Introduction: The Indigenous Peoples’ Decade in Latin America

Abstract

In 1993, on the recommendation of the World Conference on Human Rights, the United Nations Assembly proclaimed the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, to begin on 10 December 1994.¹ At the same time a report entitled Indigenous People and Poverty in Latin America (Psacharopoulos and Patrinos, 1994) provided the first regional assessment of living standards among indigenous peoples.² it found systematic evidence that indigenous peoples suffered far worse socioeconomic conditions than the population as a whole. In addition to high poverty rates it documented social exclusion via labour market discrimination and limited access to public education and health services. This report set a baseline from which future progress could be measured.