Photo from Semarnat.
PBI-Mexico accompanies meeting at SEMARNAT on strengthening the Protection Mechanism for human rights defenders and journalists
A Government of Mexico Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) press release notes: “On January 26, the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, met with 13 civil society organizations dedicated to the protection of environmental defenders and with staff from the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists of the Ministry of the Interior, with the aim of promoting concrete actions of institutional coordination in the matter.”
The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project was one of the organizations at this meeting in Mexico City.
The press release quotes Secretary Bárcena stating: “For Semarnat and Profepa [the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection], the protection of environmental defenders is a priority and is part of the commitments that Mexico assumed within the framework of the Escazú Agreement. …We want to strengthen institutional collaboration and advance in concrete actions, with the active participation of civil society to guarantee effective protection for environmental defenders.”
The press release further highlights: “Meetings will be held prior to COP4 of the Escazú Agreement with the purpose of presenting joint proposals that reflect the articulated work between government and civil society.”
The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP4) to the Escazú Agreement is scheduled for April 22–24, 2026, in Santiago, Chile.
After the meeting at SEMARNAT, Espacio OSC commented on social media: “We welcome the dialogue and agreements to jointly promote a policy to protect environmental defenders. We appreciate the leadership of @aliciabarcena and are confident that we will make progress in inter-institutional coordination and dialogue with civil society.”
On Thursday February 12 at 3 pm ET (2 pm in Mexico City), PBI-Mexico, Espacio OSC and PBI-Canada are jointly holding a webinar on strengthening the Protection Mechanism.
The speakers include Elizabeth Guadalupe Mosqueda Rivera (with the Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity Oaxaca), Héctor Hugo Arreola Galván (with the Zeferino Ladrillero Human Rights Center), Mario Hurtado Cardozo (Espacio OSC) and Aledia Quintana Ordaz (from the National Network of Human Rights Defenders).
(Left to right): Elizabeth Guadalupe Mosqueda Rivera, Héctor Hugo Arreola Galván, Mario Hurtado Cardozo, Aledia Quintana Ordaz.
This webinar follows the advocacy visit by Elizabeth and Hugo in September 2025 to Ottawa where they met with Members of Parliament, Global Affairs Canada officials, and civil society allies to amplify the call to strengthen the Protection Mechanism.
And it precedes the Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Mexico from February 15 to 20 that will be led by Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy.
At the United Nations Universal Periodic Review session held on January 24, 2024, Canada recommended that Mexico: “Strengthen, from an intersectional and gender perspective, the federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, specifically in the areas of prevention, protection, investigation, and reparation.”
Stay tuned for more updates.
Additional reading
PBI-Canada to assess the implications for human rights defenders of the Team Canada Trade Mission to Mexico (PBI-Canada article, January 15, 2026)
PBI-Canada examines Protection Mechanisms for human rights defenders and journalists in Mexico, Honduras, Colombia and Guatemala (PBI-Canada article, January 12, 2026)
Photo-journal of PBI-Mexico accompanied Espacio OSC advocacy tour in Canada on Protection Mechanism (PBI-Canada article, September 26, 2025).
