Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Mexico for its Pioneering Role in the Creation of the Convention, and Ask about the Situation of Indigenous People
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its consideration of the combined second and third reports of Mexico on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Experts commended Mexico for having been one of the pioneering countries in the creation of the Convention, and asked questions about the situation of indigenous people with disabilities, particularly women and girls.
A Committee Expert emphasised the crucial role Mexico had played in the genesis of the Convention, adding that it was not hyperbole to say that without Mexico, the Convention might not exist today. What public education campaigns or other measures had been designed to make the public aware of the needs of indigenous persons and women with disabilities in Mexico? Could the delegation provide information about the measures taken to address intersectional discrimination faced by indigenous women with disabilities, and women and girls with disabilities in rural areas? What measures were being put in place to ensure that all persons with disabilities, and indigenous persons with disabilities, were included in the general education system?
The delegation explained that in 2019, Mexico had implemented a national inclusive education strategy which consisted of a set of guidelines which ensured responsibility was shared throughout the Government. Technical training had been rolled out to ensure that inclusive education was implemented. Links and networks existed across school authorities to ensure inclusive education was rolled out to each area. In 2021, high levels of enrolment of indigenous children with disabilities had been reached. A guide for discrimination-free elections had been produced, which promoted inclusion throughout all stages of the electoral process. In local and Federal elections in 2021, over 2,000 persons with disabilities had participated as polling officers. Mexico had been working to ensure that group was represented at the political and electoral level, and had sought to ensure that the electoral rights of persons with disabilities were respected, with a cross-cutting gender perspective. An electoral court provided services to indigenous women with disabilities, if they required assistance.
Ariadna Montiel Reyes, Secretary of Welfare of Mexico and head of the delegation, said Mexico had an unwavering commitment to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Legislative, administrative, and financial measures had been adopted to materialise their rights under the Convention.
Rosario Piedra Ibarra, President of the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico, said women, children and the indigenous population with disabilities continued to be the most vulnerable groups, who most often saw their rights violated. Discrimination against persons with disabilities continued to be a structural problem in Mexico.
In closing remarks, Martha Delgado Peralta, Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico and head of the delegation, said Mexico would work tirelessly to maintain the social well-being of its people, with the belief that they were working toward the well-being of all. Mexico would closely follow the recommendations by the Committee and was committed to bettering the living conditions and the future of persons living with disabilities in Mexico.
Floyd Morris, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur for Mexico thanked the delegation for the rich and frank discussion over the past three days. While there was an acceptance of the human rights model of disability by the State party, there was a conflict between the new paradigm and antiquated notions of disability in the broader Mexican society. More needed be done to educate persons with disabilities in an inclusive education system and bring them into the labour market.
Miyeon Kim, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of Mexico for the constructive dialogue with the Committee and hoped it would assist the State party in further implementing the Convention.
The delegation of Mexico consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Economy; the Civil Service Secretariat; the Ministry of Public Education; the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare; the Ministry of Health; the Council of the Federal Judiciary; the Electoral Tribunal of the Judiciary of the Federation; the Federal Public Defender’s Institute; the National Electoral Institute; the National Institute of Statistics and Geography;
the National Property Administration and Appraisals Institute; the Executive Commission for Attention to Victims; the Council for the Prevention of Discrimination; the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid; the National Population Council; the National Housing Commission; the National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents; the National System for the Integral Development of Families; the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic; the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation; the Mexican Social Security Institute; the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy; the National Migration Institute; the National Women’s Institute; the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data; and the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Information relating to the Committee’s session, including reports submitted by States parties, are available here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings will be available via the following link: http://webtv.un.org/meetings-events/.
The Committee is next scheduled to meet in public at 3 p.m. on Friday, 25 March, to close its twenty-sixth session.
Presentation of the Report
ARIADNA MONTIEL REYES, Secretary of Welfare of Mexico and head of the delegation, said Mexico had an unwavering commitment to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Over 6 million people in Mexico lived with a disability, many in a vulnerable situation or in poverty. Legislative, administrative and financial measures had been adopted to materialise their rights under the Convention. The Constitution had been reformed in 2020, allowing Mexico to provide economic support to persons with disabilities. A pension had been introduced for persons with disabilities. Many strategies and public policies had been implemented to combat discrimination against persons with disabilities. In November 2021, Mexico had made a proposal to the Security Council, the “World Plan for Wellbeing.” If its resource goal was met, that fund could have a yearly financial pool which could be distributed to persons with disabilities. The most perfect system of government was the one that produced the greatest amount of wealth, the greatest amount of social of social security and the greatest amount of political security.
