A/HRC/4/77 page 3 Introduction 1. Indigenous peoples are among the poorest groups in the countries in which they live. Numbering some 370 million, they constitute 5 per cent of the population of the world but 15 per cent of the poor. Indigenous peoples have lower incomes than other communities, less access to health care, education, adequate housing and social services and generally face political and social exclusion. A report by the International Labour Office (ILO), drawing on information provided by the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) of 14 countries, concludes that poverty is widespread and persistent among indigenous peoples.1 A World Bank study on indigenous peoples in Latin America finds that being indigenous increases the probability of an individual being poor and notes that few gains were made in poverty reduction among indigenous peoples during the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1995-2004). It asserts that, in certain countries, the poverty gap between indigenous peoples and the larger population has widened.2 2. The question of poverty and indigenous peoples was the focus of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its fourth session and the subject of a paper by the Inter-agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues (IASG) that warned that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were not bringing the expected benefits to indigenous communities.3 The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people has underlined in both his thematic and country reports the disadvantaged condition of the majority of indigenous peoples in terms of income and access to basic services. The Treaty Bodies, as noted in the present report, have repeatedly called upon Governments to develop programmes that address the disadvantages experienced by indigenous peoples. All of the above-mentioned human rights mechanisms have underlined the need for reliable and culturally appropriate disaggregated data to determine the extent of poverty among indigenous peoples. 3. The information provided in the present report identifies some of the activities undertaken under the aegis of OHCHR aimed at addressing the disadvantages of indigenous peoples and assisting Governments in strengthening their policies and programmes for these groups. I. TREATY BODIES 4. In 2006, a number of the treaty bodies, namely the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Protection of 1 Manuela Tomei, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples: an Ethnic Audit of Selected Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, ILO 2005. 2 Gillette Hall and Harry Anthony Patrinos, Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004, World Bank 2005. 3 See report of the fifth session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (E/2006/43, E/C.19/2006/11).