Quarterly Progress Report: EnfoqueDH – HUMAN RIGHTS PUBLIC POLICY ACTIVITY

The program aims to promote the conditions necessary for 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 focus on the three priority states of Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Jalisco. EnfoqueDH is reporting progress on various activities, including promoting human rights-focused oversight in Mexican prisons, independent monitoring mechanisms on the status of the General Law of Torture's implementation, and raising awareness on current challenges to eradicate torture in Jalisco. Additionally, the program is providing psychosocial aid to victims of torture and supporting the federal government in the design of a new National Human Rights Program. The context analysis for the quarter highlights increased levels of violence throughout the country, with 17,138 homicides reported in the first half of 2019. The National Development Plan (PND) was submitted to Congress, outlining key priorities for the government administration, including guaranteeing the rule of law and the enjoyment of social and economic rights. The federal government has demonstrated political will to commit significant resources to face existing human rights challenges, including the presentation of official figures of clandestine graves and the investment of 410 million pesos to create regional forensic institutes. In the judicial sphere, a federal court established an important legal precedent benefiting victims of enforced disappearance, ordering measures for the comprehensive reparation of victims. The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) reported 11,939 complaints for torture and other ill treatments between 2000 and 2019, with the government institutions with the highest number of recommendations including the National Prosecutor's Office and the Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection. EnfoqueDH's activities are focused on promoting the conditions necessary for the proper implementation of the General Laws of Torture and Disappearance, contributing to address and reverse gross human rights violations. The program is working to build capacities of both government and civil society for the design, implementation, and evaluation of effective public policies on human rights in Mexico.