ROSARIO PIEDRA IBARRA, President of the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico, said that the country’s independent monitoring mechanism was made up of 32 public human rights organizations, committed to implementing actions to promote, protect and monitor the human rights of persons with disabilities. To date, two joint reports had been issued, outlining the activities carried out by the institutions that comprised the mechanism. The National Human Rights Commission had prepared several special reports, focusing on the issues of children’s right to education and on adolescents with disabilities.
Although Mexico had made progress in implementing some recommendations made by the Committee after the presentation of Mexico’s initial report in 2014, there was minimal progress in addressing others. Women, children and the indigenous population with disabilities continued to be the most vulnerable groups, who most often saw their rights violated. Discrimination against persons with disabilities continued to be a structural problem in Mexico. There was a lack of statistical, systematised, and public information regarding surveys and administrative records on people with disabilities. That made it difficult to objectively measure the progress made in the human rights sector of that population. The present dialogue with the Committee was a fitting forum for Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission to reaffirm its commitment to the rights of persons with disabilities, and to promote the full exercise of their human rights on an equal basis with other persons.
Questions by Committee Experts
MARKUS SCHEFER, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur for Mexico, warmly welcomed the delegation of Mexico and emphasised the crucial role Mexico had played in the genesis of the Convention. It was not hyperbole to say that without Mexico, the Convention might not exist today. Mexico was among the very first countries to sign the Convention in March 2007, and to have it enter into force on December 17 of the same year. The structure of Mexico as a federal state could be difficult to understand accurately. However, the Convention was clear that the Federal-level, State-level and municipal governments were all under an obligation to adhere to the provisions of the Convention and to put them into effect. Starting in 2014, a great number of plans and programmes had been designed to give effect to the Convention in Mexico. However, the reports of civil society informed the Committee that there was no institutionalised process guaranteeing close consultation and active involvement of persons with disabilities. The Committee was confronted with the dire plight of women and girls with disabilities in Mexico at home, in their families, away at institutions, in the justice system, in exercising their sexual autonomy, or in medical treatment. There were reports of deaths in institutions that remained unexplained. These were serious allegations, which required answers. The Committee looked forward to a wide-ranging and honest discussion over the coming days.
A Committee Expert commended Mexico for having been one of the pioneering countries in the creation of the Convention. Was there a coordinated national public education campaign on the rights of persons with disabilities? What public education campaigns or other measures had been designed to make the public aware of the needs of indigenous persons and women with disabilities in Mexico?
Could the delegation provide information about the specific situation of women with disabilities, especially when it came to gender-based violence? How could women and girls with disabilities live independently in the community? Could information be provided about the mechanisms and monitoring processes in place to assess the impact of a national strategy to prevent violence against women and girls, including those with disabilities? Could the delegation provide information about the measures taken to address intersectional discrimination faced by indigenous women with disabilities, and women and girls with disabilities in rural areas?
Which actions had Mexico taken to implement its commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? How had persons with disabilities been included in those actions? Information had been received from civil society that the institutionalisation of children and adolescents with disabilities was prevalent, particularly for those from rural areas, indigenous communities and migrant camps.
A Committee Expert asked for information about policies for consulting with organizations of persons with disabilities concerning the design and implementation of laws and policies affecting them. Mexico had a National Council for the Advancement and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities as well as a Consultative Assembly. How did persons with disabilities and their representative organizations participate in both the Council and the Consultative Assembly? Mexico still portrayed people with disabilities as dependent on charity and not as rights-holders. Were there any plans to change that negative stereotyping? Many migrants with disabilities were attempting to cross Mexico into the United States of America. What was Mexico doing to raise its public officials’ awareness about the rights of migrants with disabilities? Were people with disabilities involved in delivering training on the Convention in Mexico, and if not, were there any plans to involve them in the future?
