Good afternoon.
Colleagues, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the second day of our consideration of the periodic report of Honduras.
I declare the 3233rd meeting of SRD open.
I would like to start by warmly welcoming back the delegation of Honduras, led by Her Excellency, miss Carla Cueva, ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, and miss La Disete Garcia Pagan, Secretary of State for Human Rights and other members of the delegation.
We look forward to continuing the constructive dialogue we started yesterday.
As I mentioned yesterday, we have two segments to focus on.
One is the situation of indigenous peoples and people of African descent, Part one.
I segment four, the same situation of indigenous peoples and people of African descent, different parts.
Part two.
Again, I would remind everybody On the need for the strict management of time.
We have the timer on the screen and without further delay, I give the floor to the country rapporteur, Senor Vicente Vasquez, for his questions and you have the floor, sir, for 20 minutes.
Thank you very much Chair.
Once again, I extend my greetings to the physical and virtual presence of the Distinguished Delegation of Honduras and Her Excellency Ambassador Carla Cuea.
President Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
In this section, I'm going to look at issues ten to 13 and 16 to 18 on the list and I would be grateful if the delegation could answer these questions.
Looking at participation in political public affairs, the committee takes note of the information provided in paragraphs 140, 141 of the state party reports on the measures taken to increase participation of indigenous people and Afro Honduran people in political life and in public affairs.
However, the committee observes that they have not communicated statistics that allow us to gauge the results since the previous report and It seems that the draft bill on quotas of political participation has not been approved, and the committee received information on acts of violence in the electoral process in 2025.
The committee would like detailed information on this.
First question, can the State please provide statistics disaggregated by Community of belonging and sex and the representation of indigenous communities and Afro Honduran communities in the political life and decision making positions in the public and private sector at all levels of government since the last report.
Second question, what's the status of the draft bill on establishing quotas for political participation to promote presence of indigenous communities in Afro Honduran and what is the time frame for this? Third question, what concrete measures have been adopted to recognize and fund the authorities and traditional forms of governance for indigenous communities in Afro Hondurans? Fourth question, what measures been adopted to guarantee participation of indigenous women and Af Hoanduran women both in national political life and in institutions that represent their own people and what results have been achieved? Fifth question, the committee would like to know if you have looked at ethnicity of victims of political violence over the electoral period of 2025.
Looking now at excessive use of force by law enforcement officials.
The committee takes note of the measures on training in human rights given within the security forces in the state party.
However, the committee has received information alleging use of lethal force by the armed forces against the mosquito population in the Department of Grate S Joos on the 16th of September 2021, as part of anti narcotics operations, and yet there have been no convictions.
The committee also observes that the use of racial profiling has not been explicitly prohibited in legislation and the committee would be grateful for detailed information.
First question, can the state party please provide information on investigations conducted, penalties imposed on the perpetrators and remedy granted to victims, family members, or communities affected, de segregated by people group and by type of operation.
Secondly, what regulatory framework and what mechanisms of oversight and accountability can be applied for private security companies that are operating in context of land conflict and what procedures have been launched against them during the period under review.
What legislative measures have been adopted or are under consideration to explicitly prohibit the use of racial profiling by law enforcement agents and what disciplinary measures or what penalty has been applied in practice, including those relating to profiling of migrant persons, asylum seekers, refugees, and people of African descent.
Could the state party please inform us on the state of investigation relating to the attack on the armed forces in the mosquito community of Ibans nearly five years ago and on the result of the investigations of the operations in OS in 2012 and Warna in 2018.
What protocol regulates the employment of air measures and lethal force used narco trafficking operations in indigenous communities and what measures have been adopted to to avoid the mosquito corridor which is where there's a heavy presence of heavy narco presence creating stigma for the people in the community.
Turning out the right to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly.
The committee takes notes and recognizes the commitment taken on by the state party to agree in 2026 to recommendations 117 and 159 and 117 60 of the UPR.
However, the committee observes a lack of legal recognition of community measures and structural obstacles exist, including attacks against community radio.
There have been reports alleging the use of encroachment, the crime of encroachment has occurred and concepts such as encroaching into public space in order to criminalize this peaceful protest of indigenous and Anand communities.
We would like some up to date information.
Having accepted the UPR recommendations, what time frame and what budget and institutional mechanism has been established to adopt a legal framework on community radio or indigenous or rural radio that includes legal recognition and access to radio stations for indigenous people and Afro Hondurans and what measures have been adopted by the State Party to protect community radio from acts of violence.
Can you please provide information on concrete measures that have been adopted to prevent the undue use of criminal law against members of the indigenous communities When they're exercising the right to the right to peaceful assembly.
Third question, can you please provide information on the criminal proceedings underway for forced displacement initiated against indigenous and Afro Honduran communities during the period under review, desegregated by people group and result of the investigation and inform on the situation of the five members of the Gafhoa community in San Juan deprived of liberty and accused of encroachment for occupying ancestral land.
Firth question regarding the This question before certain courts, there have been trials for encroachment, I want to know about the trials connected to encroachment of indigenous lands.
How does the state party reconcile the imposition of prefal detention in cases under Article 10 of the ILO Convention 169? Turning now to protection of environmental and human rights defenders and journalists.
The committee takes note of the reform in 2025 of the Act for Protection of human rights defenders, journalists, social, communicators, and justice operators to include environmental defenders, as well as information provided in paragraph 79 to 95 of the State party report.
However, the committee profoundly regrets that according to the report published by the OHCHR in 2025, there were 17 violent deaths of human rights defenders, 13 of them defenders of land and family, and that there was a person who was benefiting from a national system of protection that was also killed the same year.
The committee would like information.
Could the state party also provide up to date information on the investigations conducted and the penalties imposed and remedy granted in particular on determining the intellectual author or perpetrator of the assassination of Defender Juan António Lopez and on the implementation of recommendations from the interdisciplinary group of experts and independent experts in the case of Berto Caceres.
Second question.
What specific measures have been adopted to bolster the territorial presence of the General Director of the National System Protection to guarantee the granting of protection measures that are culturally adequate in keeping with Paragraph 25 C of the concluding observations of 2018 and to ensure the timely implementation of the temporary measures that were issued by the Inter American Court of Human Rights Inter American Commission, sorry, Human Rights.
Third question, Committee has received information alleging sexual violence against women indigenous women and girls as a form of reprisal for defending land and as a way of eviction.
Could the state party please indicate if there's any data on these facts disaggregated by community and what investigations and remedies have been produced? Fourth question.
The committee has received reports alleging the persistence of criminalization being used as a tool of dissuasion, including for cases of encroachment and forced displacement, amongst others, against indigenous Ln councils in Potter Rillos, Cacao and Neves and against the Grafa community in Crawfish Rock.
Could the state party provide information on these allegations and on the measures adopted to apply a focus based on ancestral lands? And ascertaining criminal responsibility.
The committee would also be grateful for information on the status of investigations for the murder of three Tolpan defenders in 2019, on the reasons for the search order that was issued and not yet executed and on the result of the complaints of threat and harassment presented by members of this tribe since 2013.
The committee received information alleging that on the 7th of June 2026, high ranking authorities of the State Party participated in an assembly where they adopted agreements that involved evicting Talpan people from their lands, and they were to benefit from the precautionary measure 416 13 of the Intermketing Commission of Human Rights and they called for its withdrawal.
Can the State Party please give us information on these allegations and tell us what has been issued? And ensure that the public authorities do not undermine protection measures that are in force.
Looking at free prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples, the committee takes note of the information provided in paragraphs 47 and 55 of the state party reports and as part of the process for establishing a process for prior consultation with support from the UNDP and the ILO.
In March 2026, the state party accepted recommendations 1 7 2 2 6 and 1 1 7 2 2 7 of the UPR.
However, the committee regrets that more than 30 years after ratification of ILO Convention 169 and having been seen the concluding observations in paragraph 19 D of the concluding observations in 2018.
Following a follow up, the state parties still not got any particular standard or norm.
We also note that in June 2026, there was legislative decree one oh 72026 that was adopted on the agri food sector, on the net energy projects, tourism, and livestock.
Turning to the questions, what is the time frame for the presentation before the National Congress of the specific standard and what measure does its content align with ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on Indigenous Peoples and the sentences of the Inter American Court, in particular regarding the standard of consent applicable to large scale projects.
Referred to in recommendation 117226.
Second question, notified.
There was a sentence of the 4th of March 2026 in the case of the Grafhoa community and the Cas Cocinos what measures have been adopted by the State party to disseminate this internal standard on prior consultation.
Looking at question three, what follow up has been given to recommendations from the Commission on direct contacts from the ILO in May 2022.
Question four, what investigations penalty and remedy has been granted by two indigenous communities and Aronuring communities affected by such projects without prior consent to the fifth question.
Was legislative decree one oh 72026 subject to prior free prior informed consent with indigenous communities Afro Honur committees.
Can the state party please stipulate if the Um, the silent procedure was in place or what form of positive administrative process was applicable? How do you reconcile this with the state duty to consult? Turning now to protection of community ownership of traditional lands, including titling, delimitation demarcation of restitution of lands and ancestral territories.
The committee takes note of the creation in 2023 of the Commission on food security and access to lands and the information provided in paragraphs 56 and 71 of the state party report as well as the land titles for more than 9,000 hectas for mosquito communities and Grifa communities communicated in the UPR.
However, the committee regrets that according to the public report of 2026, the UN Commissioner of Human Rights during 2025 saw there were new forced evictions amongst peasant communities and indigenous Afro Honduran communities with the destruction of housing in seven of them, five of which were earmarked as measures that were driven forward by the Commission on Zero deforestation.
We'd like some information on the The land titles belonging to the indigenous people and Afro descendant communities and on the process for sanitation and effective return.
Second question, how does the state party reconcile the acts of the CEO deforestation Commission with the rights of the communities of indigenous people and Efron committees, and what safeguards prevent Environmental protection operating as the prevailing rather, the committee has received information alleging that there's been a reduction in ancestral titles for the Tupan tribe through resolutions in 1999, but their validity is still questioned.
Turning to question three, the committee has received information that Article 378 of the Penal Code amended by Legislative decree 1993, 2021, that regulates the crime of encroachment and preventive evictions has increased criminalization of people who are defending land and territory.
What measures been adopted according to this legislative decree? Um Question four, the committees received information that 221 complaints were forced displacement 2016-2025 presented by members of the indigenous communities, and 52% of them women have pointed out that the alleged perpetrators are members of the security forces of the state.
Can you please provide Information on this because there is none in your report.
Fifth question, can you please provide information on requests for land titles that are pending for Grafa communities, in particular, on the situation for the community of Nueva Armenia and on the requests for land recognition presented in 2002 rather for the Rosita Cao Vnado Nueago and Esparo communities, infrastructure and mining licenses the committee takes note of the declaration in 2022 on Honduras as a country free of um, open pit mining and the information provided in paragraph 77 and 78 of the state party report.
However, the committee observes that there has been no detail given on the legal definition or the scope of this moratorium and that the High Commissioner has noted persistent deficiencies in the processes of consultation and obtention of free prior informed consent.
And in the admission of permits to benefit for minerals in the National Park of Montana de Bots.
First question, can the state party please give information on the legal background, the scope, and then the exceptions or waivers and the mechanism that is valid for the mining moratorium that was announced in 2022 and give information on concessions licenses and permits that are enforced in indigenous lands.
The committee would also like information on the legal situation of the mining concessions and there is one in the municipal area of Laon, Department of Copan, and on the measures adopted given its expansion towards Cerro Ninos, and according to information received, there may be mining activities in around 200 meters of the Maya torte community of Aku that would affect sources of sources of water, sorry.
