MEXICO CITY - UN experts* today called on Mexico to undertake urgent structural reforms to address the enduring effects of systemic racism and historical injustices against Afro‑Mexican peoples.
"Mexico's historic constitutional recognition of Afro‑Mexican peoples cannot stay on paper, it must now translate into concrete measures, representation, historical memory and transformative change," said Isabelle Mamadou, chair of the Working Group of experts on people of African Descent, in a statement at the end of a visit to the country.
"We welcome progress made by Mexico, including constitutional reforms, increased statistical visibility and initiatives aimed at promoting the rights of Afro‑Mexican peoples," the experts said. "However, recognition without implementation risks turning this historic achievement into an empty promise, further entrenching inequality rather than resolving it."
They noted that Afro‑Mexican peoples consistently called for a new relationship with the State, grounded in full and effective participation, territorial justice and development.
The experts highlighted persistent challenges, including structural discrimination, statistical invisibilities, limited access to justice and basic services, environmental vulnerability, and underrepresentation in decision‑making spaces. They also raised concerns about the lack of disaggregated data across key sectors, which undermines evidence‑based policymaking and perpetuates inequalities.
"Racial profiling remains endemic in the country. Skin colour continues to be used as a criterion for suspicion in police controls and migration operations at bus stations and airports," the experts said. "Mexico still does not know how many Afro-descendant persons disappear, migrate or access justice."
They stressed that fundamental structural changes are urgently needed. These include law and policy reforms that propel reparatory justice and positive measures, educational curriculum reform, the establishment of a specialised institution, and strengthening existing mechanisms to effectively respond to the realities of Afro‑Mexicans.
The experts emphasised that policies must adopt a differentiated and anti‑racist approach, rather than treating Afro‑Mexicans within institutional frameworks designed for Indigenous Peoples, and must be developed in close consultation with those concerned.
"Afro-Mexican communities need sustained political will, structural reforms, and meaningful participation to secure their rights and settle this historical debt."
The Working Group will present a full report on its visit to the Human Rights Council in September 2026.
