A/60/358 societies. The Special Rapporteur wishes to draw the attention of the General Assembly to the importance of Goals 1 and 2 for indigenous people’s enjoyment of their human rights and to some of the major challenges in terms of the protection of indigenous people, since these issues are considered key to the process of deciding on activities for the Second International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. 40. The available information indicates that rates of poverty and extreme poverty are higher among indigenous peoples than in the rest of the population, both in communities of origin and in urban areas. Indigenous people’s poverty indices are generally higher than the national average, and, with some exceptions, poverty is more extreme among these people. This trend was confirmed by the Special Rapporteur during his visits to indigenous communities in various parts of the world and by specialized studies on this subject published in recent years. 41. Indigenous populations suffer not only from income poverty, measured in terms of low monetary income per capita, but also from food poverty, skills poverty and asset poverty, which are reflected by many other indicators, such as the inability to meet basic needs, insufficient access to social and public services, inadequate infrastructure and limited access to productive resources such as land, water, forests and other forms of natural wealth. 42. This complex panorama of persistent poverty is rooted in the conditions of destitution, discrimination and structural inequality to which indigenous peoples have historically been subject. Such multidimensional poverty cannot be overcome through a piecemeal approach; rather, it requires comprehensive public policies, which most States and multinational agencies unfortunately have not yet developed for indigenous peoples. 43. The persistence of poverty and extreme poverty among indigenous people reflects a history of denial of their human rights. Therefore, any national or international policy for the effective eradication of poverty must be based on recognition of and respect for human rights. This task is urgent for the attainment of the Millennium Declaration Goals, and should directly target the specific multidimensional conditions of hard-core poverty in indigenous communities. 44. Many of the complaints that the Special Rapporteur has received from indigenous communities and organizations (and which he has often been able to verify on field visits) deal with the need for access to such basic services as clean drinking water, electricity, decent housing, timely health care, schools, a healthy environment and adequate nutrition; in other words, all the facets of human security and human development, which a large proportion of the world’s indigenous people do not enjoy. 45. The statistical information provided by national and international agencies that study poverty and inequality often fails to reflect the specific situation of indigenous peoples, with the result that the authorities are unaware of their unmet needs and their low or extremely low standards of living. When the data are correctly disaggregated a devastating panorama emerges: indicators for indigenous people are invariably below the national average and their living conditions have a strong impact on the social and economic inequality curve. The Special Rapporteur calls on the competent agencies to provide information on indigenous people’s living conditions and levels of poverty and inequality so that Governments and national 12