COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CONSIDERS INITIAL REPORT OF MEXICO

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its consideration of the initial report of Mexico on its implementation of the provisions of the Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Jorge Lomonaco, Permanent Representative of Mexico to United Nations Office at Geneva, presented the delegation and explained that the report had been prepared in cooperation with a number of different actors, both Governmental and non-governmental, reflecting multiple sectors and areas of life.

Presenting the report, Lia Limon Garcia, Under-Secretary for the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Mexico, said over the past several months, Mexico had undertaken a deep transformation which materialized in important structural reforms in the areas of economy, politics and social affairs. That transformation aimed to improve the living condition for the entire population of the country, taking into account the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. Some 6.6 per cent of Mexico’s population had some form of disability and most of them lived in poverty. To date, 18 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities had harmonized their legislation with Convention standards. National programmes to support persons with disabilities in many fields had been launched.

Jesus Toledano, Director-General of the Mexican National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, co-presenting the report, spoke about Mexico’s 50 year history of working in favour of persons with disabilities, and described new disability-related laws, as well as the establishment of the National Council he represented as the Government body responsible for State policy regarding disability. Strong progress had been made, not least in the formulation of the National Programme for Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities 2014 to 2018.

During the dialogue, Committee Experts asked questions about legal restrictions on persons with disabilities, and the use of pejorative terminology in various laws. The situation of indigenous peoples with disabilities was enquired about, as well as violence and abuse faced by women with disabilities. Experts also asked for more information on how inclusive education was being promoted in schools, and the institutionalization of children with disabilities. The use of sign language and braille, and accessibility into public buildings was discussed, as well as cases of femicide and forced sterilization of girls and women with disabilities. Mexico was also asked about the involuntary confinement of migrants with psychosocial disabilities. Other areas of concern identified included the high poverty and unemployment levels among persons with disabilities, and lack of representation of women with disabilities in the Parliament.

In concluding remarks, Lia Limon Garcia, Under-Secretary for the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Mexico, said the discussions with the Committee provided the delegation with useful feedback and that the delegation would include Committee’s recommendations into its future work.

Maria Soledad Reyes Cisternas, Chairperson of the Committee, in concluding remarks highlighted the role that Mexico’s foreign policies played in the establishment of the new mandate of Special Rapporteur for the rights of persons with disabilities.

The delegation of Mexico included representatives of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva, various ministries, and Director-General of the National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.

The Committee will next meet in public on Wednesday 17 September at 3 p.m. at Palais Wilson to consider the initial report of the Republic of Korea (CRPD/C/KOR/1).

Report

The initial report of Mexico (CRPD/C/MEX/1).

The Committee’s public meetings are webcast live and can be watched via the following link: http://www.treatybodywebcast.org/.

Presentation of the Report

JORGE LOMONACO, Permanent Representative of Mexico to United Nations Office at Geneva, said that Mexico prepared the initial report in cooperation with a number of different actors, both Governmental and non-governmental, reflecting multiple sectors and areas of life. Mexico was firmly committed to implementing the Convention, and the Government was looking forward to the comments of the Committee members in order to improve the implementation process of the Convention in Mexico.

LIA LIMON GARCIA, Under-Secretary for the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Mexico, said that much had been done to ensure the implementation of the Convention, and that Mexico had been working on the Convention since its origin. Over the past several months, Mexico had undertaken a deep transformation which materialized in important structural reforms in the areas of economy, politics and social affairs. That transformation aimed to improve the living condition for the entire population of the country, taking into account the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. Some 6.6 per cent of Mexico’s population had some form of disability, out of which 51 per cent of were elderly people, 34 per cent between the age of 30 and 59, seven per cent were aged between 15 and 29, and seven per cent were children. Most of them lived in poverty.

The constitutional reform of June 2011 incorporated all international human rights instruments in the constitution. Ms. Garcia said that the final result of that process was to create an inclusive society of rights in Mexico, adding that the Government considered the rights of persons of disabilities to be an essential part of human rights. She said that Mexico now had a strong legal framework both at federal and local (state) level to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, in line with Convention provisions. In addition, the recent telecommunications act provided guarantees of accessibility for persons with disabilities, such as adequate Internet portals and sign language in telecommunication services.

Of 32 federal entities in Mexico, 18 had harmonized their legislation with Convention standards. In April 2014, the Government introduced a National Programme for Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, which aimed to introduce institutional coordination and cross-sectoral implementation of the Convention. Furthermore, the Government introduced training and initiatives to raise awareness among public servants on disability issues.

Ms. Garcia said that multiple discrimination remained a challenge. In that respect, the Government had been making efforts to create strategies that would ensure the participation of various social stakeholders in disability-related discussions. This year the President promoted the National Programme of Labour and Employment for Persons with Disabilities, in order to provide inclusive labour opportunities. In addition, the National Programme for the Equality of Opportunity and Non-Discrimination against Women 2013-2018 established different lines of action regarding disability, while the Supreme Court has been elaborating a protocol for the cases involving persons with disabilities. On 5 March 2014 the National Code of Criminal Proceedings was published with mechanisms that guaranteed the access to justice for persons with disabilities. Ms. Garcia concluded by saying that Mexico has abandoned the approach of medical assistance for persons with disabilities in favour of adopting a human rights-based approach which fully recognized dignity of persons with disabilities.

