Vol. 517 No. 3
101 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has raised the reported death threats to supporters of human rights groups in Mexico city with the Mexican ambassador to Ireland; the assurances, if any, he has received in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9816/00]
It is widely acknowledged – not least by the Mexican Government itself – that there are serious systemic human rights deficiencies in Mexico. At the recent meeting with the EU Troika in Portugal, the Mexican Foreign Minister reiterated her Government's commitment to the cause of human rights and to maintaining a frank and open dialogue with Mexico's international partners on this vital subject. The Mexican government shares the EU view that there is a long way to go before full respect for human rights can be ensured.
In 1990, the Mexican government established a National Commission for Human Rights. This achieved considerable progress, but a further major step was taken in September 1999 when the constitution was changed to give administrative and budgetary autonomy to the National Human Rights Commissioner and his Commission. The commissioner is now independent of the government and is appointed by and reports to the Congress. The new, more independent commissioner has set himself the challenging task of seeking to educate all elements of society, including the police and courts, in the basic importance of human rights, so as to create a culture of respect for those rights.
These internal developments have been matched by positive initiatives internationally, including the successful visit to Mexico last November of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs. Mary Robinson, at the invitation of the Mexican government, increasing co-operation with EU countries in terms of practical human rights projects, recognition of the jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Justice, and the admission of Mexico to observer status at the Council of Europe under the auspices of the Irish Presidency where Mexico will have the benefit of that organisation's unparalleled experience in defending and promoting human rights.
It is against this background of enhanced awareness in Mexican official circles of the fundamental importance of human rights, and of the increasingly open and frank dialogue on this key subject which Mexico is willing to maintain with its international friends and partners, that embassies of the European Union in Mexico City were able to hold a meeting late last year with the Mexican authorities in which they discussed their concern about threats made against officials of the Mexican human rights organisation, Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Augustúín Pro Juárez (PRODH), a concern fully shared in the Mexican Foreign Ministry. In addition to the threats made, one PRODH official, Ms Digna Ochoa, had been attacked on two occasions, as a result of which arrangements for official security protection were agreed between the Mexican authorities and PRODH.
Much work will require to be done over time to translate the Mexican Government's human rights commitments into a new reality throughout the country. The European Union intends to maintain a continuing dialogue with the Mexican authorities to help achieve this objective.
