Indigenous leader elected to UN Anti-Racism Committee

By Ologeh Joseph Chibu

The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) has announced the election of Indigenous leader Saúl Vicente Vázquez, a member of the Zapoteca Nation of Oaxaca, Mexico, to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). His election, held on June 2, 2025, marks a significant milestone for Indigenous representation in international human rights bodies.
Nominated by the government of Mexico, Vicente Vázquez secured his seat on the Committee with the support of 129 State Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). His term on the CERD will begin in 2026.
Vicente Vázquez becomes only the second Indigenous expert in history to serve on a UN treaty body. The first was José Francisco “Pancho” Cali Tzay, a Mayan Cakchiquel leader from Guatemala, who served on CERD from 2004 to 2020 and was its President between 2014 and 2016.
A lifelong advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, Vicente Vázquez brings decades of grassroots, national, and international experience to the role. He co-founded and remains active in several key organizations, including the Unidad de la Fuerza Indígena y Campesina (UFIC), the Asamblea de los Pueblos Indígenas por la Soberanía Alimentaria en México (APISA), and the Cooperativa Guenda rudxhiíba guendaró stinu in his hometown of Juchitán, Oaxaca.
At the national level, he previously served as International Director of Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Pueblos Indígenas (INPI) and continues to act as an independent advisor on the ongoing reform of the Mexican Constitution to recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Vicente Vázquez also has a distinguished track record on the global stage. From 2011 to 2013, he represented the Latin America and Caribbean region as a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). He co-founded the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism for the UN Committee on World Food Security and sits on the Executive Committee of the International Planning Committee for Food Sovereignty.
For over 30 years, he has served as an IITC delegate at international forums, contributing to United Nations negotiations on climate change, biological diversity, sustainable development, racial discrimination, and human rights, including the landmark process that led to the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
In a statement, the IITC praised Vicente Vázquez’s election, expressing confidence in his commitment to justice and accountability. “As a member of CERD, Saúl will continue to be a tireless advocate for Indigenous Peoples and a firm voice for the enforcement of international human rights obligations under ICERD,” the organization said.
His appointment is being hailed as a significant step forward for Indigenous representation in global decision-making spaces and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial equity and Indigenous rights worldwide.