Second question, what studies on environmental, social and cultural impact have been conducted with the participation of the affected communities? Third question, what is the state of the Aguasarca hydroelectric project and the concessions in the Toco area.
What is the state of the draft bill on the simplification of the environment license presented to the National Congress in May 2025.
Thank you very much for all of your attention.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Rapporteur, Senor Vicente Vasquez.
This is the first round of questions.
I now turn the floor to the delegation for its responses.
You have 25 minutes.
The floor is yours.
Buenos.
Good afternoon.
Greetings to the various members of the committee, the chair.
We're grateful to the Rapporteur Vincent Vasquez for his questions, and we'll give the floor to the Honorable Representative David Manasa from the National Congress to address the issue of participation in public and political affairs.
This.
Good afternoon.
My name is David Masa.
I'm president of the Commission for Justice and Human Rights within the National Congress and I'm very proudly Garfuna This afternoon, I'm here in Geneva, obviously, and I want to say that the general elections of the th of November 2025, saw the Honduran people choosing between 11 representatives belonging to indigenous communities or Afro Honduran communities, and this is 8% of the National Congress.
This is not just symbolic.
Because in this Congress, which is open doors and is inclusive, there are two Vice Presidents of the Congress that have been elected by Mosquito of Eri Cota.
There are also representatives from Indigenous and Afro Hoduran communities that take on important roles in the various committees, notably the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and I'm very proud to head up this committee.
I'm also Vice President of the Committee on Indigenous and Afro Honduran communities.
We also have Alfonso Rones who leads these committees.
We have other committees that have representatives from indigenous communities.
The state is striving to ensure that this representation grows with particular focus on participation of indigenous and Afronguran women.
Our legislation protects the participation of all our population in general, but we do need to try to make progress in terms of expanding the participation generally.
The Electoral Act of Honduras in Decree 35 2021 and in Article 65 governs the political and electoral rights of citizens and in Article 11, it establishes the right to obtain protection against any form of discrimination on grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, political opinion, social origin, economic position, or any other reason on the draft bill for electoral quota for different communities, and we have the dialogue between the National Congress and the National Electoral Council.
Political parties pool parties and organizations continue to be involved.
As a representative, I stand ready to drive forward these kinds of reforms following the standards set out in ILO Convention 169.
And to consult with the nine indigenous communities and tribal communities of the country.
On the political electoral violence against people from such communities, Article 226 of the Electoral Act of Honduras prohibits any political propaganda that would encourage racism or racial hatred, as well as that would undermine the dignity of people or use images of children or women in indecent way.
The state will submit in writing information on the National Electoral Council from 2025 because I should highlight that we saw broader participation.
The challenge remains in the electing, ensuring that we have diverse representation.
We're discussing a reform where we might consider electing a representative per district or area and that would be a way of ensuring perfect representation of the nine indigenous communities.
They would not only be participating that would also have the opportunity to be elected.
Thank you very much.
Looking at the issue of the use of force, racial profiling, I will give the floor to Vice Minister Mes Marin Aguilar Roya from the Ministry of Security.
Rapporteur, on your question on the use of force and racial profiling, the State of Honduras is going to outline the three lines of its strategy, namely prevent, train, and punish.
Honduras informs that the acts of the national Police is governed by a framework that includes the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, objectivity, impartiality, and respect for human rights.
The Organic Act of the Ministry for Security National Police in Article 41 establishes that the use of force ought to be progressive, differentiated, and strictly limited to what is necessary.
This goes hand in hand with the guidebook on the use of force and firearms adopted in 2023 that regulates the different levels of intervention and reserves lethal force as the last resort.
The law on the police career establishes as a severe fault the indiscriminate, unnecessary or excessive use of force in arbitrary or discriminatory ways.
Between January 2024 and July 2026, 7,935 police officers were trained in human rights, gender, and use of force through the Annual Educational Plan.
Furthermore, more than 16,000 participants in continuous learning programs.
We have more than 16,000 participants in continuous learning plans through the regional program.
Furthermore, the Department for Human Rights of the Ministry of Security train more than 4,600 officers in human rights when it comes to policing and the use of force, conflict resolution, and tools to ensure peace.
The state also has mechanisms for oversight and accountability.
2024-2026, Data Pol received 589 complaints for indiscriminate, unnecessary, or excessive use of force.
Of those, 114 related to eviction, land conflict, or peaceful demonstrations.
18 referrals were given to the Public Prosecution Service or other authorities and Legislation establishes that when there is a sense of these crimes being committed, these offenses occurring, then the facts should be communicated to the Public Prosecution Service despite the disciplinary investigation continuing.
When we look at racial discrimination alone, We do not literally use the expression racial profiling.
This does not mean that it is not governed or is not regulated.
The order compels for objective and impartial actions and prohibits any discrimination and allows for investigation and punishment for any discriminatory actions on the grounds of race or ethnicity.
Da Pol also has a specific category for recording this kind of behavior.
In addition, we're strengthening preventive mechanisms through interinstitutional participation in Agrarian conflict and eviction and developing protocols for police and community action with Ln and Garfuna populations.
Furthermore, we are including support and protection measures for Defenders of indigenous community, Honduras is mindful that there are challenges.
However, progress show that we have a policy that's not just for regulating the use of force, but also to prevent abuse, investigate any possible perpetrators, and strengthen our police action to ensure that it is objective, proportional and free of discrimination.
Thank you.
Many thanks.
In order to address the case of San Juan Municipio of Atlanta, I'd like to give the floor to the Public Prosecution Services and Lawyer Canals.
Distinguished Rapporteur, pursuant to the operative paragraphs of the ruling, there was Decree 03 2024 that was approved on March 2024 and this created the intersectorial High level commission for the compliance with international sentences or rulings of the Inter American Court of Human Rights, with regard to cases relating to the Grefuna community of ***** Pedro and in this case, San Juan as well.
On the 12th of April, Under the National Congress in Los Bars, the members of Ciecil were sworn in.
This involves legal representation for victims as well as the Black Brother Organization of Honduras and the members of the communities concerned.
To date, we have carried out three ordinary sessions of this body for coordinating compliance with the operative paragraphs of these judgments.
The first was on the 29th of April 2024 in Tigua Galpa The second was on the 21st and 22nd of July of 2024 in Save Atlantida and the third was in session during this month in Colon.
Pursuant to this intersectoral coordination mechanism, actions carried out by the State Honduras with regard to compliance with the operative paragraphs of this sentence are reported on and the state as of the 23rd of February 2023, carried out work in the Taylor municipality with a delegation comprising the public prosecution Services, the National Agrarian Institute, and the Property Institute, and the municipal authorities with a view to identifying alternative lands to be granted to the community pursuant to this meeting, the relevant institutions have been working on harmonizing This and ensuring that we do suggest alternative land to the committee which could be granted to the communities concerned.
As of the 14th of October 2024, there were inugative acts that were carried out to delimit and carry out Ca measures in the relevant municipality regarding the ***** Pedro Garifuna case and this was at the request of the legal representatives.
With regard to the publication of the official summary of the judgment, this was made available in both Spanish and Gifuna language and the Public prosecution Services and the Oran ed organization on the 3rd of May of this year.
Issued this summary in Galifuna and in the other indigenous languages in order to obtain the validation of the representatives of the victims.
To date, there we are awaiting official validation so as to then proceed to the official publication and further dissemination of this summary.
Thank you very much.
In order to address the matter of human rights Defenders, I would like to give the floor to the Ministry for Human Rights through the Director General for the Protection System, Lawyer Krišto Hernandez.
A very good afternoon, Distinguished Rapporteur.
Regarding the question that was asked about the protection of human rights defenders, I'd like to inform you that the state attaches high priority to the protection of human rights offenders.
Our government's response is built around two complementary responsibilities, namely preventing and protecting against risks and also promoting investigations and punishment of any facts that might amount to a crime or offense.
In terms of protection, Honduras has an institutional strengthening process that is evidence based.
We reviewed the National Protection mechanism and identified gaps and this guided restructuring measures.
As a result, Despite a backlog of 44% in risk analysis, we have now got performance of 83% and enhanced productivity by 144% per analyst.
This reflects great progress of institutional capacities.
Currently, the mechanism is protecting 69 individuals and groups belonging to indigenous and Afro Honduran peoples, 54 indigenous and 15 Afro Honduran.
In 2026, this mechanism has a budget of 35.7 million empires.
Furthermore, Every 15 days, there are monitoring exercises that are carried out in the offices and a capacity building plan was agreed with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Similarly, it is important to mention that the National Protection Council has been reactivated and has met seven times in 2026 alone, thereby strengthening interinstitutional coordination and participation by civil society organizations.
At the regulatory level, legislative decree 72025 explicitly included human rights defenders and environmental defenders within the protection system and declared the 24th of January as the day of the common and natural goods defenders of Honduras in recognition of the work done by an environmental activist Juan António Lopez.
State also recognizes that protection needs to go hand in hand with combating impunity.
In the case of Juan António Lopez, the public prosecution services filed charges against the presumed material perpetrators in 2024 and against the presumed masterminds in May 2026.
Similarly, sentences have been handed down in symbolic cases such as those of Berta Caceres, Felix Vasquez, and Miranasuosso, and criminal charges have been filed in other cases, Honduras acknowledges that challenges remain and we're working to overcome these challenges.
There is a participatory and plural reform under way of the Protection Act, which will involve the government institutions, but also civil society.
At the same time, we are making progress on risk assessments with a differentiated approach for indigenous and Afro Honduran peoples, both as regards individual and collective cases.
Honduras message to this committee is clear.
We have a state decision to strengthen our protection system, to bridge any gaps and consolidate sustainable and verifiable responses.
Honduras would like to reaffirm its commitment to further strengthening guarantees so that human rights defenders can do their work in greater security and safety.
Thank you very much.
I'd like to now give the floor to the National Agrarian Institute.
Led by Mr.
Roy Murillo.
You have 4 minutes.
Distinguished rapporteur, I'm speaking on behalf of the National Agrarian Institute, which manages issues titles for and regularizes land in Honduras regarding the issuance of titles and regularization and protection.
The state has four key action areas.
On land titling 2024-2026, eight community titles were issued for 1,300.27 hectares to communities from the Troy Len and Nahua peoples.
Also, on the basis of legislative decree 18 2008, there are 386 titles that represent 30,000 hectors that benefit 6,555 families made up of peasant companies and independent producers.
Regarding demarcation of land, 23 communities belonging to the Lenca, Tolupan, Garfuna, and Pech people were demarcated 2023-2026 for 24,611 hectas.
Regarding regularization in the mosquito and Tupan territories, 288 sworn declarations have been taken, 93 of them have already been identified with 12,568.53 hectors documented as being held by third parties with a view to being dealt with through the judicial channels.
Regarding protection, the Commission on Agrarian security and access to land created by the agreement of the National Council on Defense and Security 002 2023 ordered a suspension for eviction requests which were under investigation due to land ownership issues.
This was 22 cases while the land titles were verified.
This is temporary protection for 15 farms that are occupied by cooperatives of the so called reformed sector.
Also, as regards 129 cases, fair compensation was provided for expropriation of land pursuant to decree eight in 2008.
Also, regarding the territories that are protected by international rulings issued by the Inter American Court of Human Rights through the Intersectorial Commission on the compliance with international judgments, the Property Institute was asked to prohibit any entering into transactions and contracts preventing the property registry from recording transfers of ownership rights to third parties regarding land and disputes.
Monitoring carried out by the Ministry of Human Rights records every incident regarding the people's lands and this will be sent to the committee in writing.
Thank you very much.
We have 3.5 minutes to respond to the last question which will be tackled by the Office of the Attorney General regarding mining and infrastructure projects.
Good afternoon.
