Organization of American States (OAS)
As a multilateral regional body, the Organization of American States (OAS) plays a crucial role in promoting democracy, human rights, and sustainable development across the American continent. Within this mandate, the OAS holds a unique responsibility to uphold and protect the rights of Indigenous peoples who continue to endure deep-seated inequalities across the Americas. From the Andes to the Amazon, and from the Arctic to the Caribbean, Indigenous communities face persistent marginalization rooted in colonial legacies, political neglect, systemic oppression, and environmental degradation.
This year, the OAS committee will be tasked with confronting two deeply interwoven issues: environmental injustice and the geographic marginalization of indigenous peoples. Across the region, Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by poor infrastructure, hazardous living conditions, and environmental pollution. In many areas, extractive industries, unregulated development projects, and climate change have led to displacement, poisoned lands, and contaminated water sources. These threats are not incidental—they reflect systemic failures in public regulation and corporate accountability. Beyond environmental degradation, Indigenous populations also contend with the impacts of spatial exclusion. Many communities reside in remote or rural regions with limited access to healthcare, education, employment, and affordable goods. The cost of necessities is often significantly higher than in urban centers, while average incomes remain considerably lower. These combined challenges result in chronic food insecurity and deep cycles of poverty, further exacerbated by inadequate state support and underinvestment in Indigenous areas.
The goal of this committee is to develop equitable, actionable, and culturally appropriate solutions that address both the immediate and long-term needs of Indigenous peoples across the Americas. Delegates, representing OAS member states, will examine environmental injustice, focusing on how environmental hazards disproportionately affect Indigenous communities due to weak regulatory protections and policy failures, and will confront the challenges of geographic marginalization, addressing how spatial inequality, remoteness, and poverty intersect to restrict access to food, essential services, and economic opportunity. Through collaborative and critical dialogue, the committee aims to forge sustainable policies and strategies that uphold the dignity, health, and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples throughout the diverse environmental and cultural landscapes of the Americas.