A Committee Expert noted that material provided by civil society contained credible indications that deaths of persons with disabilities in institutions, particularly women and children with disabilities, went unaccounted for. What mechanisms were in place providing effective oversight of all institutions?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that in Mexico, views on social development had changed, and persons with disabilities had become one of the top priorities on the Government’s agenda. Responding to questions on accessibility, the delegation said Mexico had developed measures to ensure persons with disabilities access to Federal, historic buildings. Mexico recognised the inequality gap in access to education which existed for persons with disabilities, and specific actions were carried out to overturn that. A reform was underway toward a nation-wide inclusive education strategy. The government had collaborated with civil society in the design of that plan. Mexico had several budgetary programmes which had evolved with the general purpose of including persons with disabilities in the educational system, and which addressed the need to guarantee inclusive intercultural education.
Gender inequality continued to be a great challenge. Mexico had closely listened to the voices of women in vulnerable situations to build a programme including women with disabilities. Six priorities had been identified through those discussions, relating to economic autonomy, the reduction of the burden of care, the reduction of violence, and society’s health and well-being. A specialised Committee with a gender perspective provided input for the improvement of public policies. Mexico had made efforts in promoting the collection of statistical information to assess levels of violence, particularly against women with disabilities. A national survey had been carried out to assess household relationships and women’s experiences with various types of violence. It was estimated that over 65 per cent of women had suffered at least one act of emotional, economic, physical, or sexual violence, or discrimination. There was enough information to assess public policies on persons with disabilities with the aim of improving their standards of living. Two censuses were carried our yearly, with the information gathered used in the design, implementation and monitoring of public policy. The data was available and accessible to everyone.
Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice recognised the phenomenon of multiple discrimination. A care and comprehensive development plan focused on the inclusion of children with disabilities in child-care sectors, and the importance of early detection of disabilities. 600 educational staff members in care centres were being trained, and there were specialised doctors at the centres. Mexico had promoted the learning and teaching of Mexican Sign Language. In its national development plan, Mexico had determined that all agencies and public bodies must consider vulnerable people. Several working roundtables on the human rights of boys, girls and adolescents with disabilities had been held, with over 300 participants. A forum had been held in Mexico City which included the participation of boys, girls and adolescents with disabilities. Many proposals on disabilities had been received, and they were considered when drafting the national programme. Mexico had also held a virtual information forum on disabilities for boys, girls and adolescents, to provide information on the various types of disabilities and to help those grounds think about the importance of their rights and the social inclusion they deserved.
Mexico had implemented actions through its National Institute for Migration to provide specialised care on a case-by-case basis and training to federal migrant agents on the rights of persons with disabilities. Mexico would identify and provide proper care to migrants in vulnerable situations, including those with disabilities. Guidelines on the protection of migrants had been published in 2012, with a special chapter on migrants with disabilities. Templates with specific questions had been developed, aiming to identify persons in particularly vulnerable groups. The Federal Institute of the Ombudsman had 40 advisors specialised in providing care to people on the move. If a migrant with a disability was identified, such services would be provided, in coordination with the specialised advisors. That was done so that migrants or refugees with disabilities could enjoy their rights equally with others.
Great strides had been made in ensuring oversight mechanisms’ permanent access to migration centres, with advisors and litigants who represented the rights of those people having received special training from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The effort was being coordinated with lawyers who represented the rights of persons with disabilities.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked what steps had been taken to reverse and repeal laws which limited the legal capacities of people with disabilities? How could people challenge the actions of their guardians if they did not agree with them? What was Mexico’s stance toward removing substituted decision-making and introducing a system for supported decision-making?
A Committee Expert asked about emergency plans by Federal, State and municipal authorities with respect to persons with disabilities and the assistance they required. Which measures had been taken to incorporate the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the implementation of the disaster risk-management strategy? Could the delegation provide the number of migrant persons with disabilities in transit, and refugees with disabilities, including children with disabilities, disaggregated by age, sex and disability type?
A Committee Expert asked about women and girls with disabilities’ opportunities to report exploitation, violence and abuse. What measures were in place to ensure that information on legal remedies was accessible and available to women and girls with disabilities who were victims of gender-based violence? What steps had been taken to harmonise the general law on health with the Convention, and to prevent involuntary confinement, forced sterilisation and other issues affecting women and girls with disabilities? What measures had been put in place to ensure that asylum-seekers with disabilities were afforded all fundamental legal safeguards at all times, including in detention? How could persons with disabilities living in institutions access justice? How did Mexico support people with disabilities who were victims of family violence and were facing obstacles to reporting crimes and accessing protective measures?