Regarding the question posed by the Distinguished Rapporteur on mining projects, regarding the Aguazara project, the environmental authority issued through resolution 122 2025 of the 22nd of December 2025, a declaration making null and void these resolutions, meaning that environmental license certificates were without any value or effect.
In the case of the Gualcarque River, the justice condemned these acts and the Office of the Prosecutor General has filed 32 injunctions for illegal exploitation of natal resources in just the last three years.
In the San Andrés and Aquaualp towns of the mining zone of Copan, The issue is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Economic social and cultural rights and the state already provided a response.
Without waiting for the outcome of all this though, the Ministry of Human Rights is monitoring social conflict in the zone and has also triggered the warning system through which it was recommended that the dialogue mechanism with all stakeholders or parties to the conflict be reactivated.
With the involvement of the department level government of and the municipality of Logon, the Ministry for Natural and Environmental Resources, as well as the Congress and the Honduran Institute of Geology and Mines, amongst others.
Also in El Corpus and Choteca, there is also follow up and oversight of environmental measures with regard to the Clav Rico mine.
This is within the context of the National Environmental Impact Assessment System.
Regarding the mining, this is what I have to say about our mining policy and the moratorium.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We would like to reiterate to the Honorable committee that the responses that we were unable to make within the time that was allotted to us will be put in writing and sent to you within 24 hours.
We are very grateful for all of the questions and responses and we are at your disposal, distinguished committee members.
Thank you, Madam Minister.
Actually, you have 48 hours to submit any further information.
Now, I thank the delegation for the replies.
The floor is now open for follow up questions by the country task force and other members of the committee.
We have about 10 minutes to do that.
Senor Vtnbasquez, you have the floor.
President.
Thank you very much Chair.
And once again, my gratitude to the distinguished delegation of Honduras for their responses to the questions that I asked and my thanks also to those present in the room and to the distinguished authorities in Honduras.
So first of all, I'd like to thank David for his responses regarding the law that is currently being revised, this process regarding districts, the process that you described whereby there'd be different Afro Honduran and districts.
That is something that we are very pleased to hear.
We take note of that and that commitment which the distinguished representative presented to us today.
I'd also like to thank the delegation for their responses to several of the questions, in particular, as regards the case of San Juan.
I understand that the issue of the San Juan case is being addressed, although some of the questions were not answered in very much detail, especially as regards to the five persons who were murdered.
I would like to, in this regard, draw the delegation's attention and in particular the attention of those who are in Capitol to this because we received a report from the Cofran organization which indicated that as regards the San Juan case specifically, They are currently before the Supreme Court.
We received this information yesterday evening and we said that they were not heard by the Supreme Court, and we I would just highlight that according to what you said, it is meant to be before the Supreme Court and yet we have also heard from another source that the Supreme Court is refusing to hear the case with all the parties anyway.
So we would welcome further information on this particular case and the Commission given that they are seeking further information, and we would welcome great information so greater clarity about that particular issue.
I'd like to give the opportunity to my fellow reporteurs and other colleagues of the committee so that they can ask any follow up questions that they might wish to put.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mr.
Immane.
Just as a follow up to some of the questions and also in the interest of time, I have three issues that I want the delegation to give the committee information on how they are dealing with that.
I think the first issue is the issue management of municipalities.
The information the committee has is that indigenous and descendant people are excluded on matters of governance when it comes to towns and municipalities.
The point is that indigenous and for descendant territories are far apart and currently mares do not belong to those dawns.
Would derogation provide information on areas which are managed by indigenous and f descendant people at the mare level but also in trying to be clear on the municipalities that fall under the management of indigenous and Fu people.
Going back to the issue of land where there was an attempt by the delegation to try to give information, I am interested on the issue of title.
One of the most common cases that the authorities issue land title without prior review to determine whether or not that land had belonged to indigenous underfed descendant people before.
And as explained by the delegation, there is this property Institute.
However, there is also the National Agrarian Institute.
What happens according to the information we have, is that the Proper Institute issues public deeds, while the National Grade Institute issues community titles and the finding is that both institutions act separately and this generates problems and these problems disapproionally affect indigenous under full descendant communities.
Would delegation provide information on this issue and how do they make sure that Indigenous and full channel people enjoy their rights? Thank you, Chair.
Thank you.
Mr.
Gant, the court reporter? No.
The Monsieur Derby.
Thank you, Chair.
I'd also like to thank the delegation for the information they provided us with, which was important.
We should commend, for instance, the adoption of measures regarding the Garfuna and other defenders.
We were told that a national council was set up, also a decree seeking to ensure the protection of human rights defenders and even better, that a conviction was handed down, if I'm not mistaken, in the case of Caceres.
So that is some headway, but in a way, the delegation has just whet our appetite because out of 308 cases in which Garfuna and Afro Honduran leaders who were threatened or who were either murdered or there was an attempted murder against them, we have almost information, and that's 308 cases since 2023.
So we were told that there's been one conviction, but could we perhaps have some more detailed information about the number of cases that are still pending before the various courts or which are undergoing other procedures? Chair, with regard to the Agrarian reform, we welcome the fact that the National Agrarian Institute was able to give us a significant amount of statistics about individual and collective titles.
That being said, there are still some cases pending before the National Commission.
If there is a refusal, a denial of a land title, are there any means of appeal that are foreseen, or will those communities be definitively denied their right to a land title in that particular case? Also, we have seen that there are still ongoing tensions regarding land disputes that are recurring in the region, in particular in the Bajo Aguar region.
Measures were taken with a view to protect agricultural facilities by depriving communities of their lands.
Measures are taken to protect large international multinational agricultural outfits while depriving communities of their land.
Could you please provide us with further details about the aspects of those laws or tell us whether on the contrary, there are measures in place to actually protect the rights of the communities concerned.
Thank you.
Thank you.
The floor is still open.
Mr.
Sgu? Thank you very much Chair.
I too wish to thank the distinguished delegation of Honduras I'd like to speak along the same lines as my colleague, Mr.
Jerviy.
According to the information we received only very recently, we know that the government of Honduras recently adopted Decree 107 2026, which legally enshrines agro industrial lands.
This involves eviction orders.
The Honduran peasant communities urgently seized the special procedures of the United Nations to try and denounce this illegal measure, which is contrary to international law and they call for Decree 107 stroke 2026 to be immediately repealed and for circular oh 92026 to be suspended and for evictions to end.
I would like to ask the delegation for comments on this issue, which is an urgent one and which is pending before the United Nations Special Procedures.
Thank you.
Thank you, colleagues.
I invite now the delegation to reply to these follow up questions.
You have 20 minutes.
Thank you Chair.
May I take the floor? Of course, you have the floor for 20 minutes.
Please.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We'd like to take this opportunity to address a number of important issues that were raised yesterday, but we would also like to provide some answers today.
I'd like to give the floor to the Public Prosecution Services so as to address the issue regarding Juan Lopez, the environmental Defender, and Jim Castillo as well.
You have 4 minutes.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Regarding the death of the environmental activist Juan Lopez.
Which occurred on the 14th of September 2024, and he was an environmental defender and municipal activist in the region of Corn.
He was murdered and as of then, the public prosecution services initiated a criminal investigation through the Special Prosecutor's Office.
In October 2024, the material perpetrators were brought before a court for murdering and also for criminal organization.
In 2025, the Case was officially opened before a court against the three presumed material perpetrators and the case was referred to the sentencing court with territorial competency regarding organized crime in Teigusicalpa.
In January 2026, a hearing where evidence was submitted was held.
The evidence was entirely admitted, and a public and oral hearing was held from the scheduled for January 2027.
Regarding the presumed masterminds of the killing, in May 2026, Adan Martinez Funes was detained, as well as man Galgos and the prosecution Services deems them to be the presumed masterminds behind the murder and criminal organization behind the killing of Juan Lopez.
The presumed masterminds underwent a revision of measures specifically against Mr.
Martinez and Mr.
Mendez and Mr.
Gallegos.
In the specific case of Mr.
Funes, the jurisdiction of the court substitutive prison for house arrest following documents provided by the defense on the basis of the fact that this person was aged over 70 and also on the grounds of their health.
The defense of the accused requested the sentences to be reviewed once again and a decision is still pending in that regard.
The option for enacting such measures is provided for in our criminal code in Article 183, which provides for a special regime of measures for those over the age of 70 and those who are ill, particularly those who have a terminal illness and in the final stages thereof.
I will also refer to the case of the disappearance of Mr.
Maxil Castillo, a human rights defender from the Punto Pedra community.
The investigations were initiated under the office of the S Office of the prosecutor or the office of the Special Prosecutor, I Gano Sam Pro Sulla, investigating the abduction crime, and this is in response to a request from the legal representation of Orane, which is the Fraternal Black Organization of Honduras, following a technical analysis of the facts as part of the investigation.
It was determined that the facts of the case did not fit the definition of abduction as provided for in Article 239 of our Criminal Code, given that there had been no evidence of the abduction and our request for a payment of ransom, et cetera.
The case was reinvestigated as a case of illegal deprivation of liberty in line with Article 235 of our criminal code.
In that guise, it was submitted to the Special Prosecutor's Office of the Ministry of Human Rights, which issued a demand for an investigation involving the criminal investigation agency in that investigation.
The investigation was carried out by the criminal investigation agency, which is known as AttiQ.
They gathered statements and evidence of eyewitnesses and expanded the statement taking Although there was a lack of collaboration investigative progress process, they also called the lawyer Josue Cala Navarro, who is the representative of Rene, to request additional information about the alleged disappearance or abduction.
However, the lawyer contacted say that he said that he did not have authorization to provide that information to the investigating officers.
There was a formal request via email requesting that information to the legal representation of Rene, the fraternal Black organization Montrose, asking for other information and also information about threats that they had received that had been left in the voice box of miss Miriam Millan.
In terms of field investigations and compiling of data and documents, the field investigation was carried out surrounding the house from which Mr.
Maxileg was abducted, but they weren't able to access the house itself because it was locked.
They have been working with local units as well as national police units and have requested information from the Ministry of Security about the potential arbitrary or illegal detention of the individual.
But they have been given that they've been able to determine the fatal whereabouts of the individual.
It has been confirmed that the individual does not seem to have left the country and there is no record of Mr.
Castillo having left the country.
With regard to audio visual evidence and the seizure thereof, the investigations managed to get two videos from a commercial establishment in Jerusalem in the Jerusalem area of the city where the abduction took place.
When you look at the video evidence, you see two vehicles which enter into the picture frame, although it's not been possible to identify those vehicles given the fact that the abduction or the entry of these vehicles took place at night and it's not possible to read their number plates clearly.
The information was nonetheless shared with the National Emergency System.
But no information was found from the registries that were sub searched as a result of that emergency alert.
The judge in the case in San Pedro Sulu was requested to authorize the sending of an expert from the technical investigation agency to the community to process and analyze the video evidence that has been gathered as part of the investigation.
The members of the criminal investigation agency continued to carry out the investigations under the auspices of the public prosecutor's office to try and shed light on the facts of the case and to identify the fate or whereabouts of the individual who has disappeared.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much as the head of delegation.
With regard to the Afra case, and to respond to the question asked by the rapporteur, I would like to flesh out what's already been said by saying the following.
The Chair of the Supreme Court of Justice, Juan Evals Vaso I was looking forward to receive a commission tomorrow morning to further elucidate this case given that the individual is not in the has been possible to identify their whereabouts.
There have been a lot of requests surrounding this case which our judges have not been able to take up given that the case is still under investigation, so it's inappropriate to submit the case to different courts in order to uphold independence, impartiality, and objectivity in judicial proceedings.
Any actions that could be interpreted as an early ruling or pronouncement on the case must be avoided.
Old star must be taken to avoid giving the impression that there's any undue influence by any parties to the case.
