Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Information received from Brazil on follow-up to the concluding observations on its combined eighteenth to twentieth periodic reports *

[Date received: 8 January 2026]

I.Introduction

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) issued document CERD/C/BRA/CO/18-20*, dated 19 December 2022, containing the concluding observations raised by the Committee on the combined 18th to 20th periodic reports of the Federative Republic of Brazil, submitted during the 2,931st and 2,932nd sessions of CERD, held on 16 and 17 November 2022. Among the concluding observations, adopted at CERD’s 2,952nd session, held on 1 December 2022, is the request set forth in paragraph 68, consisting of a call for information from the Brazilian State regarding the implementation of the recommendations contained in paragraphs 17 (a) (right to health and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic); 19 (c) (disparities in access to education); 23 (a) (poverty, work and income); and 36 (a) to (d) (excessive use of force by law enforcement and military agents), which is the subject of the present report.

2.In Brazil, at the federal level, the Ministry of Racial Equality (MIR) plays a strategic role in formulating and implementing public policies aimed at promoting racial equality and addressing structural racism. Among the main regulatory frameworks are: the Black Youth Alive Program (Programa Juventude Negra Viva – PJNV), established by Decree No. 11,956/2024, which seeks to reduce the vulnerability of Black youth to violence; the Federal Affirmative Action Program (Programa Federal de Ações Afirmativas – PFAA), established by Decree No. 11,785/2023, with the purpose of promoting rights and equal opportunities through affirmative actions directed at Black, quilombola, and Indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and women, taking into account their specificities and diversities; and the National Policy for Quilombola Territorial and Environmental Management (Política Nacional de Gestão Territorial e Ambiental Quilombola – PNGTAQ), established by Decree No. 11,786/2023, which guides public policies aimed at the territorial, cultural, and economic protection of these groups.

3.It should also be emphasized that the Ministry of Racial Equality engages with other federal executive bodies to ensure that the racial and ethnic perspective is mainstreamed across various sectoral policies. This role involves institutional coordination, the provision of technical inputs, and participation in instances of policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring, to promote the inclusion of racial and ethnic considerations in areas such as health, education, public security, social development, environment, and culture. By engaging in these spaces, the Ministry seeks not only to guarantee the effectiveness of racial equality policies but also to contribute to the construction of more integrated state responses that are sensitive to the structural inequalities affecting the Black population, as well as traditional peoples and communities.

4.Within the scope of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), the National Program for Public Security with Citizenship (PRONASCI 2), reestablished by Decree No. 11,436/2023, is highlighted. The program aims to coordinate security policies with social actions, giving priority to vulnerable areas, with a focus on violence prevention, community strengthening, and the promotion of human rights, particularly with regard to Black and marginalized youth, the reduction of police use of lethal force, and the valuing of life.

5.The Ministry of Health, in turn, established the Anti-Racist Health Strategy through Ordinance GM/MS No. 2,198 of 6 December 2023, which provides that the ethno-racial issue must be addressed transversally in all actions, programs, and initiatives of the Ministry, not only as an isolated matter, but incorporated into both universal and specific policies, so as to ensure equity. Furthermore, in the subsequent action plan of the Anti-Racist Strategy for 2025, Ordinance GM/MS No. 5,801/2024 was approved as part of the priorities, reinforcing affirmative action, the national health agreement for quilombola communities, and the improvement of the “race and color” and traditional peoples fields in information systems.

6.Finally, it should be noted that the Ministry of Education (MEC), which launched the National Policy for Equity, Education on Ethnic-Racial Relations, and Quilombola School Education (PNEERQ) through Ordinance MEC No. 470 of 14 May 2024, with the aim of implementing educational actions to address structural racism, overcome ethnic-racial inequalities, and promote quilombola education, involving teachers, administrators, students, and the entire school community.

7.With this introductory and illustrative overview of the policies carried out by the Brazilian State regarding the promotion of racial equality and the fight against racism, the responses to the items requested by CERD follow below.