A Committee Expert asked about measures taken to end the practice of automatically detaining migrants and asylum-seekers with disabilities. What initiatives existed to tackle human trafficking exploitation, violence and abuse of asylum seekers and internally displaced persons with disabilities?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that in December, a national consultation on inclusion would be held with civil society and citizens. Civil society had undertaken significant work when it came to persons with disabilities, and the State respected that. In response to questions about laws restricting the legal capacity of persons with disabilities, the delegation explained that the Supreme Court had recognised the right of persons with disabilities to receive support to exercise their legal capacity. Judicial authorities needed to make the necessary adaptations, to ensure court hearings were accessible, including through the use of a Braille machine and written material being converted into audio material. Physical adaptations had also been made to courtrooms to ensure they were fully accessible to persons with disabilities. Workshops aimed at public officials trained judges in international standards, with the aim of fully guaranteeing access to justice for persons with disabilities. A Constitutional reform of the judiciary—the most significant one in 20 years—ensured better justice for the people. It had been particularly targeted to help those in vulnerable situations, including persons with disabilities.
The Ombudsman’s Office had 34 specialised advisors dealing with the issues of persons with disabilities. Legal action had been carried out to ensure that prison authorities respected the rights of persons with disabilities. With the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mexico was working to implement a programme giving priority to certain groups, including those with disabilities. People who fit a defined profile would get a positive response within 15 working days after the initiation of proceedings. A comprehensive programme to prevent violence against women was rolling out specific actions to provide access to justice across the country. Centres had been created to receive women who were victims of violence, with an assessment carried out before the women arrived. If they were determined have a disability, extra assistance would be provided. Mexico had allocated a budget to implement public policies in favour of women, children and adolescents, which looked at violence prevention and ensured gender equality.
Specific protocols were in place which considered inclusion measures for persons with disabilities when it came to disaster situations. Care and action protocols for persons with disabilities had been drawn up in civilian protection programmes. The principle of not leaving anyone behind was important and encompassed in the national development plan. Federal entities had mechanisms to address the needs of persons with disabilities prior to, during, and after an emergency. Inclusive early warning systems were in place, including visual and audio warnings to protect the population in the case of natural disaster. Given the frequency of earthquakes in Mexico, general guidelines with a non-discrimination perspective had been drafted. Basic recommendations had also been outlined for interacting with persons with disabilities in the case of earthquakes. A working group had been established to strengthen the resilience of persons with disabilities in the face of natural disasters.
Mexico had taken steps to harmonise its general health law with the Convention. The general law on healthcare contained a chapter on mental health, which highlighted care for mental illness and included provision for social reintegration, in strict respect of human rights, in line with the Convention. The law highlighted the right to informed consent when it came to treatment. During the past two years, meetings had been held with the active participation of civil society organizations to fully reform the law’s chapter on mental health, based on informed consent. A programme training young persons with disabilities for work had benefited over 10,000 people, some of whom had multiple disabilities.
Follow-up Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said the Committee had been alerted about the widespread use of ‘shackling,’ whereby people with psychosocial disabilities in Mexico could be chained in homes or institutions, for years at a time. Many were held in sheds and animal shelters and were forced to eat, sleep and defecate in the same tiny area. Were such practices legal under Mexican law? If they were not legal, were any efforts made to end such practices urgently? How would Mexico address inhumane treatment in institutions for persons with disabilities?
A Committee Expert asked whether there was a translation system for indigenous women when they experienced violence? Could disaggregated data on violence against persons with disabilities be provided?
A Committee Expert asked how persons with disabilities were receiving benefits. How did people with a disability have access to COVID-19 treatments? Were those people prioritised for vaccination?
Follow-up Responses by the Delegation
Mexico recognised gaps in education, and a programme had been introduced in schools aiming to strengthen special education services. The Supreme Court had established standards for the protection of women with disabilities against violence.
