Given the great cultural diversity of Latin America, an essential aspect of population affairs in the region is to heighten awareness of the situation of indigenous peoples and include them in public agendas, in keeping with their human rights standards. This is a priority area for CELADE, whose work aims to strengthen the production, analysis and dissemination of sociodemographic information on indigenous peoples, to serve as input for better policy- and decision-making.
These activities are carried out in close cooperation with State institutions (including statistical institutes, health and planning ministries and agencies specializing in indigenous peoples) and national, subregional and regional indigenous organizations. CELADE promotes and incorporates the participation of indigenous peoples in its work, represented by their organizations and by relevant experts.
Countries benefit from services such as regular technical assistance, studies and technical documents containing recommendations, and the organization of and participation in meetings and seminars at different levels. The Montevideo Consensus reflects States’ concern to make progress in guaranteeing the rights of indigenous peoples, and includes a series of measures and agreements to this end. Of particular interest in this regard is the recent study “Guaranteeing indigenous people’s rights in Latin America. Progress in the past decade and remaining challenges. Summary”.