This is a way of upholding judicial independence, fair procedures, and a fair hearing for all and ensuring that there is no hindering of the freedom of judicial action.
I would now like to give the floor to one of my colleagues to address the questions that were raised about freedom of expression and questions that were asked about epic or free prior and informed consent.
I will give the floor to our National Congress MP, Mr.
David Mamasa so to do.
I'm very much obliged to you for giving me the floor.
With regard to the question asked by the country rapporteur on free parent informed consent FP, I can respond as follows.
ILO Convention 169 has been integrated into the domestic law of Honduras.
It's directly applicable and is part of our consultations with the private sector, particularly, and it's also incorporated in the law and environmental law and on the mining law and including in our forestry law.
There is a direct reference to the safeguards contained in Convention number 169.
The same holds true in our fishing legislation as well.
Article 15 of the relevant decree recognizes the right of communities to participate in consultation processes and to ensure that mechanisms are in place that reflect their land rights in line with Ilo Convention 169 and the Convention of the Republic and the law on municipalities or municipal rights.
In July of 2026, as of July 2026, the National Congress lacks a specific consultation mechanism on free prior and informed consent, but that lack does not mean that these rights are not protected.
We are working on a law that will plug that gap.
But as I pointed out, we've domesticated Ilo Convention number 169.
The requirements of Ilo Convention Number 169 are also covered by constitution and by the law municipalities.
We have also implemented the rulings of Inter American Court of Human Rights, which also provide for a protection of free parent informed consent.
We've implemented them without delay.
Thank you.
The National Congress thus far has not had an opportunity to submit a proposal on specific legislation on FA Pri and informed consent, but there is a general willingness to participate on crafting such an instrument, which would involve the technical support of the Ministry of Labor and social support.
This would be an additional way of furthering the integration of Ilo Convention 169 and its provisions in our country and would respond to one of the recommendations that we received from the Ilo direct contacts mission.
We aim to have a solid piece of legislation which is balanced and which is crafted on the basis of input in alea from indigenous peoples, the holders of ancestral lands, representatives of artisan groups, and fishers organizations, amongst other representative organizations.
With regard to the time frame for all of this action, the legislature is very clear.
We're not seeking to delay action.
Rather, we want to ensure we have something that is a good faith instrument as the upstart of all our actions.
Any legislation that regulates consultation must be crafted on the basis of consultation with the peoples it's designed to serve.
For that reason, we haven't set unilaterally a date for the text to be adopted or for the text to be sent for consultation.
The National Congress is committed to the following.
Once we have established a consultation mechanism, Then we will work with the ancestral government organs of indigenous peoples in order to give follow up to initiatives that they may come up with and can feed into what we hope will be a participatory process.
We will give them the opportunity to do the analyze the initial texts decided upon by the National Congress and to do so within the purview of their competencies.
We stand ready to share any remaining information on this particular issue to the committee for its attention.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much on land ownership.
I will give the floor to Director Roy Maria, who's the representative of the National Agrarian Institute.
Cory rapporteur, to respond to the question that you asked about the issuing of community land ownership rights, the National Agroin Institute has issued land ownership titles to the benefit of indigenous peoples and Aflhangarans.
Now, I think the question was about protecting inter Alea food security and land ownership.
We have safeguards in place which ensure that certain lands cannot be sold, for example, they cannot be broken up.
And there can be no further transaction based on or hinging upon the land ownership or land rights.
That means that in addition to according land ownership rights, there is an oversight mechanism in place to prevent those lands being further stripped, despoiled or leaving communities entirely lacking in any land that they own for themselves or for community purposes because it's been sold or broken up in the future.
With regard to property rights, there are no registries of community property.
But municipalities have received instructions to protect property and perhaps to issue titles or rights on property to protect communities, particularly indigenous and Afro Honduran communities rather than individuals.
That is a step that the Honduran state has taken to protect land, particularly community land and community property.
Turning now to refusals or denials of land ownership requests that have been submitted to the National Agron Institute, they're usually denied because the people requested by the persons are held by private individuals.
Including some land ownership titles that go back to the time of the Spanish empire.
So this will be a lengthy process and perhaps it would be one that's easier to resolve via a process of legal land restitution or monetary compensation, which are methods or paths that we are pursuing, particularly with regard to land whose titles were distributed under the Spanish crown.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
I give the floor to the Ministry of Security and the representative thereof to address the questions asked about the regulatory framework for private military and security companies or PMSCs.
Rapporteur, in the regulatory and oversight framework applied to private security companies, I would like to share the following private security companies.
In Honduras is regulated by a law on private security companies with regulations for PMSCs.
We have a law and the enforcing regulations and the law and regulations are under the direct supervision and oversight of the Ministry of security and one of its sub directorates.
There is no exception or specific differentiated framework for the operations of these PMSCs when it comes to, for example, land conflicts or agrarian conflicts or community conflicts.
The law prohibits PMSCs for carrying out law enforcement activities or from being involved in uh, expulsions from land or engaging in armed activities outside the law.
Their activities are strictly governed by law and they must have a permit and a license to operate.
The use or carrying of armed weapons is strictly regulated by the firearms, munitions, and explosive legislation of Honduras and each PMSC which has the right for its agents to bear firearms, has to keep an updated registry of these firearms, what they are and who holds them and submit this regularly to the national authorities.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
To turn to the issue of the agro industrial legislation, I give the floor to Mr.
David Masa from the National Congression once again.
Thank you very much, indeed, Rapporteur.
Decree one oh 72026 was established to protect the constitutional right to private property and to bolster security in lands which had been set aside for livestock raising, tourism, energy, or industry, as well as farming, given that in the history of our country, there have been widespread blockades of lands set aside for these use.
But Article 1 of this legislation makes it abundantly clear that this law is not applicable to indigenous lands or to ancestral lands of the nine recognized indigenous peoples in our country.
I took the floor when this legislation was adopted in the National Congress to make it abundantly clear to my colleagues that this law is not applicable to indigenous and Afro Honduran lands, that it does have that restriction.
It does not create categories of crimes or criminal definitions either, and in no way does it undermine indigenous people's rights because as I say, it's not applicable to their land.
It also requires a process of consultation before any land outside indigenous land is purchased for those industrial or agricultural purposes or tourism purposes.
We are currently providing training to judicial staff, to civil society organizations, and to people at large to explain what the law contains and what it does not contain in order to ensure that people understand that their rights are protected and that there's legislation in place if they do have an objection to a proposed land use that can be pursued without blocking the land or blocking circulation or movement of people as part of widespread protests.
Thank you very much.
Many thanks Mr.
Maser.
Given the lack of time, I think we'll wrap it up here in terms of our response to the follow up questions from the country rapporteur, and we're open to your guidance as to how we proceed next, Chair.
Thank you.
Thank you, delegation.
Thank you very much for your responses.
We will now take a short break.
5 minutes if possible, and then we will start again with the consideration of Segment four.
5 minutes break.
Did you send a message? On the I I I It's been a long 5 minutes, colleagues.
Do we have the connection with the Capitol? Yes.
Welcome back.
We are ready.
Thank you, Chair.
We will now start with segment four, and I will give the floor to the co rapporteur, Mr.
Gwen, who will put questions for 20 minutes.
Mr.
Guan, you have the floor.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr.
Chairman, first of all, I appreciate the efforts, progress, and achievement made by the state party in implementing ICERT.
I would like to continue raising some questions to the delegation regarding the situation of indigenous and Afro dissident peoples in Honduras.
My first question is related to the structural inequalities and discrimination toward the indigenous and Afro dissident peoples in Honduras.
Since I was assigned as one of the co reporter to review the report of Honduras, I have read a lot of information about the dist of indigenous and Afistt peoples in Honduras.
From my perspective, there are shortcomings in the fulfillment of treaty obligations by the third party.
I understand that these shortcomings are caused partly by natural geographical environment, level of economic and social development as well as industrial structure and the layout of the state party, et cetera But it cannot be denied that is also close related to response measures and actions taken by the competent authorities of the state party.
In his last concluding observations, the committee has expressed concern about the persistent structural discrimination faced by the indigenous and Efron Honduras peoples in the state party, including the high rates of poverty and social exclusion that affected them, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
Could delegation introduce to the committee from the perspective of the legal framework and from responsibilities allocated to different government sector of the state parties, recent development about implementation of measures including special or affirmative action measures to combat structural discrimination, multiple forms of discrimination and inequalities in different of the public and private spheres that affect indigenous and afro dissent peoples and to guarantee the effective enjoyment of their rights throughout the territory of the third party.
Could the delegation specify the impact of such measures and the participation of these population in their design, implementation, and evaluation.
And with regard to the concrete issue, could the delegation give us some information on measures taken to ensure universal birds registration and effective access to ID documents for indigenous and distant persons including those living in border areas known as Bosons, as recommended by the committee in 2018? My second question is related to the property of indigenous and afrocent peoples.
Eliminating poverty is a common issue of developing countries.
Eliminating ordinary poverty requires sustainable development goals and long term measures.
Eliminating extreme poverty requires more strong direct and effective policies and measures in order to achieve significant improvement in the short term.
I believe that state party must have made a lot of efforts in this regard.
Information the committee received shows that the property in Eastern property are both reflected in the third party and the property in Eastern property rates of indigenous and Afro dissident peoples are higher Compared to other ethnic group, the indigenous and ads peoples make up 7.7 0.25% of the national population according to the population and the housing census of 2013.
A estimated 80% indigenous peoples live below the national poverty line.
According to data collected by the National Institute of Statistic Statistics in 2023 in the Department of Glass New Ades, where the mosquito, Taba, pig and California people live 78.1% of household are in the state of poverty and 62% extreme poverty.
The property is not limited to certain dimension.
Multidimensional property.
The deserves the attention of the third party.
The committee is informed that the third party has taken many measures to eliminate poverty, including the development of many plans such as the Better Life platform, the public policy against racism and racial discrimination for the comprehensive development of indigenous and Efron Hondo peoples, 2000 2016, to 2022, and it's extended version of 2016 2026 and the As program, et cetera Co delegation provide us with complimentary information on the measures adopted to reduce the levels of poverty and extern poverty affecting indigenous peoples and Efron dissidents, including the outreach program.
Since this program is overseen by the Ministry of Social Development with support from over 20 state institutions and was developed with the participation of more than 300 leaders of organizations of indigenous and Efron peoples.
In addition, could the delegation give us a brief introduction about recent actions taken to guarantee effective access to basic services, which include, for example, food, housing, water and sanitation, electricity, health, social security, and education for persons belonging to these groups? Could litigation specify the impact of such measures and actions based on the evaluation of socioeconomic situation of these populations in recent years, including data disaggregated by indigenous and peoples.
Si, in the Department of proved property and food and food insecurity during the period exam.
My third question is related to natural and environmental disasters which affect the indigenous and Afrodt people's livelihood.
Honduras is a country that frequently suffers from natural disaster.
In addition, due to the climate change, rising sea levels and various extreme weather phenomena have caused more severe disasters.
Moreover, some inappropriate human activities, including industrial project, also affect local people for their drinking water safety and other livelihood security and have adverse effect on natural resources such as forest and soil.
The above mentioned, which are not at all, of course, not only affect the fragile ecological environment of state party, but also impact people who survive in this fragile environment, especially those who face more difficulties in survival and livelihood.
These peoples are indigenous and Afro dissident peoples.
Information shows that natural and environmental disasters aggravate poverty and trigger shortage of food and safe drinking water and forced displacement, particularly in the indigenous and Afro dist people gathered areas.
In some areas, conflicts have even occurred, some of which are related to the violation by the competent authorities of the right to p free and informed consent of the indigenous and Afro dissent peoples.
