BackThe National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) informed that 22 federal entities have not adopted laws to safeguard the integrity of human rights defenders, meanwhile the other 10 remaining federal entities, have adopted a legislation to protect the persons who perform that activity.
He also revealed that the federal entities with more records of homicides of civil human rights defenders are Chihuahua, with 13 cases; Guerrero with six and Oaxaca, with five. Therefore, it is urgent to intensify efforts to implement protection measures for those people, given the situation of violence and insecurity that exists in several regions of Mexico.
In presenting the Study on fulfilling the pronouncements made by the CNDH regarding grievances against human rights defenders, Edgar Corzo Sosa, 5th General Visitor of this Commission, highlighted that 17 federal entities reported satisfactory fulfilment of General Recommendation 25; 12 reported a basic fulfilment, Yucatán reported insufficient compliance, meanwhile Chihuahua and Coahuila did not answer to the Recommendation.
He explained that in order to abate the high rates of impunity related to the aggressions and homicides against human rights defenders, it is essential that federal government, federal entities and municipal governments assume their responsibility in the adequate investigation of such cases, as well as design and apply public policies to prevent situations that put their integrity at risk.
He said that this Study, elaborated jointly by CNDH and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), analyses the answers from the authorities to the “Special Report regarding the situations of human rights defenders in Mexico”, published on 2011, and to the General Recommendation 25 regarding the aggressions against human rights defenders, issued by this National Organism on February 2016.
Corzo Sosa was accompanied by Carolina Espinosa Luna, research fellow of the Center of Multidisciplinary Research of the UNAM, who coordinated the research team of the Study, and by Pilar Tavera Gómez, ex counselor for the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. Corzo highlighted that after the CNDH issued the aforementioned General Recommendation, five states modified their legislation adding to five that have already had such legislation, so he called the remaining states to update their legislation.
Also, Corzo Sosa informed that the Study includes public policies proposals in order to allow to those committed to promotion and defense of human rights, to perform their activity in minimum standards of security foreseen in international treaties and legal instruments.
He also recalled that recently the CNDH launched its campaign “So one day we do not have to be human rights defenders”. He also pointed out that it should be increased the awareness and sensitization among society and authorities regarding respect and acknowledgment to the activities of human rights defenders. He also mentioned the need to train public servants in charge of investigating assaults and homicides against human rights defenders, as well as to generate indicators to evaluate their effectiveness.
The “Study on fulfilling the pronouncements made by the CNDH regarding grievances to human rights defenders” is available (in Spanish) HERE.
Source: National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Mexico
