Tlapa, Guerrero 22nd of Juanuary 2021.

Relatives of victims of disappearance, human rights defenders and human rights organizations met virtually and members of the diplomatic corps. The meeting held yesterday, January 21, 2021, had the objective: to inform international actors about the human rights situation in the state of Guerrero, and in particular about the deepening of the disappearance crisis that the entity is experiencing, through the direct testimonies of their relatives and the accompanying organizations.

On August 30, the International Day of the Victims of Forced Disappearances was commemorated.

On the 24th of August, the organizations Acción Urgente para Defensores de Derechos Humanos A.C. (Urgent Action for Human rights Defenders – also known as ACCUDEH for its acronym in Spanish) , the Comité Cerezo México (Cerezo Committee Mexico) and the Campaña Nacional contra la Desaparición Forzada (National Campaign against Forced Disappearance) presented their 9th report called “Defending Human Rights in Mexico: The Impunity that does not end”.

The Escazú Agreement is a Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, being the first human rights treaty that protects and favors the rights to information, participation, justice and security of people in environmental matters, based on Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

On August 9, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples was commemorated under the theme “COVID-19 and the resilience of indigenous peoples”, recognizing the effort of indigenous communities to seek their own solutions to the pandemic through knowledge and traditional practices1.

On July 10th, the IX High Level Dialogue on Human Rights took place between the European Union and Mexico, in which PBI participated as an international NGO from the European side. This edition of the Dialogue was marked by organizational difficulties; the annual meeting did not take place in 2019 as originally planned, while the impact of the global pandemic caused other issues. Civil society attempted to take advantage of this space to demand concrete actions regarding the deterioration of human rights in Mexico during recent years.

“We oppose development that reduces our forests, that destroys our lands” (…) With the pandemic we will have to live the rest of our lives. “

Jorge Sibas, leader of the Brörán people and Costa Rican defender.

(the following is an extract of a Joint Briefing by PBI-Mexico and Tlachinollan Human Rights Centre which has been circulated with the diplomatic corps)

According to the Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Humanos)¹

PBI Mexico express deep concern about the serious events that occurred last month in the community of San Mateo del Mar, Oaxaca.