Baja California approves consultation process for indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities

Legislative commissions in Baja California have approved an agreement to establish the framework for a prior, free, informed, and culturally appropriate consultation process for indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples and communities.

The agreement aims to define the methodology for consulting two major initiatives: the creation of a Consultation Law and a constitutional reform regarding the rights of these communities. The proposed process follows criteria from the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, the Federal Constitution, and International Labour Organization Convention 169.

The consultation will include stages of planning, information sharing, community deliberation, dialogue, and the reporting of results. Mechanisms will be implemented to ensure that observations and proposals from the communities are integrated into legislative work, with a final report to track how these contributions influence future legal rulings.