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ChapterH
INDIGENOUSPEOPLES: INTERCULTURALISMANDRIGHTS
LatinAmerica is home tomore than 800 indigenous peoples with a population estimated at 45million in
2010. They are characterized by their broad demographic, social, territorial and political diversity,
ranging from people living in voluntary isolation to those dwelling inmajor urban centres.. The tenacious
resistance of indigenous peoples finds its expression today, as part of a global process, in the introduction
of a new status, both political and territorial, based on the framework of international rights standards that
are binding on States. Although the region has made undeniable progress in applying those rights, there
are still persistent gaps, and inequalities remain profound, reflecting the structural discrimination affecting
indigenous peoples.
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The Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development expresses the clear commitment of
States to continuemoving forwardwith the exercise of the rights of indigenous peoples, as a priority aspect of
strengthening their democracies, a process that goes hand-in-handwith a critical view of development and the
growing conviction that it must be focused on the values of equality and cultural diversity. Hence, the States
have agreed on seven specific priority measures for indigenous peoples. At the same time, however, the
situation of these peoples must be considered in a cross-cutting and comprehensive way in all the measures
established in the Consensus. Thus, the Consensus reinforces and complements the Cairo Programme of
Action with regard to indigenous peoples (particularly measures 6.25, 6.26, 6.27 and 8.16, on demographic
dynamics, territoryandhealth that refer explicitly to indigenouspeoples).
Prioritymeasure 85, on observance and application of theUnitedNationsDeclaration on theRights
of Indigenous Peoples and ILO Convention 169, implies a range of measures to implement minimum
standards for the political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights of indigenous peoples. PM 88, on the
territorial rights of indigenous peoples, stresses guarantees for exercise of their right to their territories as
essential for the survival of these peoples. Attention should be drawn to the follow-up mechanisms for
implementing the rights of indigenous peoples,which are indicated in the following tables.
Taking as the framework the Declaration and Convention 169, the Consensus has also defined
five specific prioritymeasures, namely: to integrate the demographic dynamics of indigenous peoples into
policies (PM 86); to guarantee the right to health (PM 87), including sexual and reproductive rights; to
eradicate violence (PM 89); to guarantee the right to information and communication (PM); and to
guarantee participation by indigenous peoples in the official delegations to regional and international
forums dealingwith population and development matters (PM 91). Although this chapter emphasizes the
collective rights of indigenous peoples, in all cases, implementation of these measures entails the
articulation of individual and collective rights, identifying and taking into account the specific needs of
women, children and young people, older persons and those with disabilities among the indigenous
population. Synergiesmust be establishedwith specificmechanisms of follow-up to the rights of indigenous
peoples (pooling efforts and contributing from the region to these global processes), and joint follow-up
pursued togetherwith other forums and counterpart bodies, such asUNFPA, PAHO, andUNICEF.
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For further details, see the document prepared by ECLAC, “Guaranteeing indigenous peoples’ rights in Latin
America: progress in the last decade and remaining challenges”, regional contribution to theWorld Conference
on Indigenous Peoples.