The negligence toward their traditional ways and skill of survival and living and violations of their other rights.
Could litigation provide us with information on measures taken to address food insecurity and difficulties in accessing water and sanitation that may affect indigenous peoples in the Afro dissident and introduce relevant measures taken to address the disproportionate impact of the effects of climate change, natural disasters and environmental degradation on indigenous and Afro dissident peoples.
Including the,ated impact of storms, Eta and Iota in 2020 on these people and the result of reconstruction programs.
Another information showing that despite progress has been made in the state party, reducing standing, 90% of children under five years of age still experience Developmental delays due to malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies remains widespread and according to UNICEF data, in the case of children under five years of age, the high rates of chronic malnutrition, which in some departments may even affect up to 50% of children 6-23 months.
Given that Honduras has suffered from prolonged drought in 2024 which severely affected agricultural income and particularly impacted indigenous and Afro deident peoples living in rural and remote areas.
Could delegation introduce measures taken by the third party to address acute and chronic child malnutrition that particularly affects indigenous peoples and Afro deident and achievement of these measures.
My fourth question is about the education of children donations belonging to the indigenous and Efron peoples.
These issues are already touched upon yesterday by the delegations such as teacher training and Bilingual intercultural education.
I would like to further learn from more learned from some of these issues and of course from other questions as well.
In response to the concrete expressed in response to the concerns expressed in recommendations made by the committee in his previous regarding the education of these children and recent, the third party provided with some details in his 911 combined reports on measures taken to reduce child dropout rates and eliminate the literacy, developed bilingual intercultural education, invest in improving educational cos and conditions, and build additional schools and their infrastructure, et cetera I highly appreciate the efforts made by the third party in these areas and all of its achievement.
However, there are also shortcomings according to information received by the committee.
For example, some statistical data shows that the dropout rate of indigenous children is higher than the national average of 21%.
Many schools with indigenous areas lack adequate funding, trained teachers and culturally appropriate curricular.
Bilingual education remains underdeveloped and lacks sufficient resources, et cetera.
So based on the above information, could delegation introduce to measures taken to ensure the availability, the availability, the accessibility, and the quality of education for children belonging to the engineerous and product peoples and the progress made in the level of literacy and access to primary primary, secondary, and university education in these communities and reduction in school dropouts.
Co delegation provide us with information on the impact of the measures taken to guarantee the right of bilingual intellectual education and on the effective participation of indigenous and Afro En peoples in the design and evaluation of such measures.
And for more details, co delegation provide us with information on the effective implementation of legislative Degree 93 97 on the institutionalization of bilingual intercultural education, including teacher training and availability of teaching materials in the language and languages of indigenous peoples and people of African descent.
My first question is about health services services for indigenous and Efron peoples.
In his last concluding observations of 2018, the committee expressed concern about the weak infrastructure, shortage of medicines, and the poor quality and availability of health care services in rural and remote areas, which are inhabited mainly by indepigent people and indigenous peoples.
It recommended, therefore, in the last will be that the third party should take necessary action to achieve universal health coverage and to ensure the accessibility, availability, and the quality of health care services and benefits, including essential medicines, taking into account the needs, traditions and cultures, specificities of indigenous peoples.
The third party provided some detailed data information on health services in its current report.
I appreciate it.
However, this data information still cannot provide us with a basic outline of the proportion of health services resources such as doctors, clinics, and per capital healthcare expenditures, et cetera, obtained by the indigenous and Efron dissident peoples and third party, especially the difference in proportion data compared to the urban population or to other ethnic groups.
I invite delegation to give us some details on these issues, especially measures adopted in the results to ensure equal access to quality and culturally appropriate health services for people belonging to indigenous peoples and dissidents.
In addition, and infant mortality is often an important issues faced by the areas with poor medical conditions which not only involves mater ignant knowledge of pregnancy in children birth but also involves medical technology and services.
Could delegation introduce measures taken by this body to reduce maternal and infant mortality in indigenous and aphrodis communities and its impacts of implementation of these measures.
My sixth question is about occupational safety in the workplace.
Information shows that the mis divers face occupational disease risk.
They have high work intensity and lack vocational training to prevent decompression sickness and they cannot receive good treatment after getting sick.
Their families also do not receive appropriate compensation.
Both governments and employers have not fulfilled completely their due of responsibilities is only an example of such kind of issues.
The third party introduced to the committee the various efforts has made to improve the working conditions and welfare benefits of diverse combined committee report.
I highly appreciate those efforts realized by the third party.
We know there is a judgment of the Inter American Court of Human Rights of August 31 2020, dealing with the case of the misguided divers versus Honduras, which is based on the friendly settlement agreement approved and endorsed by the court.
Given that the basis of this judgment is a friendly settlement agreement reached between plaintiff and the government of the third party, could the delegation provide the committee with additional information on the implementation of this judgment and all other measures taken by the third party to prevent, investigate and punish such kind of cases in order to eradicate the conditions of exploitation in diving fishing according to the compliance monitoring resolution issued by the Inter American Court of Human Rights on 30 April 2024 on the mosquito divers case, two repriatory measures were fully compliance with well 16 repriatory measures have not been fully compliant with or at all.
Co delegation precise recent development on the implementation of this judgment.
Co delegation give us further information on the number of victims compensated effective health coverage in the department of glasses ideas and mosquia.
From marginal perspective, co delegation further provides with measures adopted to prevent and combat racial discrimination in the workplace and actions undertaken to generate great exist for indigenous peoples and other residents, in particular, women belonging to these groups to the formal sector of the economy with equitable and satisfactory.
Working conditions as well as prevent and combat abuse, labor, labor exploitation, forced labor, and trafficking in persons.
My seventh and the last question is about the situation of women and the goals of indigenous and Efron peoples.
The committee has received information provided by the third party on this issue through his 911 combined reports.
I appreciate the third party's work, but given the information obtained by the committee, the committee's concern is more than what this party provided in his report.
So delegation provided the committee with additional information on measures taken to combat multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination faced by indigenous and Afro descendant women goals, particularly with regard to the access to education to health services, which includes sexual and reproductive health.
Because statistical data shows that Andrés has one of the most risk a restrictive legal framework in the world regarding women's sexual and reproductive rights.
Honduras is also one of the six countries in Latin America that still criminalize abortion under all six circumstances and due to the lack of training for healthcare personnel, the improper distribution and the use of emergency culturceptive pill is very popular.
All of those above mentioned drive those women in particular indigenous and Afro dissident women and girls into extreme situations that endanger their lives.
That is the reason why the committee attached great importance on this issue.
Furthermore, delegation provide the committee.
Do you need more time or should you perhaps wrap up? Will you need more time or would you like to wrap up? When we go to the follow up.
Okay.
I agree.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I immediately turn to the delegation for responses to the questions raised by the co porter.
You have 20 minutes.
Thank you, Chair.
We're very grateful to the co rapporteur for the questions.
I'm now going to distribute the floor to address special measures and structural and multiple forms of discrimination and inequality.
I'll give the floor to the Ministry of Social Development with Sabi Romero taking the floor.
Very good day to you.
As part of the work geared at eradicating structural and multiple discrimination that affects indigenous and Afro Honduran people, Honduras has been strengthening its interinstitutional coordination in order to guarantee exercise to the right to identity, timely registration of birth and equal access to public services, bearing in mind that legal identity is an essential requirement in order to have access to other human rights.
This context, the Ministry for Social Development, through its General Director for Indigenous People and Afro Hondurans, has the role to coordinate and give effect to programs and policies to ensure the overall development of these people and to prevent and eradicate racism, racial discrimination, and other forms of intolerance.
It also must strengthen participation in decision making and promote access to public services with a human rights approach on the basis of equality and non discrimination or cultural belonging.
In exercising this role, the General Directorate for Indigenous People in of Honduras coordinates with the National Registry in order to ensure universal birth registration and a national system for identification, particularly for people living in rural communities or difficult to reach places or Bolsons border areas where there are geographical, administrative, linguistic and cultural barriers that persist.
As part of this coordination, the General Director provides technical support to the National Registry through the implementation of a project to strengthen the National ecosystem for civil registration and identification of Honduras.
This developed in step with Environmental, Social Standards seven of the World Bank and the ILO Convention 169.
Against this backdrop, we held a workshop for representatives of indigenous communities, Nafro Honduran communities to present this new system for civil registration and identification.
This led to a a constructive and participatory dialogue that was culturally relevant and helped us to identify barriers to registration and identify recommendations for the registration and for obtaining identity documents.
The National Registry implemented a project, identify yourself with rights, making it possible for children to become aware of their rights.
It supports the coordination work that's necessary to promote participation and bear in mind the various characteristics of indigenous and Afro Honduran communities in implementing this initiative.
As part of these efforts, we have rolled out a space for coordination and dialogue with 48 different representatives of different indigenous communities geared at trying to identify the main barriers facing the children in these communities to access ID documents and conduct registration.
Thus, we've made efforts to try to ensure that they can exercise their right to identity in full respect for diversity.
On this basis, the state is continuing to expand registration through mobile registration centers and mechanisms for community participation, particularly tailored to indigenous Nafro Honduran communities in border areas and places that are hard to reach, thus contributing to reducing under registration and allowing them to exercise their right to identity.
These actions are part of the government's program, 2026 or 2030, and some of its priorities are to ensure that we see the strengthening of the rule of law.
And equal access to public services with particular attention on those people groups who have been historically excluded, including indigenous communities and Afro Honduran communities.
The steps that have been taken are specific institutional measures to prevent and overcome the kinds of discrimination that has created barriers for indigenous and half Afro Honduran communities.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
To address extreme poverty and access to basic services, I'm going to give the floor still within the Ministry for Social Development to Martha Labor.
Chair, Distinguished Rapporteur on the question asked about special measures, I can explain the following.
In the Observatory of Social Development, registered 146,893 homes and we've seen that 81.3% Sorry, the number is 180,580 homes and 81.3% of indigenous and Afro Honduran homes and 81.3% have come up as living in extreme poverty and 87.8% with food insecurity.
Then the Social Development Observatory in 2022, along with the National Register of Persons of the National Statistics Institute, set a baseline that was 146,893 homes in extreme poverty, 158,635 living with food insecurity, 121,515 without water and sanitation, 172,282 without Social Security.
On this basis, we were looking at grants and food at school for 101,431 children.
Programs for cash transfer and a baseline of 2022 of the program was geared at these communities.
It allows us to measure progress in terms of water sanitation, and food security.
Honduras's response is to gauge this and measure it rigorously and address it with targeted funding.
Thank you very much.
We'll now move on to looking at the issue of food, water and sanitation, and the impact of climate change.
Handing over to the Ministry of Agriculture with Angela Medina Enriquez.
Good afternoon, Chairman and distinguished co rapporteur.
I'm speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and livestock.
With regard to your question on food, water, and the impacts of climate change, natural disasters and environmental deterioration, the State of Honduras would like to say that we have a clear verifiable, improving trend underway with major challenges having been identified and specific commitments having been undertaken and being implemented with a particular emphasis on the indigenous peoples and Afro descendants.
Regarding food security, Honduras has significantly reduced food insecurity, going from 31% in 2021 to 16% of our population in 2025.
This is in the context of a state run agri food policy geared towards resilience.
This policy has made it possible to assist more than 350,000 producing families, many of them located in areas where there is a significant presence of indigenous peoples and rural communities that are highly vulnerable.
We have also strengthened the school meal program which benefits in a universal way, 1,300,000 girls, boys, and of which more than 100,000 are indigenous or Afro Honduran people, Mosquitos Tucas Pec Tor Panagfuna.
This is contributing not only to nutrition, but also to school retention and comprehensive development.
Also, our state has made progress on evidence based territorial focus.
