Announcement of postponement
13th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The 13th of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, initially scheduled to take place from 8 to12 June 2020, has been postponed to take place from 30 November to 4 December due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

As an exceptional measure, to ensure that the EMRIP’s reports and suggestions are ready for submission to the Human Rights Council’s 45^th Session in September 2020, the EMRIP will hold a virtual pre-session for two hours a day from 22-24 June. This will be a closed meeting with the participation of the seven members of the EMRIP and the Secretariat only. Part of the meeting will be recorded and posted on the EMRIP homepage.

The purpose of this pre-session is for the EMRIP to review and incorporate comments and suggestions from indigenous peoples, States, NHRI’s and other stakeholders on its draft reports. It will also consider suggestions from all parties for proposals to the Human Rights Council in September 2020.

Information on the outcome of this pre-session will be provided during the 13^th session (30 November – 3 December) and subsequently recorded in the EMRIP’s Annual Report, which will be finalized after the session.

Call for input

In advance of EMRIP’s virtual pre-session, to ensure that indigenous peoples, States, NHRI’s and other stakeholders have an opportunity to comment on EMRIP’s draft reports, the EMRIP calls on all stakeholders, to provide written comments on:

1. The Study on the Right to Land under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (A/HRC/EMRIP/2020/2)
2. The Report on the Right to Repatriation of ceremonial objects, human remains, and intangible properties under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A human rights focus. The draft report will be posted here, in English only.
   
3. Suggestions are also welcome in writing of proposals to be submitted to the Human Rights Council’s 45^th session in September 2020.

Submissions should be sent by email to, expertmechanism@ohchr.org, no later than 22 June 2020, in English, French or Spanish.