Annual Report Year Three: Human Rights Public Policy Activity

The country's electoral cycle, which culminated in a landslide victory for leftist candidate Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, was accompanied by the constant unveiling of gross human rights violations, including the discovery of numerous clandestine graves and rising numbers of victims. Despite important policy developments related to human rights promoted by the government of Mexico (GOM), its relationship with civil society organizations (CSOs) became increasingly tense as these policies proved insufficient to respond to the gravity of the human rights crisis. The internal strife caused by escalated violence meant that the political transition, though welcomed, was not exempt from controversy and tension between civil society and future government officials on how their policies would impart real change. EnfoqueDH, a human rights public policy activity, remained deeply committed to identifying opportunities to support the GOM and CSOs to improve human rights in Mexico. The Activity demonstrated its ability to proactively identify critical opportunities to advance its objectives through close observation of political and policy shifts and leveraging established relationships with diverse actors. This proactive approach was demonstrated in Year Three when the General Law to Prevent, Investigate and Sanction Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatments (GLT) and the General Law on Forced Disappearance, Disappearance Committed by Individuals and the National Search System for Missing Persons (GLD) were both approved by Congress in 2017. Following the approval of the General Laws, EnfoqueDH focused its activities on strengthening the GOM and CSOs' capacity to prevent and respond to crimes of torture and disappearance at the federal and state levels. The Activity made headway in providing technical assistance and identifying specific opportunities for joint efforts between the GOM and CSOs under each of the Activity's five objectives. EnfoqueDH responded to the Prosecutor General's Office (PGR) and the National Search Commission (NSC)'s direct request to provide support to design the National Exhumations Program and provide critical input for the National Search Program. The Activity supported several activities during Year Three under all five objectives that contributed to advancing implementation of these critical national policies. A comprehensive strategy was implemented to support the General Laws, including strengthening preventive measures, designing critical policy mechanisms, and improving data management, analysis, and case documentation. This strategy contributed to creating greater awareness on disappearance and improving structural responses aimed at providing access to justice and reparations for victims of this crime. EnfoqueDH's efforts also contributed to advancing prevention measures, the existence of better documentation and awareness of cases of torture, and strengthening the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NMPT). The Activity's comprehensive strategy involved initiatives such as creating legal frameworks and contributing to limit police action to abide by international human rights standards. The Activity's work in Year Three was marked by significant progress in advancing the implementation of the General Laws, particularly in the areas of disappearance and torture prevention. EnfoqueDH's technical assistance and support to the GOM and CSOs contributed to strengthening their capacity to prevent and respond to these crimes at the federal and state levels. The Activity's comprehensive strategy and proactive approach to supporting the GOM and CSOs in implementing the General Laws have positioned EnfoqueDH as a key player in advancing human rights in Mexico. EnfoqueDH's work in Year Three was also marked by the development of several key deliverables, including the design of the National Exhumations Program and the provision of critical input for the National Search Program. These deliverables have the potential to significantly impact the human rights landscape in Mexico and contribute to creating greater awareness on disappearance and improving structural responses aimed at providing access to justice and reparations for victims of this crime. Overall, EnfoqueDH's work in Year Three has demonstrated its commitment to advancing human rights in Mexico and its ability to proactively identify critical opportunities to support the GOM and CSOs in implementing the General Laws. The Activity's comprehensive strategy and technical assistance have contributed to strengthening the GOM and CSOs' capacity to prevent and respond to crimes of torture and disappearance, and have positioned EnfoqueDH as a key player in advancing human rights in Mexico.