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Message of the Secretary General on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

This August 9, International Day of the World´s Indigenous Peoples, the Organization of American States (OAS) joins the global call to make the achievement of full citizenship for indigenous populations a priority in the public policies of the region.

We must work to ensure that the slogan of this administration of “more rights for more people” becomes a reality in all parts of the Americas and that it includes all groups and individuals that make up our rich and diverse region.

In the Americas, the rate of extreme poverty is higher among the indigenous peoples than in the rest of the population, according to the report on Indigenous Peoples by the World Bank. In addition, indigenous people are currently twice as likely to be poor and 2.7 times as likely to live in extreme poverty.

In addition, the access of this sector of the population to public services like health and education is much more limited. Infant mortality among indigenous children is 60% higher than the rest of the population, and the divide is even greater with respect to the likelihood of death before the age of five, with a mortality rate 70% higher. These gaps are also evident in education in terms of access, quality and educational achievements.

To address these challenges requires a comprehensive approach. The OAS has approved an Action Plan on the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas with the aim of “promoting and strengthening the participation of indigenous peoples in domestic and international decision-making processes, increasing the awareness of society in general regarding this topic, training indigenous peoples’ representatives in a range of areas that will allow the comprehensive development of their communities, and establishing indigenous issues as a cross-cutting theme in the Organization’s different projects and activities.”

Currently, the OAS is in a process of negotiation of a Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. To this end, a Working Group has been created in the Committee on Juridical and Political Affairs of the Permanent Council of the OAS. The discussions and negotiations include the participation of representatives of the states and representatives of the indigenous peoples.

The United Nations has identified health and well being as the focus of this year´s International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. We urge the countries of the Americas to join forces to address the serious problems of social exclusion and inequality facing indigenous peoples, to improve their access to health services and to work toward the achievement of equality, inclusion and social justice.

Reference: E-217/15