At the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, the Mexican government stated that protecting the rights of indigenous peoples is one of the priority directions of state policy, Mariana Posada Lombana, Director General for Relations with Civil Society Organizations at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, APA-Economics reports.
According to her, around 17 million people in Mexico identify themselves as indigenous, accounting for 15% of the country’s population.
Mariana Posada Lombana stated that indigenous peoples are not a homogeneous group and that each community has its own unique language, culture, and traditions. Therefore, it is not possible to apply the same approach to all communities.
She noted that the Mexican Constitution recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples to self-governance, self-determination, and land use. The Mexican official believes that states must address this issue at the highest legal level in order to protect these rights.
