UN Rights Chief Urges Mexico Action on Disappearances and Impunity

UN rights chief urges action to end impunity and address disappearances in Mexico

23 April 2026

Human Rights Mexican authorities must intensify efforts to end impunity, protect journalists and human rights defenders, and address the country’s “painful” crisis of disappearances, UN human rights chief Volker Türk has said.

Speaking at the conclusion of an official visit to Mexico, the High Commissioner warned that violence remains a serious concern, with women rights defenders and reporters facing heightened risks, particularly when confronting organized crime, corruption or gender-based violence.

Organised crime, fuelled by drug trafficking and the influx of arms, continues to have a major impact on public security and the enjoyment of human rights, he said, calling for the strengthening of civilian institutions and accountability mechanisms.

UNIC/Mexico A protest rally in Mexico City on the case of Ayoitzinapa rural school attended by the 43 disappeared students.. “ An end to impunity, justice for crimes committed and effective accountability processes are essential,” he declared, adding that impunity had emerged as a consistent demand in his meetings with victims and civil society groups.

Disappearances remain “one of the most serious and painful human rights challenges” in the country, he continued, praising the courage of families and collectives, many led by women, who search for their loved ones, often at great personal risk.

He called for stronger search mechanisms, forensic identification, protection measures and investigative efforts, highlighting the potential of Mexico’s legal framework and the recent adoption of an updated national search protocol.

The UN rights chief  expressed concern over persistently high levels of gender-based violence and femicides, noting that the rate of women killed in the country “shocks our conscience.”

Praise for Mexico’s ‘vibrant civil society’

During his trip, Mr. Türk met with senior officials from all branches of government, including President Claudia Sheinbaum, members of the Cabinet, legislators and the President of the Supreme Court, as well as representatives of civil society, the private sector and victims’ groups.

The visit, he said, had allowed him to see both “important achievements and profound challenges” in the area of human rights. “Mexico has a diverse, active and vibrant civil society,” the High Commissioner said, underscoring its central role in public debate, institutional reform and in demanding accountability.

Mr. Türk described Mexico’s Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (a programme from the Federal Government set up in 2012) as a model for the region, but stressed that timely access, prevention measures and stronger investigative capacity are crucial to improve its effectiveness.

Addressing Mexico’s reform of the judiciary, the High Commissioner emphasised the importance of safeguarding judicial independence, integrity and professional competence during the transition, and welcomed efforts to improve justice and transparency.

Mr. Türk also welcomed constitutional reforms recognising Indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples as subjects of public law, as well as advances in gender equality, poverty reduction and social protection, and praised Mexico’s role as a committed regional and global actor in the United Nations and the international human rights system.

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- Mexico