Development projects need to incorporate into their objectives the right of indigenous people to self-determination, said Special Rapporteur James Anaya in his address to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues during its ninth session. Improving the educational opportunities for indigenous people and strengthening their institutions and self-government structures are essential for enabling indigenous communities to take control of their own affairs, to ensure that development processes are aligned with their own cultural values, as well as to participate as equal partners in development projects benefiting the larger societies. See Full Statement.