Article by PBI-Mexico

PBI Mexico continues to provide remote accompaniment to  human rights defenders, doing permanent monitoring and analysis, and informing the international community and relevant authorities about the situation of human rights defenders in Mexico.

Throughout May, we continued to keep national and international authorities up-to-date on important information regarding human rights defenders in Mexico through remote meetings, including specific petitions for action on their behalf. We also circulated two briefings for international authorities. One of these described the impact of U.S. and Mexican immigration policies, including the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program, on migrants and migrant rights defenders in the context of COVID-19, serving as follow-up to the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights’ visit to the U.S.-Mexico border zone earlier in the year.

The other briefing, a joint publication written with Tlachinollan Human Rights Center and supported by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) in Mexico, presented urgent concerns regarding enforced disappearances, human rights and the impact of COVID-19 in Guerrero for the diplomatic corps.

We also participated in meetings with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and exchanged information with Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission.

At the international level, we had the pleasure of speaking with the new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs), Mary Lawlor, about her priorities and objectives for her new mandate. In a conversation with Peace Brigades International, the Rapporteur shared that she wants to ensure that she hears from vulnerable HRDs who haven't had international connections and attention so far. She also reiterated her invitation to organizations and HRDs to reach out to her office to get in touch.

PBI is delighted to welcome Mary Lawlor into her new position as UN Special Rapporteur for HRDs and excited to collaborate with her to ensure she can fulfil her mandate; increasing the security for HRDs across the world, drawing attention to their specific needs and challenges and addressing State shortcomings in terms of their protection.