavery. As a result, about 300 indigenous victims of slavery received assistance in Guatemala. 70. Also during the reporting period, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination made recommendations to increase and protect indigenous peoples’ rights to access to justice, indicating the particular intersectional obstacles faced by indigenous women when attempting to access justice systems, 21 the scarcity of local points of access to justice in rural and indigenous areas 22 and the financial obstacles involved. 23 The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women recommended the designing of a strategy which addresses language barriers and disseminates information about effective legal remedies and procedures enabling women to claim their rights. 24 The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recommended an increase in the allocation of resources to existing national mechanisms established to provide legal services for indigenous communities.25 71. The Committee against Torture expressed its concern about the use of punishment devices such as the stocks, for the application of penalties in the administration of indigenous justice. It urged the State party to take the measures necessary to ensure that indigenous justice is administered with full respect for human rights. 26 72. Issues related to improving access to justice and strengthening the legal protection of indigenous peoples were addressed in a number of recommendations arising from the universal periodic review. States were advised to intensify their efforts to eliminate structural discrimination. Furthermore, recommendations were made to adopt and/or implement policies that ensure thorough, impartial, independent and timely investigations into all attacks, harassment and acts of intimidation against indigenous peoples’ human rights defenders, journalists and/or social organizations.27 F. Indigenous peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 73. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its overall focus on reducing inequalities and leaving no one behind are of particular relevance to indigenous peoples. 74. The OHCHR office in Guatemala held workshops on a human rights-based approach to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and human rights indicators, for the Secretariat for Planning and Programming of the Office of the President, the National Statistics Institute, the Ombudsman, indigenous peoples, members of civil society and the United Nations country team. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 See CEDAW/C/THA/CO/6-7, para. 10. See CEDAW/C/GTM/CO/8-9, para. 12. See CEDAW/C/CHL/CO/7, para. 14. See CEDAW/C/CRI/CO/7, para. 9. See CERD/C/AUS/CO/18-20, para. 26. See CAT/C/PAN/CO/4, para. 46. See A/HRC/36/11, A/HRC/37/9 and A/HRC/37/8. 11