At its 58th meeting, on 11 April 1997, the Commission on Human Rights, taking note of resolution 1996/38 of 29 August 1996 of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, decided, without a vote, to approve the appointment of Ms. Erica-Irene A. Daes as Special Rapporteur to prepare, from within existing resources, a working paper on indigenous people and their relationship to land with a view to suggesting practical measures to address ongoing problems in this regard. The Commission requested the Special Rapporteur: (a) to submit a preliminary working paper to the Working Group on Indigenous Populations at its fifteenth session and to the Sub-Commission at its forty-ninth session; (b) to transmit the working paper to Governments and indigenous organizations for their views, which the Special Rapporteur should take into account, inter alia, in preparing her final working paper; (c) to submit her final working paper to the Working Group at its sixteenth session and to the Sub-Commission at its fiftieth session. The Commission requested the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with the assistance necessary to enable her to complete her working paper, and recommended the following draft decision to the Economic and Social Council for adoption:

"The Economic and Social Council, taking note of Commission on Human Rights decision 1997/114 of 11 April 1997, and resolution 1996/38 of 29 August 1996 of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, endorses the Commission's decision to approve the appointment of Ms. Erica-Irene A. Daes as Special Rapporteur to prepare, from within existing resources, a working paper on indigenous people and their relationship to land with a view to suggesting practical measures to address ongoing problems in this regard.

The Council also approves the Commission's request to the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with the assistance necessary to enable her to complete her work."

[See chap. XXIV.]