Chiara Cardoletti, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Mexico, recognized on August 25, 2026, Oaxaca's model for addressing forced internal displacement. The recognition was delivered during the inauguration of the Council for the Prevention, Care, Comprehensive Reparation and Durable Solutions for Forced Internal Displacement.
The council, chaired by Governor Salomón Jara and attended by representatives from UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, was constituted to coordinate actions and design public policies for people who have been compelled to leave their homes. Oaxaca is the fifth state in the country with specialized legislation on the matter, in force since September 18, 2025, and the first to draft it through free, prior and informed consultation with indigenous communities, according to MVS Noticias. The international recognition positions the state as a benchmark for other Mexican states and Latin American countries building their own frameworks for addressing internal displacement.
During the inauguration, four tools were presented to operationalize the model: an official registry of displaced persons, which will run on software donated by UNHCR using European Union funding; a project to strengthen the land tenure administration system, backed by the Embassy of the Netherlands; an action protocol for public servants; and an awareness campaign aimed at children, available in indigenous languages. According to El Heraldo de México, the state law classifies obstruction of return processes as a criminal offense, a feature unique in Mexico and Latin America. Cardoletti described the law as a milestone "not only for Oaxaca, but for the entire country." The governor noted that displacement is not a new phenomenon in the state, but that there is now political will, legal instruments and institutions to confront it.
The council began operations and the official registry of displaced persons was ready to function, while the land tenure project advances as part of the durable solutions framework. "We are taking a fundamental step in building an Oaxaca where no person has to abandon their home," the governor stated.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.