UN High Commissioner For Human Rights Volker Türk's End Of Mission Statement In Mexico

Mexico City, 22 April 2026

Good afternoon to everyone,

I conclude my visit to Mexico with this press conference. It has been a very fruitful visit that has allowed me to learn first-hand about both the achievements and the challenges the country faces in the area of human rights.

I thank the Government for the invitation and for opening the doors of all its institutions to me.

I had the opportunity to meet with the highest authorities of the three branches of the State, including President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the Attorney General Ernestina Godoy, the Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco, and the President of the Supreme Court, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz. I also held meetings with senators, and with a broad representation of members and organizations of civil society, the private sector, and collectives of victims of human rights violations, including families of disappeared persons. I also met with public human rights bodies at the federal and state levels.

Mexico has a diverse, active, and vibrant civil society, and its members continue to be central actors in public debate, in driving institutional reform, and, crucially, in demanding accountability.

The challenge of violence against journalists and human rights defenders persists. Women defenders and reporters face heightened risks, especially when they challenge organized crime, corruption, or gender-based violence.

I had the opportunity to hear a wide range of testimonies from human rights defenders, including indigenous peoples, environmental defenders, LGBTI+ persons, and victims of abuse related to mandatory pretrial detention, among others, who have paid an unimaginable price for defending rights.

The Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists constitutes a highly relevant model and a reference in the region, particularly due to its governance structure, which actively incorporates civil society. Ensuring timely access for those who need it and strengthening its preventive capacity will enhance its effectiveness.

I spoke with the Attorney General of the Republic, and we agreed on the need to increase investigative capacity following attacks against defenders and journalists. I hope that the investigation protocol for crimes against human rights defenders, in whose drafting my Office has participated, will be adopted and implemented as soon as possible.

I am fully aware that public security remains one of the most complex challenges facing Mexican society. Organized criminal groups continue to operate in various parts of the country and have a significant impact on the enjoyment of human rights by the population.

Organized crime, including transnational crime, is sustained, among other factors, by drug trafficking and by a constant flow of arms and ammunition into the country. This is an issue that the Mexican authorities are attempting to address through an arms collection programme, but it is insufficient given the daily influx of weapons.

I recognize these and other efforts made by the authorities to address violence and strengthen security institutions, within the framework of a complex and decentralized federal system, marked by high levels of corruption and institutional fragility. In this context, it is essential that security strategies continue to move towards strengthening civilian and professional institutions, fully subject to accountability mechanisms.

The issue of impunity has emerged in all my conversations with victims, defenders, and civil society organizations. It is their main demand: an end to impunity, justice for crimes committed, and effective accountability processes that include recognition of the suffering endured, reparation, and guarantees of non-repetition.

Mexico has undertaken a broad reform of the judicial system that has increased its representativeness. It is essential that the independence of judicial institutions, their integrity, and professional competence be preserved, and that judges have effective safeguards against any undue interference.

In my meeting with the Supreme Court, I heard about important efforts to strengthen the accessibility and transparency of judicial activities, as well as to expand access to justice for all. There are also notable advances in the recognition of legal pluralism, in line with the country’s social and cultural diversity. These elements, together with others that promote people-centred justice, can help reinforce public trust at a time of institutional transition.

I am concerned about mandatory pretrial detention due to its impact on the presumption of innocence, personal liberty, and due process. I encourage strengthening judicial oversight, prioritizing alternative measures, and reducing its duration, always ensuring its exceptional nature and a case-by-case assessment.

I hope that the upcoming signing of a cooperation agreement between my Office and the Supreme Court will enable the exchange of good practices.

Disappearances remain one of the most serious and painful human rights challenges in Mexico. They cause unimaginable and prolonged suffering for families. They deeply erode trust between the population and the State, which is responsible for preventing, investigating, prosecuting, and punishing those responsible.

I deeply commend the courage and tenacity of families of disappeared persons and the collectives they form, especially those led by women, as they not only carry out essential search and documentation work but also lead efforts to promote visibility, accountability, and institutional responses.

It was painful to hear testimonies that reflect the magnitude of this tragedy—families who search for years, move through institutions without receiving answers, and even risk their own lives to find their loved ones. This suffering, with differentiated impacts on children, migrants, LGBTI+ persons, and other populations, cannot be minimized.

To all these individuals, I expressed my solidarity and empathy. I told them that they are all human rights defenders and that they are absolutely right in demanding to be heard and to obtain truth and justice, as well as safety and protection.

Mexico has a legal and institutional framework with great potential, centred on the General Law on Enforced Disappearance of Persons, Disappearance Committed by Private Individuals, and the National Search System for Persons, which constitutes an international reference and was developed with the participation of victims.

It is essential that the State continues to strengthen search mechanisms, forensic identification processes, protection measures, and investigative capacities to address this crisis. The recent adoption of an updated national search protocol represents an important step. Its effective implementation, together with ongoing efforts to strengthen investigative capacities, coordination among institutions, and adequate resources, will be key to achieving meaningful progress in locating the disappeared and combating impunity.

I recognize the political will to continue strengthening existing institutions, and I was encouraged to hear recognition of families and collectives as key actors in search processes. Their active participation and safety must be guaranteed. It is essential that decisions taken at the federal level be effectively implemented at the local level.

I have observed a social consensus that disappearances are a tragedy that must be addressed. We need a national commitment that goes beyond political positions or the term of any one government, so that a process of truth, recognition of the suffering and the work of searchers, transparency, and a firm commitment by the State can take place. I call for this effort not to be politicized or polarized, and for victims to remain at its centre.

I conveyed to the Government and all my interlocutors my Office’s readiness to provide technical assistance, support, and follow-up to these efforts. We will work jointly to identify concrete steps to accompany this process.

The recent reform of Article 2 of the Mexican Constitution, which recognizes Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples as subjects of public law, constitutes a historic step. In a country where a significant part of the population identifies as Indigenous or Afro-Mexican, this reform lays the foundation for a new relationship between the State and these peoples, based on the recognition of their self-determination, autonomy, and ability to define their own development priorities.

I was pleased to hear about ongoing efforts to develop the General Law on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples, in which consultation with peoples and communities will be fundamental. Likewise, efforts to preserve and promote Indigenous languages reflect an important commitment to the country’s cultural diversity and serve as an international reference.

The Ministry of Women is also implementing numerous good practices, as the first ministry exclusively dedicated to mainstreaming gender perspectives across all public policy. Efforts to reach the entire territory, as well as to protect victims and empower all women, were very encouraging.

The principle of parity, enshrined in the Constitution and applicable at all levels of government and across all branches of the State, constitutes a significant advance in balancing positions of power and ensuring the full participation of women.

However, I am discouraged by the persistent levels of gender-based violence and femicides, despite State efforts. The daily killing of seven women shocks our conscience. The forthcoming general law on femicide, which will require the harmonization of procedures in cases of femicide and gender-based violence across the country, will be a positive step forward.

I welcome that Mexico has reduced poverty and expanded access to economic and social rights, thanks to social protection policies, minimum wage increases, and programmes targeting people in vulnerable situations, as well as the creation of a universal pension for older persons. These advances reflect elements of a human rights economy, which places people at the centre of economic decision-making.

I would like to conclude by recognizing Mexico’s important role as a regional and global actor in support of multilateralism and the international human rights system. Its commitment and active participation in the United Nations system should be highlighted and serve as an example.

My Office will continue, as always, at the disposal of everyone in Mexico.

Thank you very much.

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