II.Follow-up information on the concluding observations (CERD/C/BRA/CO/18-20)

A.Information relating to paragraph 17 (a)

8.The Ministry of Racial Equality (MIR) of the Federative Republic of Brazil has coordinated actions based on the concept of quilombola health, which encompasses the territorial dimension of quilombos as geographic spaces sustained by ancestral heritage, traditional land occupation, and collective use for the common good. These territories are historically structured through kinship ties and the continuity of ethnocultural practices and knowledge. In this context, special mention should be made of the development of the National Policy for Comprehensive Health of the Quilombola Population (PNASQ), the creation of which was demanded by civil society at the 17th National Health Conference, held in 2023, and whose objectives, guidelines, and pillars were submitted to a broad online public consultation process. The establishment of the PNASQ represents the first policy of the Ministry of Health (MS) specifically directed at this population, with the objective of ensuring comprehensive access to health care, considering their social diversity and their ethnic, cultural, territorial, and historical specificities. The PNASQ prioritizes the reduction of ethno-racial inequalities and the confrontation of racism and discrimination in the services of the Unified Health System (SUS), ultimately aiming at improving health indicators and the quality of life of quilombola communities.

9.In addition, other important initiatives are underway, such as the Anti-Racist Health Strategy, launched on 6 December 2023 through Ordinance GM/MS No. 2,198, which is guided by principles and guidelines aimed at eliminating racial and ethnic inequalities in health. In 2024, an Action Plan was developed, containing three main objectives: (1) Institutionalization of the Anti-Racist Strategy; (2) Implementation of affirmative actions; and (3) Coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of public policies, with emphasis on the following areas: data qualification, sickle cell disease, mental health and well-being, health of Indigenous populations, health of quilombola populations, maternal and child health, and health education.

10.The Graça Epifânio Quilombola Health Working Group (GTESQ) was also established, with the purpose of supporting the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of actions, programs, and policies aimed at the health of the quilombola population. The GTESQ has as its central principle the guarantee of social participation at all stages of the public policy cycle, ensuring that quilombola communities are protagonists in the decision-making process. The Ministry of Racial Equality takes part in the group through the representation of the General Coordination for Quilombola Policies (CGPQ/DQC/SQPT/MIR).

11.In this regard, the “1st National Seminar on Quilombola Health: Weaving Networks of Aquilombamento and Anti-Racism for Ethno-Racial Equity in the SUS” was held in Alcântara, Maranhão, from 15 to 17 August 2025. The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Health to formulate the first National Quilombola Health Policy (PNASQ/SUS) and brought together Federal Government authorities, health institutions, councils, and quilombola leaders to discuss and strengthen public health policies specific to these communities. The seminar emphasized the need for approaches that respect quilombola culture and traditions, and it resulted in the establishment of the Quilombola Health Working Group, a milestone in the institutionalization of the quilombola health agenda in Brazil.

12.Still in the field of health promotion, the National Policy for Traditional Peoples and Communities of African-Based and Terreiro Traditions (PNPTMA) has acted in the preventive and educational dimension, strengthening comprehensive health through social protection and intersectoral coordination, by means of Anti-Racist Workshops (MIR/UNICEF), the promotion of the Terreiro Childhood Week, and the establishment of partnerships with Fiocruz, UNICEF, and the IDB, as well as the strengthening of child protection councils and reporting channels.

B.Information relating to paragraph 19 (c)

13.Concerning Quilombola School Education, the National Policy for Equity, Education on Ethnic-Racial Relations, and Quilombola School Education (PNEERQ) was established by Ordinance GAB/MEC No. 470 of 14 May 2024. Its objective is to implement educational actions and programs aimed at overcoming racial and ethnic inequalities and racism in learning environments, as well as promoting educational policy for the quilombola population. The target group consists of administrators, teachers, staff, and students; in other words, the PNEERQ encompasses the entire school community.

14.In Brazil, according to the 2024 School Census, 294.2 thousand students were enrolled in schools providing Indigenous education; another 279 thousand students attended schools built in quilombola communities; and more than 398.2 thousand students came from agrarian reform settlement areas.

15.Also noteworthy is Law No. 14,723/23, which updates the Quotas Law in federal education (higher and technical), providing for the reservation of places for students from public schools and others. Among the changes introduced by the new legislation are the modification of the admission mechanism for quota students in federal higher education, the reduction of family income thresholds for reserved places, and the inclusion of quilombola students as beneficiaries of the quotas.

16.The new law also provides for the inclusion of quilombola students as beneficiaries of the quotas, in the same manner as currently applies to Afro-descendants, Indigenous, and students with disabilities; the establishment of priority for quota students in receiving student aid; and the extension of affirmative action policies to graduate studies.

