PROCLAMATION

· We demand the Mexican State to ensure access to justice, truth, and comprehensive reparation with the effective participation of the victims. The priority action should be addressing the serious situation of femicide violence.

· We urge the Government of Oaxaca to immediately release forest defender Pablo Lopez Alavez.

· The so-called public peace policy developed by the state government has been exclusive. For it to be genuinely implemented in Oaxaca, the participation of civil society is necessary.

In order to reflect on the challenges of the context and generate joint actions, 10 organizations from six states of Mexico came together in the Oaxacan capital city, from October 4th to 6th, for the meeting called “Collectively Building Paths towards Peace with Justice”, within the framework of the Civil Service for Peace Program. The space allowed for the exchange of experiences and strategies to continue advocating for the respect of human rights for all individuals, for the attention and prevention of violence, as well as for justice and conditions conducive to peace-building.

Based on the shared analysis, organizations expressed the following concerns:

· The security policy that endorses the militarization processes by the Mexican state and its failed fight against impunity, as has been evidenced in the case of the enforced disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa students. We must remember that peace is not built by will alone; it requires effective justice, reparations, and a persistent effort in recovering and building historical memory.

· The lack of state mechanisms to address the migration crisis, which is leading to dehumanization, as well as serious human rights violations such as sexual violence and trafficking of women, youth, and children.

· The multiple forms of violence exerted against human rights defenders. An example of this is the 47 murders of activists that were perpetrated in Oaxaca between 2018 and 2022. This figure places the state as the most dangerous for the defense of human rights in the country.

· The situation of conflict currently experienced in Mexico, particularly in Oaxaca. Organized crime and armed groups tied to political, agrarian, and economic strongholds are threatening the civilian population. This is happening with the tacit approval of authorities at all three levels of government.

· The territorial control dispute between organized crime groups in collusion with state sectors and other de facto powers exacerbates violence, contributes to community conflicts, and is one of the causes of forced internal displacement.

Given the historical moment that our country is experiencing, we reaffirm our solidarity and support for victims of femicide, enforced disappearances, and internal forced displacement. We stand with the families of femicide victims and murdered human rights defenders, as well as all victims of human rights violations. It is urgent that the definition of state actions is viewed and enacted from an intersectional, multicultural perspective, and not from a standpoint that is sexist, racial, and discriminatory.

We demand that the Mexican government take decisive action against corruption and impunity. We call for serious measures against officials at all levels of government who protect the criminal interests of institutional, political, and economic plunder.

We demand that the Mexican State ensure access to justice, truth, and comprehensive reparation with the effective participation of the victims. The priority action should be addressing the serious situation of femicide violence.

The so-called public peace policy developed by the state government has been exclusive. For it to be genuinely implemented in Oaxaca, the participation of civil society is necessary.

In response to human rights violations, we call upon civil and organized society to promote democratic discussions, undertake humanitarian actions, and continue to foster Peace and Justice within the community. This is for the strengthening of social articulation methods within communities, societies and citizens at large.

We urgently call upon the Government of the State of Oaxaca and the Judicial Power of Oaxaca to immediately release the forest defender, Pablo López Alavez, in compliance with Opinion 23/2017 of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico, October 6th, 2023.

Comité de Defensa Integral de Derechos Humanos, Gobixha (CODIGO DH) – Oaxaca

Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca – Oaxaca

Servicios para una Educación Alternativa (EDUCA) – Oaxaca

Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas – Chiapas

Comisión de Apoyo a la Unidad y Reconciliación Comunitaria (CORECO) – Chiapas

Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres (CEDEHM)– Chihuahua

Centro de Justicia para la Paz y el Desarrollo (CEPAD) – Jalisco

Centro para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios – Coahuila

Aluna Acompañamiento Psicosocial – CDMX

Servicios y Asesoría para la Paz (SERAPAZ) – CDMX