Persons with disabilities received the COVID-19 vaccine at home, and vaccination centres gave preferential access to persons with disabilities. A guide had been developed in the context of persons with disabilities and COVID-19. Support videos had also been created for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities who were affected by COVID-19. Mexico was open to working with civil society organizations.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert noted that school attendance rates for persons with disabilities dropped significantly after age 14. What measures were being put in place to ensure that all persons with disabilities, and indigenous persons with disabilities, were included in the general education system? What strategies were being implemented to ensure there was a genuinely inclusive education system, in line with the Convention? What was being done to deal with the chronic unemployment of persons with disabilities? What was being done to incentivise the private sector to employ more persons with disabilities? What measures were in place to have more people with disabilities participate in politics, and be included in the Parliament? What support mechanisms were in place for persons with disabilities who were elected to public office in Mexico?
A Committee Expert asked which measures were in place to ensure the accessibility of information about family planning services and sexual and reproductive health programmes to persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls?
What measures had been taken in higher education for students with visual and auditory disabilities?
A Committee Expert noted that there was no effective independent monitoring of the Convention at the Federal, State and municipal level. Could the delegation clarify what the situation was in relation to monitoring? What were the prospects of the National Council for the Advancement and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities as well as a Consultative Assembly? Was the under-funding of that entity a result of austerity?
A Committee Expert asked if there was any data collection on persons with disabilities who were victims of family violence?
A Committee Expert asked whether Mexico had harmonised national legislation on education in line with the Convention to ensure children with disabilities could be enrolled in school from day 1? Was there data on the number of electoral candidates with disabilities?
Responses by the Delegation
Mexico considered education a priority for transforming society, and had taken measures to establish its compulsory nature from primary to higher level. Education should be universal, public, free, secular, and inclusive. In 2019, Mexico had implemented a national inclusive education strategy which consisted of a set of guidelines which ensured responsibility was shared throughout the Government. Technical training had been rolled out to ensure that inclusive education was implemented. Links and networks existed across school authorities to ensure inclusive education was rolled out to each area. In 2021, high levels of enrolment of indigenous children with disabilities had been reached. Mexico had had sought to ensure that children with disabilities in rural areas were also reached by education programmes. Teaching tools had been adapted in line with the needs of students with disabilities. In 2021, Braille and large-print textbooks had been printed for the primary and secondary level. Specific budget lines were in place to equip schools, and grants were issued to the three types of public schools in the country.
The Mexican Government had begun a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in a staggered fashion for priority groups. Special sections on vaccination were available on the Web site for persons with disabilities. Sexual and reproductive rights were a prerogative of all people. Programmes had been created aimed at providing sex education for persons with disabilities, including a gender equality program. The right to have access to contraception was guaranteed. Mexico’s
Supreme Court had declared as unconstitutional an article which prohibited persons with disabilities from marrying, saying that persons with disabilities’ rights included the right to form a family. When it came to inhumane treatment in institutions, that was clearly an illegal practice, compelling the State party to investigate and punish such cases. An investigation had been carried out into four institutions to document, investigate and punish such behaviour. The public defender’s office had broadened its capacity, offering communication in dozens of languages as well as lawyers who communicated in Mexican Sign Language.
A proposal to reform labour laws aimed to guarantee that 5 per cent of those hired were persons with disabilities. The sexual and reproductive rights of adolescents with disabilities had been strengthened and included in training programmes and online courses. Provisions had been made to ensure persons with disabilities could exercise their electoral rights, including the use of Braille and accommodation for guide dogs if necessary. A guide for discrimination-free elections had been produced, which promoted inclusion throughout all stages of the electoral process. In local and Federal elections in 2021, over 2,000 persons with disabilities had participated as polling officers. Mexico had been working to ensure that group was represented at the political and electoral level, and had sought to ensure that the electoral rights of persons with disabilities were respected, with a cross-cutting gender perspective. An electoral court provided services to indigenous women with disabilities, if they required assistance.
Mexico’s actions for persons with disabilities including efforts to draw up a legally binding instrument to promote their rights. Mexico was working to promote a policy of comprehensive care for persons of disabilities, which provided ongoing support to families to allow them to work with their dependents with disabilities. Mexico invested a significant sum in direct cash transfers without any middlemen or corruption to persons with disabilities.
