Indigenous Peoples
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are a reflection of the region’s great diversity. Hundreds of distinct ethnic groups, each with a unique language and culture, still exist today and represent sizeable portions of the population in countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Mexico and Guatemala. Overall, recent studies indicate that indigenous peoples constitute ten percent of the Hemisphere’s total population. For centuries, however, indigenous peoples have been subject to social, economic and political marginalization. The OAS is committed to ending discrimination against the indigenous people of the Americas and seeks to ensure they are afforded the same basic human rights enjoyed by the rest of the population. To that end, the OAS has ratified numerous documents on indigenous rights and is currently negotiating a landmark Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, which would codify these stated principles as official OAS policy.
Working Group to Prepare the Draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Declaration Indigenous Peoples