17.In addition, the Directorate of Policies for Traditional Peoples and Communities of African-Based and Terreiro Traditions (DPTMAT) has promoted actions complementary to the quota system by strengthening community-based educational pathways. Among these initiatives, the following stand out: the National Meeting of Terreiro Youth (2025) and leadership training programs; the production of the Anti-Racist Notebooks (MIR/UNICEF), pedagogical materials co-created with terreiro communities; and the Afro-Literature Calls for Proposals (Prêmio Erê Dendê), aimed at valuing Black literary production.

C.Information relating to paragraph 23 (a)

18.It should be emphasized that the Bolsa Família Program is a cash transfer program aimed at families living in situations of extreme poverty and poverty, as identified in the Single Registry for Federal Government Social Programs (Cadastro Único). It is a central measure for addressing socioeconomic inequalities, fully in line with the Committee’s recommendation. The number of Indigenous and quilombola beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program has increased by 30% since January 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family, and the Fight against Hunger (MDS), which is responsible for coordinating the National Social Assistance Policy (PNAS). This result stems from the strengthening of active search, a strategy prioritized by the Federal Government since the program’s resumption in March 2023, which has made it possible to reach the most vulnerable segments of the population more effectively. The process is carried out in an integrated manner with states and municipalities and relies on the work of professionals from the Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS).

19.In August 2025, of the total families served by the Bolsa Família Program, 239,900 were Indigenous families and 278,600 were quilombola families. With regard to Black beneficiaries, composed of Afro-descendants, 21.36 million were Black women and 15.31 million were Black men, totaling 36.67 million Black people served, equivalent to 73.27% of the beneficiaries that month.

20.The identification of Indigenous and quilombola families in the Single Registry, in effect since 2005, plays a fundamental role by giving visibility to these groups and supporting the formulation of specific public policies.

21.Another measure adopted by the Brazilian State, directly related to efforts aimed at eradicating poverty among Black, quilombola, Indigenous, and traditional peoples and communities, is the implementation of the National Food Security Policy, whose objectives include the coordination of programs and actions from various sectors that respect, protect, promote, and provide the human right to adequate food, while taking into account social, cultural, environmental, and ethno-racial diversity, gender equity, and sexual orientation, as well as making available instruments for its enforceability through the Third National Food and Nutrition Security Plan (III PLANSAN). Through this Plan, the Brazilian State has established intersectoral strategies for carrying out actions to guarantee the human right to adequate food for the Black population, quilombolas, Indigenous peoples, and traditional peoples and communities, addressing racism, ensuring gender equity, and respecting and valuing their ways of life, territories, and food cultures.

22.Additionally, the Ministry of Racial Equality (MIR) has carried out economic and cultural actions aimed at eradicating poverty, strengthening income generation and entrepreneurship among terreiro women, as well as recognizing cultural practices as economic assets. Among these initiatives, the following stand out: the Economia de Terreiro program, through the Sabores e Saberes call for proposals (which awarded 45 initiatives, distributed kitchen kits, and organized a gastronomic fair); the Cultural Awards Mestres e Mestras de Terreiro, which value traditional knowledge as living heritage; and a set of cultural valorization policies and income-generating incentives implemented through specific calls and fairs.

D.Information relating to paragraph 36 (a)

23.Recognizing that the discussion on the demilitarization of police activities in Brazil is broad and interinstitutional in scope, the Brazilian State has welcomed the recommendations issued by CERD and has taken them into account in the formulation of public policies.

Information relating to paragraph 36 (b) and (c)

24.The Brazilian State has been carrying out a broad normative and institutional update to enhance the performance of the security forces concerning the use of force, in line with international human rights standards and the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination. In this context, the National Project for the Qualification of the Use of Force stands out, conceived as a structuring policy to professionalize police institutions and strengthen the legal certainty of professionals, while at the same time seeking to increase society’s trust in police actions.

25.The National Project for the Qualification of the Use of Force was conceived as a structuring milestone of the public policy for regulatory standardization, training, and technical-operational improvement of public security institutions. It is organized around four fundamental pillars: (i) legal support and operational guidelines; (ii) training and continuous capacity-building; (iii) the acquisition and donation of protective equipment and less-lethal instruments; and (iv) diagnosis and impact assessment, ensuring empirical bases for the formulation and monitoring of actions.