A study undertaken by the National autonomous University regarding five Tupan tribes, which included 249 homes and 295 children, found that among the accumulated effects of the pandemic and extreme climate change events, 86% of households were in a state of food insecurity and 58.5% of children were suffering from malnutrition.
This was used as an official input for guiding priority actions in high vulnerability zones.
Meaning that our approach has been culturally relevant and differentiated.
Regarding climate change, there were two major storms Eta and Aota in 2020, and this affected more than 4.6 million people and cost 99 lives.
This was a turning point in our risk management strategy.
These phenomena had a major disproportionate impact on areas inhabited by indigenous peoples such as Msquitla and Eval de Aragua, which showed just the extent to which climate vulnerability, structural poverty, and total exclusion are intertwined.
In response, the state of Honduras has strengthened its approach in terms of comprehensive risk management and territorial and rights based approaches, including adaptation measures for climate change in our agri food policy, and resilience productive systems, sustainable water resource management, and local capacity building.
This final point and regarding the question on the impact of climate change, natural disasters, environmental degradation, the state has a response mechanism, which includes our national adaptation plan 2018, 2030, the National Climate Change strategy, the nationally determined contributions that were updated in 2026, and the national climate change Monitoring System.
These tools are run in the forestry environment and also with regard to natural resources adaptation plans for protected areas as well as restoration measures and micro river basins that have been deteriorated.
There is constant vigilance regarding illegal logging and changes in land use, and also we are promoting community based forestry.
The Forestry Conservation Institute has incorporated human rights, gender, and intercultural approaches in their planning and has dedicated sustainable management of more than 201,000 hectors to indigenous peoples organizations.
Also, we have the National Action Plan on Human Rights 2027 2037, which includes a chapter on the right to land, water, and clean environment.
This includes a number of measures ranging from prevention to mitigation.
We do know that challenges remain, especially regarding limited desegregation of data in emergency response and risk management systems, especially regarding the ethnic belonging of affected persons.
Therefore, the State of Hongress is committed to including the ethnic group as a variable in our data systems with a view to ensuring a more inclusive and equity response Finally, I'd like to highlight that through the relevant institutions, we are continuing to carry out measures regarding water and sanitation in indigenous peoples territories, recognizing that access to water is a key component of the right to food and a key priority in the context of climate change.
We are also committed to ensuring that data are desegregated in order to reflect in a relevant way indigenous and Afro Honduran realities.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I would now like to give the floor in order to address the matter of the right to bilingual intercultural education to Krišto Mendez Thank you.
Good afternoon.
Regarding the right to intercultural bilingual education and the question relating thereto, Honduras has 1,213 bilingual intercultural education centers with 110,727 children being enrolled there in 2025.
This figure has remained stable in 2026.
The Lanca people represent a third of the enrolled pupils, mosquito a quarter and the Grifo people a fifth.
This educational network reaches the remote island areas of our country there are 53 centers in the Bay Islands and with 8,729 students registered there in 2026, so that's 600 more than the previous year.
This network is supported by 7,043 bilingual intercultural education teachers, including 2890 Lens, 1,565 Garfuns, 998 mosquitoes and 632 island teachers, as well as Tolan, Tinuas, Pech, and Tauaka teachers.
Their training includes specific processes with teachers for Blanca, Totpan and mosquito people for 2026.
The basic curriculum as the new curriculum for the intercultural bilingual education has started to promote education measures and awareness about slavery and Afro descendants with a view to fostering further inclusive education and combating racial discrimination.
These programs seek to enhance the participation of Honduran people in the construction of national identity and promoting a citizenry that is critical but respectful of diversity.
The multilingual and bilingual intercultural curriculum reflects respect for the knowledge and traditions of the Afro Honduran and Geir and other indigenous peoples and it mentions not only slavery and colonialism as historic events, but links it directly to the cultural existence and the struggle against racism in today's reality.
Similarly, we have invested for the material strengthening of educational centers of indigenous peoples and Efronduran peoples with a human rights based approach in order to harmonize the educational centers in areas such as technical equipment, furniture, and others.
I With respect to the Honduras, this is all done in respect of Honduras' international obligations in particular under the relevant ILO Convention.
In 2025, there was investment of 290 odd thousand and for 2026, there will be 400,000 Lampiras invested regarding the allocated budget by the Sdtorate General for Indigenous peoples and Afro Honduran peoples, for 2025, 4,000,713 Lampiras were invested and 2026 5,500,000 Lampiras invested.
Regarding literacy in 2024 and 2025, we designed and published 3,300 methodological guidebooks on literacy.
There is also the Literacy Yes, I can Initiative, which includes a bilingual educational component.
2022-2023, 170 scholarships were given to sons and daughters of divers with disabilities with a view to improving access and the standard of living of them through an investment of 1.8 million.
For 2024, 2025 and 2026, we are looking at 255 scholarships having been given to the sons and daughters of disabled divers.
This is an investment to the tune of 3.6 million Empires.
According to the cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Education and the Mosquito Association of Divers, an agreement that was established in July 2016.
We have set out clear financial incentives and pedagogical incentives which ensures that the material conditions for avoiding school dropout in indigenous and Efron communities are there.
This has translated into a real social justice and dignification of the family environment measure.
Regarding teacher training, the State of Honduras offers a training on bilingual intercultural education as well as a postgraduate on intercultural teaching and education.
We have a ministerial agreement number 0464 SE 2024, which approved a plan on or study plan for the master's course on basic bilingual education.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This concludes the second cluster of responses, Chairman, and those questions that have not been answered today will be answered, as I said earlier through complimentary information.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for these replies.
I will now open the floor for follow up questions by the country Task Force and other members of the committee.
We have 10 minutes for this.
You have the floor.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr.
Chairman, I continue my questions about the situation of women and goals of the indigenous and distant peoples.
I have raised already my first question relating to the access to education to health services, which includes sexual and reproductive health.
Now I address my second question, which is seeking information on land ti granted to engineers dist women during the period and review.
This issue was already discussed just now in general meeting.
But some statistical data indicated that 52% of the complaint of the complaints of forced displacement were filed by women.
So the committee need more clarification on this issue.
I invited the delegation to provide information.
My third question is about the action taken to combat gender based violence against these groups of women, including femicide.
Sexual and domestic violence and information on cases of violence investigated, prosecuted, and punished, as well as protection and reparation measures granted to victims, including the establishment of shelters in rural areas and the comprehensive care services and delegation to provide living information.
Lastly, lastly, could the delegation provide information on cases of gender based violence? Including sexual violence against indigenous and e dissident women in context of territorial conflict, militarialization part of public security and evictions.
That's all my question.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman.
Thank you, Mr.
Bane, our Co reporter.
In the interest of time, I will go straight to the questions.
The first one relates again to the issue of forms of discrimination with a focus on gender based violence and sexual violence.
Would the delegation provide information with a focus on indigenous Afro descendant persons on the implementation of anti trafficking in Pons Act? In a way whereby they also explain human rights approach and casual relevance and the data of victims of trafficking in persons identified during this period of review disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity, national origin of the victims.
Then what are the policy and insive programs that are being implemented with a focus only vulnerable groups including indigenous and for people, migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Secondly, and the last question, Mr.
Chairperson.
In 2026, this question goes back to the issue of disasters and climate risks.
In 2026, there was a wide range publicized study in Honduras titled quantifying the Dption climate risks of indigenous people and descendant people in Rural Honduras with a focus on transport and access to basic services.
This study revealed that over 200,000 people in Honduras don't have access to hospitals as a result of climate impacts.
This dry season on some of the communities in mountainous island and jungle regions are isolated from transport network.
In fact, it is said that indigenous and Flouan populations are particularly impacted by climate disruption of transport networks.
In particular, the Galifuna population in Atlantic coast and mosquito communities in the gracous adios department, which already has poor network of roads.
This is the same case for Lanca population in Empira and Anti Cuba.
The question that I have for the delegation is, has the government made its own studies on issues of climate change and access to transport and basic services? What are the proposed programs, policy, and re interventions that are being made, especially for indigenous and for descendant people? Do we have interventions in areas of dirt road improvements, paving roads, sport improvement, landside protection with a focus on indigenous and for descendant people temperature? Thank you, Senor Vn Vasquez.
We have about 5 minutes and I have to give the floor to four more people, please keep your questions brief, if you will.
Thank you.
Gras Thank you, Chair.
I'll do my best to be as brief as possible.
I welcome the responses regarding the topic of extreme poverty.
It was said that there is structural discrimination when it comes to extreme poverty and the Hi Commission in his last report made that clear and indicated that this inequality, which is structural, is such that the situation of poverty of indigenous and afronan communities is higher than that of the rest of the population.
My question would be, could you please explain in what way this situation is going to be addressed? Because you just highlighted that you're going to have a focused approach, but you didn't actually explain what measures you're going to be taking in order to try and address that structural inequality.
Regarding agriculture and food.
It was said that food insecurity has fallen, but I would like to point out that the report of February 2026 of the High Commission documented obstacles to access to sufficient food due to a lack of um, food and fertilizers, as well as climate change and the agricultural and cultural practices that get in the way sometimes.
I was just wondering what you have to say about the data given by the High Commissioner in his 2026 report and how they compare to your reports on reduction of food security.
Will there be measures in order to provide state support and recover agricultural and cultural practices of indigenous peoples and also sustainable practices such as environmentally friendly agriculture.
Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Shepherd, you have the floor? For the first time, allow me to say delegation.
I'd like to wish a very pleasant good afternoon to the delegation of Honduras.
To say how pleased I am that indigenous peoples are part of the delegation, even though not all of them have addressed us yet.
Quickly, I know that the internal reparation movement seems strong in Honduras, but I want to know if there's also an external international claim for reparations for colonial wrongs.
I see that IO 169 is more or less integrated into the Constitution or in the legislation.
But I wondered what is the status of the UN drip and whether there's a challenge to the definition of indigenous peoples or there's self definition.
Then finally, how strong is the relationship with regional indigenous peoples, for example, at the Maroons of Jamaica.
I want to know that.
I think yes and whether there are plans to do anything for the second decade for people of African descent.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you.
Madam Stavi, you have the floor.
Thank you, Chair and good afternoon.
I have a question on reproductive health rights of indigenous women.
As we know, the absolute ban have a very catastrophic health consequences on women and especially indigenous women.
You know that this committee has adopted recently a general recommendation on the right to health where explicitly was recognized that indigenous women and Afro descendant women experience this combo disadvantage.
As we know, there is a case pending now before the Human Rights Committee where the case of this indigenous woman showed how the catastrophic effects of these health can consequences.
Given this pattern, which is a pattern that I personally find that this legal environment reveals how women are treated and indigenous women more, of course, are treated as I wonder if they are treated as rights holders and subjects of law or as objects over whose bodies, the state, the medical personnel, third parties, exercise decision making authority.
Please, given this pattern that really reduces the decision making by women, could you please clarify first, how does the state party understand the concept of free and informed consent for indigenous women within this legal institutional framework? Where the fundamental decision is foreclosed before any conversation about consent can even begin and second, what mechanisms exist to ensure that indigenous women are treated in general within this environment, in other cases, as decision making subjects with the right to information to refuse procedures to be heard outside the abortion, I mean, environment, rather than as passive recipients of care determined by providers, individual, others discretion or moral beliefs.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Jabbya Mr.
Jabby, please.
You have a minute.
Thank you, Chair.
I want to talk about the impact of climate change on the Garfuna and Afro Honduran communities and other minorities.
The development goals are overarching goals under which Honduras has commitments and the purpose is to leave no one behind.
What is the state of progress towards the sustainable development goals which are overall comprehensive goals? What is the state of progress in Honduras, especially as regards indigenous peoples and people of African descent? What is the rate of achievement so far? And which goals specifically and SDGs one, two, three, regarding hunger and health care are of particular interest to me.
