MEXICO’S SIX YEARS ON THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL: CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESULTS

• The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is the UN’s most important human rights agency.

• Mexico hopes to be elected to the Council for the 2014-2016 term, after having participated on the UNHRC from 2006 to 2012 and receiving wide recognition from both countries and civil society organizations for its contributions to human rights.

• Mexico promoted the discussion and development of standards regarding the rights of migrants, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, discrimination against women, the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism, and the registration of births and the right to recognition as a person before the law.

On December 31, 2012, Mexico’s second term (2009-2012) on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) comes to an end. Mexico was a founding member of the Human Rights Council and the first country to lead it. Under Mexico’s presidency, the council’s operating procedures and structure were decided.
While a member of the council, Mexico has sought to:

• Strengthen the international human rights system and the international regulatory framework for human rights.

• Facilitate cooperation between the international human rights system and national institutions to increase domestic capabilities in human rights.

• Promote a collective and timely response to serious human rights violations anywhere in the world.

 • Incorporate a human rights perspective into the work of the United Nations in a coherent fashion, taking into account the interplay of the organization’s main areas of focus: development, security and human rights.

On the UNHRC, Mexico has sought to develop and adopt innovative international practices and standards. It has also looked for ways to make the council more relevant and to give more impact to its decisions at the national level, especially during the council’s 2011 review process when a Reflection Group on the Strengthening of the Human Rights Council, chaired by Mexico and France, was created.

Its work on the council demonstrates that Mexico is a country that builds agreements. It is known for its efforts to make the UNHRC into an inclusive, cooperative body. Mexico has played a key role in bringing divergent views together and in reaching agreement on sensitive issues.

Mexico has also sought to encourage cooperation among countries through the use of existing channels, including the council´s special procedures and the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism, which stands out because it is a peer review system in which all countries report on compliance with human rights.

Mexico shared its human rights experience with the UNHRC, presenting proposals within its national interest and promoting respect for human rights around the world.

As a country of origin, transit, destination and return for migrants, Mexico has sought to develop standards on protecting migrants within the UNHRC, presenting a resolution on this issue. It has also promoted a new initiative on birth registration and the right to recognition as a person before the law, as an essential foundation for the full exercise of children’s rights. Consistent with the steps it has taken at the national level on non-discrimination, Mexico has also proposed resolutions on women’s rights, people with disabilities and indigenous peoples. It also presented a resolution on the protection of human rights in the fight against terrorism in order to clarify any gaps and ensure due process and the safety of individuals during the actions taken by the international community against terrorism.

During its time on the HRC, Mexico has supported a strong and independent UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and it continues to work closely with the commissioner.

The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations, made up of 47 Member States that are elected for three years. After two consecutive terms, countries cannot be elected again immediately. The council was created by the UN General Assembly on March 15, 2006 to address situations of human rights violations and issue recommendations. As an observer to the HRC, Mexico will continue to present initiatives, focusing on the negotiations and participate constructively.

Mexico has presented its candidacy to rejoin the council again for the 2014-2016 term and has issued a document on its pledges and contributions to promoting and protecting human rights, including a section on accountability that outlines Mexico’s contributions to the international human rights system, and especially the council. It also discusses the progress that has been made by Mexico’s institutions and regulations to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights in Mexico.