26.The turning point in this process was the issuance of Decree No. 12,341 of 2024, which regulated Law No. 13,060/2014 and established clear technical parameters for the differentiated use of force. The decree provides that the use of force must be graduated and proportional to the threat, expressly prohibiting the use of firearms against an unarmed person in flight or against a vehicle that disregards a police checkpoint, except in situations of immediate risk of death or serious injury. In addition, it established the mandatory annual training on the use of force, the preparation of detailed reports in cases of injury or death, and the institution of specific protocols for personal and residential searches, the use of handcuffs, crisis management, and operations in prison environments.

27.Subsequently, Ordinance MJSP No. 855/2025 detailed these guidelines, reinforcing the binding nature of the rules and their application both to federal corporations and, in an inductive manner, to federated entities that make use of resources from the National Public Security Fund. The ordinance reaffirmed that the use of a firearm is always a measure of last resort, established guidelines for its use, and mandated the periodic certification of professionals through technical and psychological examinations. It also regulated the use of less-lethal instruments, requiring that they be made available to all professionals on duty. In addition, it established specific rules for personal and residential searches, requiring registration and justification for each intervention, and reinforced the role of internal affairs units and ombudsman offices in monitoring.

28.As an additional governance and control mechanism, Ordinance MJSP No. 856/2025 established the National Committee for Monitoring the Use of Force (CNMUDF), as provided for in Article 8 of Decree No. 12,341/2024. The Committee is composed of representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, police agencies, commanders‑general of the military police, chiefs of civil police, municipal guards, and civil society, with the purpose of overseeing the implementation of the national policy on the use of force, proposing monitoring indicators, drafting reports, and promoting the reduction of police lethality and the victimization of security agents.

29.Parallel to the regulatory framework, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security implemented large-scale training initiatives. By August 2025, 28 editions of in-person and distance-learning courses on the differentiated use of force had been carried out, training 1,168 multipliers, including instructors of the National Course on the Use of Force and the Course on Body Cameras and the Use of Force: Principles and Practices. These programs are essential to ensure that the regulatory framework is effectively internalized by police institutions, becoming part of everyday practice.

30.The adherence by federative entities to the National Project for the Qualification of the Use of Force reinforces its inductive nature: 21 states have already formalized Terms of Adherence, committing to internalize Decree No. 12,341/2024 and Ordinance MJSP No. 855/2025 into their internal regulations, in alignment with the Unified Public Security System (SUSP). Thus, it constitutes an integrated set of normative, training, and institutional measures, ensuring that the protocols on the use of force are effective, grounded in legality, necessity, proportionality, and non-discrimination, and accompanied by periodic and effective training, with an emphasis on racial equality and the protection of fundamental rights.

31.Furthermore, the State has promoted short-term courses related to human rights and racial equality for multipliers in anti-racist policies, the promotion of racial equity, and the protection of vulnerable groups, as well as practical cases on human rights. This pedagogical framework contributes to the incorporation of ethical practices, the fight against institutional racism, and the promotion of human dignity within the scope of public security forces.

32.Within the scope of graduate education, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has developed lato sensu and stricto sensu training programs, at the specialization and master’s levels, and has fostered thematic research, comparative studies, and diagnostics aimed at guiding the development of public policies that seek improvement and innovation in the field of public security, in permanent coordination with federative entities.

Information relating to paragraph 36 (d)

33.It is reported that the case law of the courts on the use of force has been and will continue to be taken into consideration in the formulation of public policies on the use of force. In this respect, the Federal Supreme Court, in adjudicating ADPF 635, consolidated binding parameters to contain police lethality, recognizing the structural nature of the litigation and determining normative, administrative, and governance measures. Among the central points of the decision, the following stand out: the requirement to measure and monitor police lethality with new indicators; the publication of disaggregated data on civilian and police deaths; the preservation of crime scenes; immediate communication to the Public Prosecutor’s Office; the mandatory use of body cameras in operations; the regulation of residential searches; the presence of ambulances in high-risk operations; and the creation of monitoring and oversight committees.

34.These guidelines directly correspond to the public policies and regulations recently instituted by the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. Decree No. 12,341/2024 regulated Law No. 13,060/2014 and established in its Article 2 principles such as legality, necessity, proportionality, accountability, and non-discrimination. Article 3, §§ 2 and 3, expressly prohibited the use of firearms against unarmed fleeing persons or vehicles that disregard police checkpoints, except in cases of immediate risk of death, thereby reproducing the commands of ADPF 635. Article 6, in turn, imposed on security agencies the obligation to regulate personal and residential searches, the use of handcuffs, crisis management, and protocols for incidents resulting in injury or death, in line with the determinations of the Federal Supreme Court regarding control, planning, and accountability.

