Annual Progress Report: EnfoqueDH – Human Rights Public Policy Activity

The program aims to facilitate the proper implementation of the General Laws of Torture and Disappearance, contributing to address and reverse gross human rights violations. The program works at the federal and state levels, with a geographic focus on the three priority states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Jalisco. The reporting period for this annual progress report is Year Four, spanning from November 1, 2018, to October 31, 2019. Key institutional developments during this period include the appointment of new actors and structural modifications to the governmental operation of the country. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was sworn in on December 1, 2018, and signed a presidential decree creating a commission to investigate the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero. Alejandro Encinas, Undersecretary for Human Rights, announced efforts to intensify and prioritize the search for missing persons under the oversight of the National Search Commission. The Attorney General's Office was transformed into a General Prosecutor's Office, with Alejandro Gertz Manero appointed as the country's first General Prosecutor for nine years. Sara Irene Herrerías was confirmed as Special Prosecutor for Human Rights, a strategic ally of EnfoqueDH. The creation of a new, functional National Prosecutor's Office is central to Mexico's fight against impunity, but its success will depend on assigned financial, human, and material resources. EnfoqueDH is reporting progress on the following objectives: strengthening the prevention and response capacities of local systems to enable the implementation of the General Law of Torture and the General Law of Disappearance. Cross-cutting activities include addressing gender-based violence and vulnerable groups, such as the LGBT community. The program's cross-cutting strategy incorporates attention to women and other groups at risk of suffering gross human rights violations. Collective advocacy is promoted to promote the rights of LGBT individuals, and awareness is raised to end murders against the LGBT community in Mexico. Prejudices about the LGBT population in local press are also being removed. EnfoqueDH works closely with key partners, including the National Search Commission, the Attorney General's Office, and civil society organizations. The program's efforts are focused on promoting human rights-focused oversight in Mexican prisons, improving registries and increasing knowledge of torture, and engaging the student community to create awareness about torture in Mexican prisons. The program's accomplishments and overall status are reported in the following sections: Indicator Progress, Accomplishments and Overall Status, Problems and Delays (and/or Lessons Learned), Major activities or corrective actions, Updates on Evaluation and Learning plans or activities, Financial Projections Report, Participant Training, and Partnerships Report.