Mexico's public human rights bodies had initiated a dialogue process to define the structure and manner of promoting, protecting and monitoring the implementation of the Convention. Due to the autonomy of each public body, it was necessary to establish a collaboration agreement that would allow coordinated work and guarantee independence in the delineation of promotion, protection and supervision actions. The independent National Monitoring Mechanism had contributed toward generating independent and effective monitoring, with a focus on human rights and intersectionality, for the benefit of Mexico and people with disabilities.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert noted that a job-access tool for persons with disabilities had been put in place, which provided training and helped them take part in the labour market. What was the budget of that programme annually over the last five years? Information had been received that three-quarters of people with disabilities who were employed worked in the informal sector. How were these people protected? What measures was the Government taking to strengthen collaboration with organizations of persons with disabilities?
A Committee Expert asked what measures Mexico had taken to guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments, to access Web sites?
A Committee Expert noted with approval that a right to dignified work was embedded in the Constitution and the Federal labour law. How had that law been applied to persons with disabilities, and had there been sanctions for violators of those rights?
A Committee Expert asked which provisions were in place to help persons with disabilities to form a family and be parents, particularly those with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities, and women and girls?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation explained that Mexico would be holding local elections, and that binding action had been taken to include persons with disabilities. 39 local councils had taken affirmative action so far this year for persons with disabilities. Mexico had a strategy in the educational sphere to ensure students could continue their learning throughout the pandemic. That programme was monitored and supported by the Government. Tools had been provided for remote learning, as well as psychological support. Diverse strategies promoted remote learning for students with disabilities. Different materials for remote learning, such as inclusive education guides, had been distributed to provide guidance to teachers and parents supporting students with disabilities. Work had been done to provide materials to children with hearing disabilities in pre-school and primary education.
Statistical projects covering persons with disabilities had their budget assured, as those projects were of national interest. Materials had been designed to reach the different population groups within the county. The Supreme Court had initiated a guiding plan to ensure courts would meet international standards for accessibility through care modules, access ramps and Braille information. Training was being provided to staff to develop technological accessibility solutions.
The delegation said that the pension for persons with disabilities was not a fund. Austerity measures to combat corruption had allowed Mexico to a specific budget to benefit persons with disabilities. The pension was not subject to tax and instead went directly to the beneficiary, with the aim of reducing poverty in the sector. Mexico was committed to guaranteeing the rights of persons with disabilities.
Closing Remarks
MARTHA DELGADO PERALTA, Undersecretary of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights of Mexico and head of the delegation, said Mexico had entered a transformation stage where equality for all was a priority. It was not possible to conceive a democratic future where there were groups of people excluded from those rights. Mexico’s task was to combat inequality left behind by the neo-liberal period. The pensions for persons with disabilities and the elderly were part and parcel of a set of public policies which were social in nature and sought to bridge inequalities and allow those groups to become part of society. Mexico would work tirelessly to maintain the social well-being of its people, with the belief that they were working toward the well-being of all. Mexico would closely follow the recommendations by the Committee and was committed to bettering the living conditions and the future of persons living with disabilities in Mexico.
JOAQUÍN ALVA RUÍZ CABAÑAS, General Director of Attention to Disability of the National Human Rights Commission thanked the Committee for providing an opportunity for the National Human Rights Commission to set out the work done regarding the national independent monitoring mechanism.
FLOYD MORRIS, Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur for Mexico thanked the delegation for the rich and frank discussion over the past three days. Members of the Committee had taken note that Mexico had moved to establish legislation to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, evidenced by entrenchment of rights in the Constitution and the establishment of disability-specific legislation. While the Committee noted the progress made by Mexico to implement the Convention over the past 15 years, there was concern about several issues affecting persons with disabilities. While there was an acceptance of the human rights model of disability by the State party, there was a conflict between the new paradigm and antiquated notions of disability in the broader Mexican society. More needed be done to educate persons with disabilities in an inclusive education system and bring them into the labour market. Members of the Committee were concerned about the approach to rulings in the justice system, including the 2019 ruling of the Supreme Court on legal capacity. Consistent public awareness campaigns needed to be utilised to localise the provisions of the Convention and ensure that citizens understood that persons with disabilities were subject to the same fundamental rights and freedoms as those without a disability.
MIYEON KIM, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of Mexico for the constructive dialogue with the Committee and hoped it would assist the State party in further implementing the Convention.
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