A/HRC/27/52/Add.1 C. Economic and social development 57. In recent years, progress has been made in raising the level of economic and social well-being of indigenous peoples. As will be discussed later on in this section, various indicators point to an improvement in the living conditions of indigenous peoples. However, indigenous peoples continue to be poorer than other sectors of the Panamanian population and to be worse off in terms of access to basic services, education and health. Economic development 58. According to Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance figures for 2012, poverty and extreme poverty levels among the indigenous peoples of Panama are alarmingly high, with 89.8 per cent of the population of the comarcas living in poverty, compared to 21.4 per cent of the population outside of the comarcas. Furthermore, 68.5 per cent of the population of the indigenous comarcas live in extreme poverty, compared to 6.4 per cent of the population elsewhere.41 In addition, in contrast to the trend for the general population, levels of poverty among indigenous peoples have not fallen in recent years.42 59. The situation in terms of access to basic services is also a cause for concern and is undoubtedly exacerbated by the remoteness of many communities and homes in the indigenous comarcas. According to the latest official census, carried out in 2010, 93.3 per cent of the nation’s households have access to water fit for human consumption. However, the figures for the Ngobe-Bugle, Emberá and Kuna Yala comarcas are much lower, standing at 28 per cent, 41 per cent and 77 per cent respectively.43 Furthermore, at the national level only 5.5 per cent of all households lack access to sanitation services, whereas the percentages of households without sanitation services in the Kuna Yala, Ngobe-Bugle and Emberá comarcas stand at 94 per cent, 59 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively.44 Access to sanitation services in the comarcas has, however, increased significantly since 1990.45 60. The Special Rapporteur was not provided with any information on government antipoverty programmes specifically targeting the indigenous population. However, the Ministry of Social Development provided the Special Rapporteur with information on its social inclusion programme, which makes the receipt of specified social benefits conditional upon the fulfilment of certain responsibilities, such as school attendance and regular visits to health clinics. This programme is not, however, limited to indigenous peoples, and the way in which it is implemented has not been adapted to take into account their distinct ways of life and cultures. 61. During the visit, the indigenous representatives who met with the Special Rapporteur reported on a number of grass-roots economic development initiatives. One example which stands out is that of the Kuna, who have benefitted significantly in financial terms from tourism in the Kuna Yala comarca, where local tourism ventures are managed by the Kuna Congress. The Special Rapporteur also notes that natural resource development projects conducted by the Government or by third parties could provide indigenous peoples with economic development opportunities. However, such projects must be implemented on the basis of consensual agreements with the peoples concerned in 41 42 43 44 45 GE.14-07234 Ministry of Health, Situación de Salud de Panamá (2013), p. 27. Ibid. Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Panama, National Statistics and Census Institute, Características de las Viviendas y los Hogares, table 16. Ibid., table 18. Ministry of Health, Situación de Salud de Panamá (2013), p. 52. 15