Indigenous peoples and the people of descent in Honduras have continued to be disproportionately affected by any major domestic crisis linked to land disputes, for instance, and children tend to be particularly affected.
Can the state provide any statistics about victims of domestic social conflicts, social conflicts, and what measures are taken to protect them? What is the role played by the Human Rights Ministry in the a settlement of disputes linked to land and how these affect ethnic groups.
Does the state have desegregated data about Afro Honduran peoples and indigenous peoples in prisons? What are the main crimes of which they are accused generally, and what role has Coadf played in the reparation process and the general census of the population? Is there a housing policy that provides a differentiated approach for people of indigenous communities and Afro Hondurans? Thank you.
Thank you, colleagues for the follow up questions.
I immediately turn to the delegation for replies to these questions and you have 20 minutes.
You have the floor.
Your Excellency.
Thank you very much, Chair.
We'll begin with the following topics, the meeting of the 7th of June, which took place in Copa and the claim on infiltration and also protection mechanisms and culturally adequate mechanisms, which is managed by the head of the protection mechanism, Krišto Martinez.
He will answer this question.
Thank you very much.
Distinguished Chair and Rapporteur, the alignment of the Human Rights Ministry and other state bodies and how they represented in this meeting stemmed from a request made by the General Assembly of the municipality, which was recognized within their own form of governance as being the space for information of the tribe in this framework and given the complexity of the existing situation in the territory, the state representatives provided technical and preventative measures aimed at hearing the claims, looking at the necessary conditions for complying with human rights, and looking at the measures which would require a state intervention.
We saw also the internal representation that was in place there and maintained impartiality, respecting the internal organization of the tribe.
Participation in the Assembly of the 7th of June sought only to maintain institutional presence and to gain a direct knowledge of the claims and to strengthen state response and articulation.
The requests made during the assembly were recorded in the institutional report without the ministry taking any decision aimed at revoking a precautionary measure.
As this would not have fallen within its competency of representation here regarding the alleged revelation of secrets, which was filed by the broad movement Fington justice.
There was an alleged offense on the revealing of a secret, but we can say that so far we have not been notified by the Public Prosecution service about any kind of official claim against an official of the ministry linked to the aforementioned offense.
Similarly, through official communication SDH 052-42-0206, which was issued in July 2026 to the broad Movement for Dignity and Justice, the Human Rights Ministry categorically denied and refuted the allegations of having divulged or leaked confidential information relating to people benefiting from protection measures.
We reiterated our constitutional commitment to the responsible, safe, and confidential handling of data under our custody in strict compliance with applicable legislation.
In the face of events that occurred within the institution linked to the elimination of physical and digital data under institutional custody, the relevant claim was put to the public prosecution services in order to safeguard confidentiality and integrity of institutional information and the attribution of responsibilities as required and provided for by law.
The cases in which persons are under protection.
This is indigenous and Afro Honduran people.
Lead me to say the following.
There are currently 79 cases, and they are desegregated as follows, 54 of these cases relate to indigenous and Afro Honduran peoples and I'm sorry, 54 says the speaker relates to indigenous peoples and 15 relate to Afro Honduran peoples.
Of these 69 cases, nine relate to the Inter American system of Human Rights, six are precautionary measures, and three are provisional measures.
It is important to underscore here that some of these cases relate to the inter American system, and therefore, it was not possible to carry out a re evaluation of the risks, so it is difficult to provide more detailed information.
Regarding the precautionary measure regarding the G community, I can say that the risk assessment of the protection mechanism contacted OR and it This was on the 15th of May and the 12th of June 2026, in order to try and coordinate the risk assessment process, which then lead to the protection plans which are established within a technical committee and the precautionary and protection measures are devised on a case by case basis.
But we received no response to efforts when we tried to contact FRA.
In the case of the leaders from the Gfuna community in New Armenia, Atlanta, and the precautionary measure on the Gfuna community and its members, in the 6th of August 2026, we contacted Oran in order to try and convene or agree on a date for presenting information aimed at carrying out the necessary risk assessment.
The state proposed as a date the week of the 21st to the 25th of September of this year.
We are awaiting a response which we've still not received.
I think it's important to make the committee aware that in the case of the visible leaders of the Garfuno community in New Armenia, the most recent risk assessment took place on the 16th of January 2026.
With regard to the Cao Garfuno community and its members and the provisional protection measures inactive, I would like to share with you that it's never been possible to carry out a risk assessment given that there has been no willingness to submit to this proposal or to this process rather by the Orai organization.
They've resisted the process that we have carried out this far.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I give the floor on the questions related to birth registration to Sbiromero.
I'd like to share with the committee that in order to reduce gaps in access to birth registration which had an adverse impact on plural communities, border communities, Afro descendants, indigenous communities in remote areas of the country, the National Registration Office has expanded its cultural presence via a holistic national registration network.
The National Registration of People's Office has various municipal civilian registration offices, which are the main structure for the delivery of birth registration services in the 298 municipalities of the country.
This network is complemented with 21 shop windows available in hospitals which are intended to boost timely registration of birth.
We also have six offices in women's city centers which facilitate access to birth registration services for women and their families.
We also have three medical forensic offices in three medical forensic institutions intended to bolster registration.
There are five such offices in national migration institutes and we also have offices in commercial or shopping centers.
And one in the Honduras Lawyers College, further expanding access to these registration offices.
The National Persons Registry has also expanded its territorial reach in various different communities to bolster sex or easy access.
In particular, we've been focused on Grasso department, which is characterized by the high level of dispersion of its population and the lack of infrastructure which makes it difficult to move about.
It's also a regional department with a high presence of Afro Hondurans and indigenous peoples groups.
There were 3,750 birth registrations in 2026.
We were also able to issue death certificates and marriage certificates at a higher rate than had been issued in the past, ensuring that we had bolstered registration in all six municipalities in Grass Aldos.
Auxiliary registration lists and offices are also a vital way of bringing services to communities, particularly where they're remote and it's difficult to access, particularly in areas such as Flore Montana and border areas, and in mosquito communities in the Grass Dos department.
Thank you very much indeed.
Many thanks indeed to my colleague.
I would next like to give the floor to the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture to address the issue of workplace discrimination and access to the formal economy.
We'll hear the answers via my colleague Angela Medina Enriquez.
Good afternoon, chair and colleagues.
The Honduras recognizes the importance of taking steps to continue adopting measures that will guarantee equal opportunity.
Workplace inclusion and access to dignified work and to the formal economy for indigenous peoples and Afro Hondurans, particularly in those sectors in which these people groups have historically big been confronted with inequality and discrimination.
It's against this backdrop that we made a significant stride forward recently with the adoption of legislative decree 29 2025, which contains the inclusive employment legislation, the vi sphere called the state has established measures for affirmative action to promote the inclusion of persons from indigenous people's groups and Afro Hondurans in the formal labor market.
Amongst the actions that we pursued via this legislation and via the institution of the states is that state institutions and major private companies must ensure that 5% of their payroll and of their staffing tables is made up of people from indigenous people's groups and Afro Hondurans.
This measures in to ensure that they have increased access to dignified and equitable work free of discrimination and thus contribute to reducing historical gaps in terms of employment access for these people groups.
The inclusive employment law constitutes in turn a cross cutting measure which encompasses various sectors of the public administration and the private sector and represents an affirmative action measure focused on ensuring substantive equality and not just formal equality for disadvantaged groups.
The implementation thereof will contribute progressively to an enhanced participation of indigenous Afro Honduran people's groups and informal employment sector and economic development opportunities.
Alongside the aforementioned in the specific sphere of die fishing and activity, which is an important source of sustenance for indigenous communities, particularly the mosquito people, the state has developed actions aimed at strengthening capacity building training, professionalization, formalization and safety for persons who pursue this activity in line with the registries provided by the Department for Monitoring and Audit within the General Directorate for Fisheries and Agriculture, between 2025 and July 2026, we provided training for approximately 490 divers.
In order to ensure the professional nature of this job and ensure proper oversight, in order to have a license issued, the diver must have a certificate of training issued by the National Professional Training Institute in FOG.
Divers who do not meet the requirements for certification cannot require the relevant license to formally pursue die fishing as an activity.
This measure has contributed to strengthening professional training, occupational safety and health, and the prevention of risk inherent to die fishing.
Part of the broader protection and affirmative action measures pursued by the state to protect this particular segment of the population, ID fishers, the state has also allocated resources to meet the needs of disabled divers and disabled members of their families.
15% of the income coming from the taxes or fees levied on fishing is earmarked for this purpose, representing a total of 34256600.
The measure constitutes a way of supporting and providing social protection for die fish and their families who often suffer the consequences related to the risks associated to their activity.
These measures prove that state of Honduras has been making progress based exclusively on prohibiting discrimination has moved, I beg your pardon from a purely model of prohibiting discrimination towards the adoption of proactive concrete measures of affirmative action capacity building for probational training and workplace inclusion, social protection, and creation of economic opportunities for indigenous peoples and afronuan groups.
We recognize that the effective guaree of the right to dignified work and the reduction of gaps in access to the formal economy require an ongoing process of implementation, follow up and institutional strengthening.
We will continue to speed to strengthen necessary measures to guante equal opportunities and inclusive action of indigenous peoples and afronguians in employment themal economy including follow up the measures.
And provisions provided for inclusive employment law and sectorial activities aimed at or targeting populations who pursue economic activities that are particularly high risk such as de fishing.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much to my colleague.
At this juncture, I'd like to give the floor to my colleague Bessy Vasquez Montoya from the Ministry of Women to address questions related to multiple intersexual forms of discrimination violence, including sexual violence as experienced by women and girls.
Chair, Country rapporteurs, Ambassador, on behalf of the Ministry of Women's Affairs, I would like to respond to your questions.
Are under item 22 related, as has just been said, to the multiple and intersectional forms of discrimination and violence suffered by women in particular, indigenous women and Afro Honduran women, which is a topic of particular pertinence to the state of Hondurans and to the government of our current president, President of Isua, because we duly recognize that the intersection between gender, ethnic origin, background, and racial status can further entrench inequalities and forms of discrimination and violence suffered.
I will begin by sharing with you some of the most recent legislative updates on the 30th of June of this year, Legislative decree 111 2026 entered into force, Julie Gazette Dean Gazette number 30 7181.
This reformed Article 66 21810 of the Criminal Code pertaining to femicide.
The sanction for femicide has been raised 25-30 years of imprisonment and 30-40 years for aggravated femicide, with an effective accumulation of sentences for particularly serious crimes for up to 60 years that must be served.
We've included as a specific exacerbating factor cases in which the perpetrator of the femicide is a state agent or is acting with the authorization, support, acquiescence of an agent of the state.
I'd also like to share with the committee because I think it's a direct response to the question you asked that Article 210, as revised, defines in law those indicators of inequality in terms of power relationships that may expose someone to such violence or to femicide includes categorically and explicitly the exploitation of vulnerability of women stemming from and here I quote, their belonging to an indigenous people group, Afro descendants, or being subject to any other factor of historic exclusion.
Ethnic intersectionality has moved from being a mere doctrinal concept in Honduras.
It's now a core tangible element that is duly incorporated in our definition of the crime of femicide.
Article 2 of the aforementioned decree orders the Supreme Court of Justice to create specialized courts with national territorial competence to prosecute or rather to try crimes of femicide.
I continue by sharing with you that for the first time the state has been measuring lethal violence against women to segregated by people groups.
The National Gender Observatory, which is part of the Ministry of Women Affairs, has been monitoring its own measures and their impact alongside those that have been enacted by indigenous people's groups and data that's compiled from the national university.