35.Ordinance MJSP No. 855/2025 detailed the implementation of the decree, reaffirming the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination (Art. 4, VI and VII) and establishing parameters for operations (Art. 6, II), the use of firearms (Arts. 8 and 10), personal searches (Art. 16), and residential searches (Art. 17). The latter, in its item VI, provides for the adoption of disciplinary measures in cases of discriminatory conduct, in accordance with the Federal Supreme Court’s requirement of accountability for abuses committed during proceedings.

36.Under the monitoring pillar, Article 8 of Decree No. 12,341/2024 mandated the creation of the National Committee for Monitoring the Use of Force (CNMUDF), established by Ordinance MJSP No. 856/2025, with competence to produce reports, propose indicators, and engage with state committees and civil society to reduce lethality and police victimization. This measure directly corresponds to the provision in ADPF 635 regarding the creation of interinstitutional monitoring committees and to the recommendation of dialogue with the CNMUDF.

37.In the field of transparency and external oversight, Ordinance MJSP No. 648/2024, which regulates the National Body Camera Project, established mandatory use in various circumstances (Art. 8, items I to XVI), including personal and residential searches, execution of warrants, operations in densely populated areas, and situations of confrontation. Moreover, Article 7, item VI, links the use of cameras to the prioritization of less-lethal instruments, while item VII requires the provision of personal protective equipment, thereby enhancing the conditions for the preservation of life. These provisions respond to the Court’s determinations regarding the mandatory use of cameras in operations, the preservation of crime scenes, and the provision of immediate medical assistance.

38.The implementation of these policies is materialized through the National Projects on the Qualification of the Use of Force and on Body Cameras, both structured around the pillars of regulation, training, procurement, and impact assessment. By August 2025, the Project on the Qualification of the Use of Force had already secured the adherence of 21 states through Terms of Adherence, committing to internalize Decree No. 12,341/2024 and Ordinance No. 855/2025 into their internal regulations, in alignment with SUSP. Meanwhile, the Body Camera Project reached 14 states, with investments exceeding R$166 million and the distribution of more than 8,000 devices, prioritizing territories with the highest levels of police lethality. Studies conducted by UNDP and SENASP indicate a reduction of up to 60% in the use of force and a significant drop in abuse complaints in the areas already covered, in line with the outcomes expected by the Federal Supreme Court.

39.ADPF 635 established the need for mental health programs for security professionals. In this regard, Article 6, item IV, of Decree No. 12,341/2024 provides for the establishment of continuous psychological care programs for agents involved in critical incidents, reinforcing the adherence of the national policy to judicial orders.

40.In summary, the measures implemented by the MJSP, through Decree No. 12,341/2024 and Ordinances No. 855, 856, and 648, as well as through the execution of the National Projects on the Qualification of the Use of Force and on Body Cameras, translate into concrete actions the parameters established by the Federal Supreme Court in ADPF 635.

41.Furthermore, the Pena Justa National Plan, an initiative coordinated by the National Council of Justice (CNJ) and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) to address the crisis of the Brazilian prison system, was drafted in compliance with ADPF 347, in which the Federal Supreme Court recognized the Brazilian prison system as a state of unconstitutional affairs due to overcrowding, the precariousness of available places, the disproportionate entry of detainees for low-risk offenses, and the excessive length of imprisonment beyond the legal term - factors that undermine resocialization and public security.

42.The Plan seeks to guarantee dignity for persons deprived of liberty and to promote their social reintegration, in alignment with SDGs 10 and 16. Among its measures are the reduction of overcrowding, the improvement of infrastructure, the provision of medical care, the offering of education and employment, and reintegration programs after the completion of the sentence.

43.Innovatively, it provides for the production of data on quilombolas and traditional communities within the prison system, in order to guide specific policies. Its effectiveness depends on the allocation of resources, social and institutional awareness-raising, and the creation of employment and income opportunities for former inmates, contributing to the reduction of recidivism and inequalities.

44.In addition, the Ministry of Racial Equality has acted in the field of preventing and addressing religious violence, training security agents and public managers to combat religious racism and monitoring cases of violence against terreiro communities. This contributes to reducing structural violence and strengthening State accountability.