Year of publication 2018

Lack of access to adequate social protection is a reality for millions of men, women and children belonging to indigenous peoples, which needs to be understood against the context of their common experience of historic injustices, including colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources, as well as persisting marginalisation. While detailed data are not available, it is assumed that a large proportion of indigenous peoples are among the 5.2 billion people with no, or limited, social protection coverage (ILO, 2017a). In addition many indigenous peoples have no or limited have access to basic social services such as essential health care and education because those services are unavailable, physically or financially inaccessible, or culturally inappropriate. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a specific target on nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors and achieving substantial social protection coverage of the poor and vulnerable (target 1.3).