And cross checking that data, we've identified 32 violent deaths and femicides involving indigenous women Afro Hondurans 2029-2026, 23 of them Garfuna one Lena, one peg, two Tobans, two mosquitoes, and three English speaking Afro descendants.
We've also documented the violent death of 13 female human rights defenders and leaders.
The official registry of these figures is the bare minimum, but it is a good starting point for a registry focused specifically on femicide in which we expanded going forward.
The state's commitment to this committee is that we will incorporate the ethnicity variable in the official registry of mint deaths in order to ensure that no falls through the gaps of official statistics compilation.
On this basis or using this as a springboard, we will put together other measures to respond to the inequalities faced by Indigenous Afro Honduran women.
These will include a specialized protocol to investigate violence against women from these groups, which has been put together by the Office of the Specialized Prosecutors for Indigenous Peoples Afro Hon Jones and which document or protocol is currently being validated.
We also have the Law on shelters created via legislative decree of 28 2024 and the early warning Initiative to be triggered in the case of the disappearance of women, which is an instrument that's currently before the National Congress for their approval.
We also have focused in particular on the fact that 41.2% of indigenous Afro Honduran households are headed by women, a proportion which is particularly high in Gafuna communities when seven in ten households are female headed.
We duly factor that into our approach as well.
The National Women's Poly 2026 2036 is currently in the final stage of adoption and includes the fact that a document needs to be translated into languages of indigenous peoples Nfro Hondurans as a way of guare it accessibility and ownership thereof.
The Ministry of Women Affairs has been used as a vehicle for the state strengthening of its gender focus in public governance.
The need for gender mainstreaming is now cross cutting in 80 of 102 institutions of the state.
In terms of reducing inequalities in investment, we have been working to ensure that we have more gender sensitive and inequality sensitive budgets.
We have a Bureau for gender sensitive budgeting, which brings together representatives of public institutions and women's feminists and peasants organizations, and which leads public hearings on gender sensitive budgeting.
This is a way I'm ensuring participation, transparency and accountability.
We have ensured that this is not just a centralized measure, but one that is extended to all parts of the country in the country as well.
We have also been working in order to ensure that we address violence across the country, making sure that we have shelters in all parts of the country.
We have been involved in the progress expansion of our presence, fire shelters in order to address the needs of women and girls victims of violence in those departments focusing mostly on those regions where there's the highest rates of such violence.
We have also been pursuing priority action in 43 municipalities, strengthening our municipal women's office, giving them a greater budget and ensuring that they pursue a gender sensitive planning approach.
The Institutional Mimission for follow up investigations of violent deaths of women and fee besides has adopted prevention plan and meets regionally.
We've also been working to ensure the economic opportunities for women have boosted working capacity with our Ministry of entrepion small business to ensure we have greater micro credits available to women.
I'll leave it there.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much to the head of delegation.
I hope that with that we've responded to all the questions that were asked in the second round, you will let us know if that's not the case.
We hope also respected the time limits.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Your Excellency.
Now, I will give the floor to the rapporteur for his final remarks.
Senor Vicen Vasquez, you have the floor for 3 minutes.
Microphone, please for the rapport.
Thank you very much, Chair.
Your Excellency, distinguished members of the delegation.
I would like on behalf of the committee to convey to you our sincere gratitude for your very active participation in this dialogue in hybrid format with some of you joining us here in the room and some of you joining online.
I'd also like to thank in particular, my colleagues in the country task force, including the country co porters, Mr.
Guan and Mr.
Sbe.
This has been intense work and I've enjoyed working with them and coordinating with them, and the fact that we've been able to coordinate closely has meant that this dialogue has been so satisfactory.
My thanks also go to the Secretariat for the professional and ongoing and unwavering support.
My thanks also go to the interpreters in supporting our communication.
I do want to make it clear that this has not been an easy exercise given the modality in which we're pursuing this dialogue or this review, particularly given the hybrid format has been challenging.
I've also lament the fact that civil society organization representatives have not been able to join us.
We've also been afflicted by technical bumps as well.
But I do welcome the fact that when we lost the connection with the online delegation yesterday, we were able to continue the dialogue with the ambassador of the permanent mission of Honduras here in the room in Geneva.
I would like to thank all for the information shared with us and also the fact that the delegation represented a broad swath of different institutions.
Thank you for your very in depth responses to our questions.
It's been very interesting to engage in this dialogue over the last couple of hard days because we mailed to address serious issues related to the protection of racial groups and indigenous peoples groups in Honduras and I thank you for your answers.
But I regret the fact or deplore the fact that a lot of the questions that we asked, particularly relating to your legislation on free prior and informed consent as well as broader legislation.
Questions that we asked about the disappearance or arbitrary arrest or disappearance of human rights defenders or lands rights defenders from indigenous peoples and Afro Honduran groups and compliance with our concluding observations from 2018 are questions that have gone unanswered thus far in the dialogue.
We also had questions that were asked about compliance with the recommendations of the UPR, to which again, I feel we did not receive an answer.
I would urge the state party as part of the constructive spirit that has been the hallmark of our dialogue over the last two days, will govern your decision to send us those answers that were lacking in writing as well as to share whether it's in writing information that we are lacking with regard to the compliance with Honduras with rulings of the Inter American Court of other United Nations Human Rights treaty bodies and other human rights bodies as well as your level of compliance with your obligation stemming from international Human Rights and Conventions.
That'd be very welcome.
I conclude by using this opportunity to thank our colleagues in civil society organizations who have made Herculean efforts to participate actively and contribute actively to our work despite the time constraints.
My thanks also go to my colleagues in the committee whom I thank most warmly for their support of this dialogue.
Once again, my thanks to the delegation of the Honduras for their commitment to this dialogue, to the head of the delegation, to the ambassador and permanent representative, to the deputies of National Congress.
To those who are in the room, I wish you a very safe journey home and to those who are joining us online who are already at home, we will continue with this excellent spirit of constructive engagement and frank and open dialogue, which we hope will also bring on board civil society organizations from the Honduras so we can continue to move things forward to the benefit of Indigenous Pop's National Honduras and we look to meeting with you again soon in order to continue our dialogue.
Thank you very much indeed, Chair.
Thank you, Senor Vicente Vasquez.
I will immediately give the floor to the head of delegation for final remarks.
You have the floor for 5 minutes.
Your Excellency.
Thank you very much.
Chair of the committee for the elimination of racial discrimination, Distinguished experts.
Representatives of the United Nations, representatives of the civil society, ladies and gentlemen.
As we conclude this interaction, I would like on behalf of the State of Honduras and the government of President Nasri Juan Aura to express our sincere gratitude for this opportunity to pursue dialogue.
I'd also like to thank you for your questions and for your comments and for this opportunity to share with you the progress efforts and challenges that our country is still confronted with or has been pursuing and enacting.
As far as we are concerned, this dialogue is an opportunity for accountability.
It's also an opportunity for us to reaffirm the state commitments to protecting and promoting human rights and the steps that we have taken to strengthen public action.
We are firmly persuaded that the protection and promotion of human rights requires robust and solid institutions, effective public policies, and concrete outcomes that can be seen and measured by persons.
We are fully alive to the fact that forging a society free of all forms of discrimination is an ongoing task.
Equality and human dignity are not something that can be circumscribed to mere fancy words and declarations.
They need to take the guise of actions, policies that are tangible and that would allow us to overcome gaps and divides that historically have most adversely affected different segments of our society, in particular indigenous peoples and Afro Honduras.
We take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment as a nation to equality and non discrimination, as well as to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening inclusive public policy vehicles.
As part of the governance plan of President Nasri Asfora, the transformation of public governance and leadership going forward will ensure that we end up with a model which on a cross cutting basis includes a human rights and gender sensitive approach and that this is cross cutting through all public policies.
Our aim is to move towards a model of public governance that places the human being at the center of action and which guarantees without any discrimination or distinction whatsoever, our ability to effectively exercise their rights and enjoy same.
To do so, we must honestly admit to the challenges with which we are confronted and see how we can convert them into opportunities for improvement.
The comments, questions, and recommendations put to us by this committee are, as far as the Honduras is concerned, a very helpful contribution as we strive to continue to strengthen our institutional responses to the challenges and shortcomings.
We will receive your recommendations with an open spirit and we'll review them very seriously because we are firmly persuaded that international human rights instruments play a vital role in supporting states in both pinpointing challenges and in finding sustainable and lasting solutions to same.
This dialogue does not come to an end with the conclusion of this session.
This is but a way point in the efforts that Honduras must and will continue to pursue to consolidate and further anchor a fairer and more egalitarian society, a society in which indigenous peoples and Afro Hondurans can fully enjoy and understand their rights and participate on an equal and inclusive footing with their fellow citizens.
We reaffirm that our commitment to human rights is a future oriented commitment.
It is our hope that international cooperation, including dialogue with multilateral mechanisms and the participation of civil society shoulder to shoulder with us as the government will bring about positive change measurable in the daily life of our citizens.
To conclude, the State of Honduras warmly thanks the committee for this frank, open and respectful and indeed constructive exchange.
We reiterate our willingness to continue working with international human rights mechanisms.
Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you very much.
Your Excellency, Madam Minister, head of Delegation.
I thank you, especially for the frank and constructive dialogue that we have conducted in the two days that we had thank you for all the information that you provided us with that would help us draft a number of recommendations in our concluding observations.
Um, the committee will work on concluding observations that will be forwarded to you after adoption.
We appreciate very much the high level delegation that we had to deal with.
Although I have to say, these hybrid meetings are rather exceptional and the committee agrees on them on condition that the main group of the delegation should be with us in Geneva.
I Also, I have to say that we were lucky to have Madam Ambassador and also a member of the parliament, which we appreciate very much to have a member of the legislature with us.
That also very much helps our work.
Having said that, I have to also use this opportunity to, um, Underline that we remind all states parties that the committee has a zero tolerance policy toward any acts of intimidation or reprisals, whether directed individually or collectively against human rights defenders or civil society actors.
The committee values the cooperation and engagement of human rights defenders and other civil society organizations.
The free, safe, and unhindered participation is essential to the effective discharge of the committee's mandate.
The committee calls on all states parties to ensure an enabling environment that is conducive to the full participation of civil society, free from interference, harassment or intimidation.
The committees the states parties recalls states parties obligation to ensure that no individual who has cooperated or engaged with the committee in the context Um, in the context of its work should be should not be if I can find my text.
In the context of reviews under Article 9 of the Convention is subjected to reprisals or other forms of intimidation.
Having reminded that, I have two more things to touch upon.
One is, we appreciate very much, as I said on an earlier occasion, that the state party, Honduras has submitted its interim report for follow up on time.
We commend the state party for this and remind again that this time around, we will also ask an interim report, and I'm sure that the same punctuality will occur.
Finally, we also commend the state party for having fully paid the regular budget assessment for the UN in 2026.
Which is really important for us because the financial crisis that the UN faces now has a disproportionate impact, I would say, on the whole human rights system of the UN, the OHCHR, the treaty bodies, who depend on the OHCHR for their work.
Our time of meeting, our sessions are reduced both in time and in frequency.
So it is very important to thank states parties who are paying their share due on time.
But also, we would ask kindly that you remind other states parties who do not in your bilateral meetings.
With that, we came to the end of this meeting.
I wish all of you a good evening and a good day for those in the Capitol.
The 3,000 3233rd meeting of CD is now closed.
3233rd Meeting, 118th Session, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
Consideration of Honduras (continued)
Description
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its States parties.
Racial discrimination remains a barrier to the full realization of human rights. Despite progress in some areas, exclusions and restrictions based on race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin continue to cause conflict, suffering and loss of life. CERD works to take action against the injustice of racial discrimination, and the dangers it represents.
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