A/HRC/RES/18/8 and literatures to future generations, and designating and retaining their own names for communities, places and persons, Recognizing also that the study on education of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples1 highlights the fact that education is an important way to contribute to the maintenance of indigenous cultures, Recognizing further the need to find ways and means of promoting the participation of recognized indigenous peoples’ representatives in the United Nations system on issues affecting them, given that they are not always organized as non-governmental organizations, 1. Welcomes the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the rights of indigenous peoples,2 and requests the High Commissioner to continue to submit to the Human Rights Council an annual report on the rights of indigenous peoples containing information on relevant developments in human rights bodies and mechanisms and activities undertaken by the Office of the High Commissioner at Headquarters and in the field that contribute to the promotion of, 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. Also welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and the official visits he has made in the past year, takes note with appreciation of his report,3 and encourages all Governments to respond favourably to his requests for visits; 3. Requests the Special Rapporteur to report on the implementation of his mandate to the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh session; 4. Welcomes the work of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and takes note with appreciation of the report on its fourth session;4 5. Also welcomes the practice adopted during the third and fourth sessions of the Expert Mechanism of devoting specific time to the discussion of updates relevant to past mandated thematic studies of the Expert Mechanism, recommends that the Expert Mechanism adopt this practice on a permanent basis, and encourages States to continue to participate in and contribute to these discussions; 6. Encourages States to consider, in cooperation with indigenous peoples and on the basis of past advice of the Expert Mechanism, initiating and strengthening, as appropriate, legislative and policy measures that prioritize education in the design and implementation of national development strategies affecting indigenous peoples, including measures that will strengthen the culture and languages of indigenous peoples; 7. Welcomes the completion by the Expert Mechanism of its final study on indigenous peoples and the right to participate in decision-making5 and the inclusion of the examples of good practices at different levels of decision-making therein, including those in connection with the activities of extractive industries, and encourages all interested parties to consider them a practical guide on how to attain the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; 1 2 3 4 5 2 A/HRC/12/33. A/HRC/18/26. A/HRC/18/35. A/HRC/18/43. A/HRC/18/42.