Nation to Align its Human Rights, Justice and Security Agendas, Says President Presidency of the Republic
go to original February 11, 2013

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said last week that "we are working on building an effective government, which has one main purpose: to implement the human rights recognized by our Constitution and thereby achieve a society of rights."

He said one of the major steps already taken in his administration has been moving from the National Public Security Strategy to a new State Policy for Security and Justice for Mexicans, which has protection and respect for human rights as one of its pillars. "The purpose is to align the security and justice agenda with the human rights agenda," he explained.

The president listed the instructions issued for this purpose.

A National Human Rights Program has been set up to strengthen the areas of government in this area and establish a federal organization to follow up on the implementation of human rights reform, develop protocols for law enforcement nationwide, purge and restructure the National Institute of Migration, ensure respect for the rights of migrants from sister nations, strengthen homeland security, and implement a public policy for missing persons, which includes a database of genetic information, search protocols and specialized task forces.

Reiterating the government's unwavering commitment to human rights, the president declared that it is necessary to begin to "make human rights a culture that permeates the State and its institutions."

At the official residence of Los Pinos, the president led the event at which the President of the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH), Raúl Plascencia Villanueva, presented the 2012 Report. The event was attended by the directors of human rights commissions in each state, among others.

The president of Mexico said that the government and the CNDH "share the same goal of ensuring all rights for all Mexicans." He added that the protection of human rights is one of the priorities of the president.

He repeated the instruction he gave to all members of the Cabinet, particularly the Secretary of the Interior, to maintain a close institutional relationship with the CNDH.

He said that it is important to reflect and assume that despite significant institutional advances, our democracy has the great challenge of meeting the needs of society, especially the most basic. "We must recognize that the state still has a long way to go to achieve universal enjoyment of human rights," he said.

He noted that in order to strengthen human rights in the country, structural changes must be undertaken in legislation, and "therefore, in the Pact for Mexico that the political forces and the government have signed. There is a specific section for human rights issue and, according to the schedule agreed on for this year we will have to promote a package of legislative reforms."

The president declared that the following will be included: The Law of Reparation of Harm; the Law Regulating Article 29 of the Constitution on the Suspension of Guarantees; the Regulatory Act of Article 33 to Regulate and Limit the Expulsion of Foreigners; the Amendment to the Law of the National Commission of Human Rights, to adapt it to the recent constitutional reform, reforms of State Constitutions and the regulations of the Government of the Federal District in the area of human rights; the Law on the Legitimate Use of Public Force; and the Legislation to Effectively Prevent and Punish Acts of Torture and the Forced Disappearance of Persons.

The president added that the Interior Secretariat is already working to establish the Integral Program to Prevent, Treat, Punish and Eradicate Violence against Women.

He referred to the recent incident in Acapulco, Guerrero, "in which, unfortunately, six women of foreign origin, from the sister nation of Spain, were raped," and said that "cases like this and others that occur in the country should drive all authorities at the three levels of government to assume full responsibility and, above all, to take specific actions that allow the institutions responsible for public safety to act more effectively."

He said that from the knowledge of these facts, and although the incident is within the sphere of investigation and responsibility of state authorities, he instructed the Secretary of the Interior and the Attorney General to provide all possible institutional support and contribute to the investigations to find those responsible.

CNDH President Lists the Actions Taken In 2012

During the presentation of the Activity Report 2012, Raúl Plascencia Villanueva, president of the CNDH, acknowledged President Peña Nieto's commitment from the start of his administration to regarding human life as the greatest good that guides the work of his government, and to realize the human rights enshrined in the Mexican Constitution.

Plascencia Villanueva issued an appeal to eradicate impunity and undertake decisive actions to ensure safety and prevention.

The Head of the National Human Rights Commission referred to the actions carried out in 2012, such as the creation of the VI Chief Investigator, which complies with the Constitutional Reform of 2011. The Head Office of Monitoring Recommendations was created, and an unprecedented number of public officials were trained, as a sign of the commitment of the National Commission to join forces to have better civil servants, who always act within the law.

He noted that for the CNDH, eradicating of human rights violations begins by preventing them, and therefore, in 2012 preventive actions were increased by 180 per cent.

The CNDH, concluded Plascencia Villanueva, is convinced of the need to work to consolidate the full observance of human rights and "to reach the point where all Mexicans not only have their human rights recognized, but can also enforce them."

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