Insight Crime Analysis: Why Is Mexico Rejecting UN Findings on Disappearances? Kyra Gurney - Insight Crime
go to original February 18, 2015

One of the many victims of Mexico's drugs war, a woman says her husband "preferred to give his life in exchange for my family". (Sky News)

Mexico has refuted the findings of a United Nations committee on the country's enforced disappearances while welcoming input from a regional human rights body, raising questions about why the government is trying to discredit the committee's conclusions.

The Mexican government has questioned the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances' (CED) report stating that disappearances are a widespread problem, and that enforced disappearances - which are technically disappearances that involve security forces or other state officials - have been met with almost total impunity, reported Milenio.

In the CED's report (pdf), which was concluded on February 11, the committee expressed its "concern over impunity in numerous cases of enforced disappearances, as evidenced by the almost complete lack of convictions for this crime."

The CED recommended that the Mexican government take a series of actions to address this problem, including creating a special prosecution unit in the Attorney General's Office, investigating officials and state agencies, and protecting individuals who report the crime. The CED also pushed for the Mexican government to recognize its competency to review individual cases.

In response, the Mexican government issued a press release stating that the committee's findings do not "adequately reflect the information presented or provide additional elements to reinforce the actions and commitments that have been undertaken to address the challenges mentioned," reported Eje Central.

In addition, Mexican Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade told La Jornada that there were inaccuracies in the CED's recommendations "which make us think the review wasn't as exhaustive as it should have been."

Meanwhile, Meade recently stated that the government would welcome the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights' (IACHR) input on the case involving 43 students who disappeared in Guerrero state last September.

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