OPEN LETTER: CONCERN FACING THE SETBACK WITHIN MEXICAN

FOREIGN POLICY ON HUMAN RIGHTS

March 31st, 2015
ENRIQUE PEA NIETO
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF MEXICO
Mr. President, the Mexican and international civil society organizations that sign this letter
do so in order to express our rejection and concern at recent statements by representatives
of the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs concerning the reports of the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, and the United Nations Committee on Enforced
Disappearances.
Particularly, we find the position of Ambassador Juan Manuel Gmez Robledo,
Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, who stated that the Report of
the Rapporteur on Torture is "unprofessional and unethical", to be profoundly indignant in
the context of the current human rights situation in Mexico. This was aggravated by the
declaration made by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Jos Antonio Meade, supporting the
Ambassadors position.
It is unacceptable that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies that torture is widespread in
Mexico without substantiating their claims and without explaining, not only the alarming
increase in the number of complaints of torture and ill-treatment registered by the National
Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commissions since 2006, as well as
the increase of pretrial investigations initiated by the Attorney General's Office for this
crime; but the fact that many documented cases account for patterns that are repeated daily
in the country.
On the other hand, the troubling and unfortunate position of the Secretariat of Foreign
Affairs of not wanting to trabajar ms con el Relator de tortura (work with the
Rapporteur of torture anymore) not only goes against the working methods of the United
Nations Human Rights Council of which Mexico is part of, which are geared to a genuine
dialogue to further discussions of monitoring recommendations and their implementation,
as well as substantive interaction with special procedures and mechanisms, but shows
intolerance and ignorance for serious violations that are committed daily throughout our
country.
In addition, expressions such as those emitted in February and March of this year by the
Secretariat of the Interior and the National Security Commissioner, respectively, in relation
to the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on Enforced
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Disappearances after its first assessment of the situation in Mexico, as well as the
declarations recently issued disqualifying the generalized nature of torture documented by
the UN Special Rapporteur, clearly show a negative change in foreign policy, which had
been characterized by openness to international scrutiny and collaboration with human
rights mechanisms of the United Nations. Moreover, these expressions add to the
confidence crisis the Mexican state is currently facing.
Organizations, members of academia, activists, advocates and human rights defenders who
document serious human rights violations committed in the context of a failed security
strategy and accompany victims and relatives of torture and ill-treatment, enforced
disappearances, forced internal displacement, extrajudicial killings, intimidation and threats
for defending their rights, their land and territory, or exercising independent and impartial
journalism, have experienced first hand the weakness of institutional safeguards that should
prevent and protect against these crimes across the country.
The lack of recognition of Mexicos real situation and the challenges we are facing
regarding human rights, reflected in an increasing and alarming denial of observations of
international human rights mechanisms by the federal administration, represents a setback
for the consolidation of a democratic rule of law. A foreign policy that is based on
disregarding international mechanisms, to which the State itself has helped build and
strengthen, weakens the legitimacy of the commitment to move forward for the respect,
protection and realization of human rights.
Mr. President, in difficult times like these that define the situation of Mexico today, we call
for consistency in its foreign policy on human rights. The open and standing invitation
Mexico sustains to international human rights mechanisms is diluted by the disregard of the
observations emanated from these mechanisms, observations made by experts and
internationally renowned people, who on the basis of objective and reliable information,
and guided by the principles of integrity, transparency and impartiality, contribute to the
promotion and protection of human rights.
Complacency and the lack of will to address what is really happening in our country, does
not contribute to the actions necessary to address the human rights crisis. Accordingly, we
request that you rectify the Mexican state responses to the concluding observations of the
United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances and the Report of the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment,
and address the recommendations presented in separate reports urgently.
We strongly hope that you will take these requests and considerations into account.
Sincerely,
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Action des Chrtiens pour LAbolition de la Torture, ACAT France

ARTICLE 19. Oficina para Mxico y Centroamrica
Asistencia Legal por los Derechos Humanos A.C. (ASILEGAL)
Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres, A.C. (CEDEHM)
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fr. Francisco de Vitoria O.P., A.C.
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Matas de Crdova A.C.
Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustn Pro Jurez (Centro Prodh)
Centro de Derechos Humanos Paso del Norte, A.C.
Centro de Estudios Sociales y Culturales Antonio de Montesinos A.C.
Centro de Justicia para la Paz y el Desarrollo, A.C. (CEPAD)
Centro Diocesano para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios AC
Ciudadanos en Apoyo a los Derechos Humanos, A.C. (CADHAC)
Colectivo Contra la Tortura y la Impunidad
Comisin Colombiana de Juristas
Comisin Ciudadana de Derechos Humanos del Noroeste, A.C. (CCDH)
Comisin Mexicana de Defensa y Promocin de los Derechos Humanos (CMDPDH)
Comit de Defensa Integral de Derechos Humanos Gobixha A.C.
Consultora Especializada en Justiciabilidad de Derechos Econmicos, Sociales y
Ambientales (CEJUDESC)
DECA Equipo Pueblo, A.C.
Espacio de Coordinacin de Organizaciones Civiles sobre Derechos Econmicos, Sociales
y Culturales (Espacio DESC)
Freedom House Mxico
Fundacin para el Debido Proceso Legal (DPFL)
Grupo de Informacin en Reproduccin Elegida (GIRE)
IDHEAS Litigio Estratgico A.C
Instituto Mexicano de Derechos Humanos y Democracia, A.C. (IMDHD)
Instituto Mexicano Para el Desarrollo Comunitario, A.C. (IMDEC)
Instituto para la Seguridad y la Democracia, Insyde A.C.
JASS (Asociadas por lo Justo)
Propuesta Cvica
Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos Todos los Derechos para
Todas y Todos (composed of 75 organizations in 21 states of the Mexican Republic)
Servicios y Asesora para la Paz, A.C (SERAPAZ)
Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)