Mexico Names Menchú Senior Advisor on Rights Policy
Mexico appoints Rigoberta Menchú to advise on women’s and Indigenous rights in its foreign policy agenda.
Appointment of Rigoberta Menchú as advisor on rights in Mexico’s foreign policy. Photo: EFE.
April 25, 2026 Hour: 2:44 am
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Nobel laureate will advise on women’s and Indigenous rights in Mexico’s foreign policy.
Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) announced Friday the appointment of Rigoberta Menchú Tum as High Advisor for the Rights of Women and Indigenous Peoples in the country’s foreign policy, in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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The designation aligns with the mandate of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to establish substantive equality and interculturality as cross-cutting priorities in Mexico’s international agenda.
Menchú, a Maya K’iche’ leader of Guatemalan origin with Mexican nationality, brings longstanding international recognition to the role. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the Prince of Asturias Award in 1998, and has served as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. She also played a central role in the diplomatic process that led to the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007.
Text Reads: This Friday, Rigoberta Menchú Tum was appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as High Commissioner for the Rights of Women and Indigenous Peoples in Mexico’s Foreign Policy. / This appointment, coordinated with the United Nations Development Programme, contributes to the consolidation of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s directive (@Claudiashein) to place interculturalism and substantive equality as cross-cutting themes in Mexico’s international actions. / Rigoberta Menchú, Mexican Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will contribute to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@SRE_mx) by designing a comprehensive policy aimed at promoting and protecting the rights of women, Indigenous peoples and communities, and Afro-Mexicans.
In a statement shared on social media, Menchú said: “On the sacred day Jun E, I thank Dr. Roberto Velasco Álvarez, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, for appointing me as High Advisor for the Rights of Women and Indigenous Peoples in Mexico’s foreign policy, and President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo for her trust. It represents a challenge and a full personal recognition, as well as recognition of the struggles of women and Indigenous peoples in Mexico and worldwide. I accept it as a historic mission and will carry it out responsibly.”
In her new role, Menchú will contribute to the design of a comprehensive policy aimed at promoting and protecting human rights, with a focus on women, as well as Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities. Her work will be coordinated with strategic national initiatives and follow guidelines set by the Secretariat of Women and the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples.
The position is intended to strengthen coordination within the SRE and across relevant government institutions, enabling joint action plans to bring the demands and proposals of these communities to multilateral forums. Authorities indicated that the initiative seeks to ensure their active and consistent presence in global discussions.
The appointment reflects the Mexican government’s stated objective of placing human rights and cultural diversity at the center of its foreign policy, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The High Advisory role is expected to serve as a bridge between community-level priorities in Mexico and international decision-making spaces, reinforcing the country’s diplomatic engagement on collective and individual rights.
Source: Agencies