JESUS TOLEDANO, Director-General of the Mexican National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, said that Mexico had provided a strong contribution to the development of the Convention. The country had worked in favour of persons with disabilities for more than fifty years. Starting in the 1980’s with the incorporation into the National Development Plan 1983-1988 of actions for the development of persons with disabilities, Mexico went on to launch the Programme of Rehabilitation and the National Programme for the Care of Persons with Disabilities.
During the 1990’s the National Development Programme for Development 1995 to 2000 incorporated proposals from the National Civic Council of Persons with Disabilities, which comprised more than 600 social organizations. During that time the first National Programme for the Wellbeing and Development of Persons with Disabilities was created in order to develop cross-sectoral public policies.

Disability-related laws were introduced in 32 federal entities in Mexico in the period between 1991 and 2000. In 2005 the first General Law for Persons with Disabilities was introduced, and Mexico ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. The current decade saw the introduction of a new General Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, guaranteeing rights in the areas of health, labour, education, accessibility, public transport, communications, social development, data collection, sports, recreation, culture, tourism, freedom of expression, access to information and access to justice. In addition, the National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS) was established as the Government body responsible for State policy regarding disability.

In 2010 7.7 million people in Mexico had a disability. Out of that number, 5.7 million lacked social insurance, 3.8 million lagged behind in education, 1.3 million lacked access to health services, 0.8 million lacked decent living space, 1.7 million did not have the basic living means and 2.2 million lacked access to food.

Within the framework of the State’s human rights policy, the President pushed for important decisions to define a clear path for state policy regarding persons with disabilities. In 2013 the elaboration of the National Plan for Development 2013 to 2018 included participation of more than 600 social organizations. More than 1,000 proposals were made on all the rights of the Convention and different other themes. The National Plan set out four national targets, and seven lines of action concerning disability. In the same year CONADIS gathered entities and offices of the Federal Government, governments of 32 federal states and civil society organizations to elaborate the National Programme for Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities 2014 to 2018. On 28 April 2013, the National Programme for Labour and Employment of Persons with Disabilities was launched, aiming to provide persons with disabilities with decent work and training services. Important progress had also been made within the framework of fighting poverty, with the incorporation by the State Secretary of Social Development of a disability perspective into all social programmes, which allowed for the support of 391,380 households with persons with disabilities.

Questions by the Experts

ANA PELAEZ NARVAEZ, Committee Member acting as Country Rapporteur for the report of Mexico, commended Mexico’s commitment to the promotion of human rights, as well as the fact that it had consulted more than 170 non-governmental organizations in the preparation of its report. Since Mexico’s ratification of the Convention in 2007, the Government had set up many projects and measures to facilitate its implementation. However, in some cases the implementation had been slow and there had been limited resources to that end. Ms. Narvaez also said that on some occasions there were inconsistencies between federal and state plans for the implementation of the Convention.

Ms. Narvaez regretted that the insufficient information given about specific actions and the lack of information on the real impact of policies and laws, such as reliable figures in girls with psychosocial disabilities, indigenous persons with disabilities, migrants with disabilities, and the prevalence of forced treatment which was a serious violation of human rights.

Ms. Narvaez highlighted legal restrictions that prevented persons with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities, to write a will, vote or be an organ donor. Instead, a guardian takes such decisions for them, which was a violation of the Convention. Ms. Narvaez also drew attention to issues including poor prison conditions, low sanitary standards in centres for persons with psychosocial disabilities, challenges faced by children with disabilities, the application of forced treatment and sterilization, as well as negative effects that the restriction of freedom of movement had on migrants with disabilities.

A new law for the protection of boys and girls with disabilities was being fast tracked and the legislation would soon be adopted, noted Ms. Narvaez. However, she expressed concern about the participation of boys and girls with disabilities in the drafting of that legislative proposal. She asked whether the full legislative proposal could be put online. She also requested information regarding forced sterilization, and the number of women with disabilities who were killed or were victims of enforced disappearances.

Other Committee Experts took the floor, raising questions including the use of pejorative terminology in various laws, including the Civil Code; such language should be banned, an Expert said. There appeared to be a lack of coordination among institutions responsible for the implementation of disability policies. An Expert asked when the Government would make additional changes in welfare services which were not helpful to persons with disabilities. Another Expert enquired about multiple discrimination, such as ongoing discrimination against indigenous persons with disabilities, and indigenous women with disabilities. The Committee also asked the delegation of Mexico to what extent persons with disabilities could genuinely participate in policy and legislative changes.

An Expert asked for specific information on indigenous persons with disabilities, as well as a breakdown according to gender and age. Further questions concerned reasonable accommodation, cases of denial of reasonable accommodation, relevant sanctions, as well as possible training of judiciary on the standards for reasonable accommodation. Experts asked for additional information on concrete actions of the Government to uniformly implement Convention standards across the country.

How did Mexican law tackle the issue of multiple discrimination? There were a very high number of institutionalized children with disabilities, who endured bad conditions in the institutions, which 14 years ago led to a massive public campaign against the abuse of institutionalized persons with disabilities.

Specifically, what forms of assistance were available to children with disabilities and their families, as well as to the high number of children with disabilities in institutional care due to lack of alternatives. Experts asked the delegation to provide relevant data, and to elaborate on the quality of care provided to children with disabilities in such institutions.

Accessibility was raised, for example access to libraries and Internet, and the limited scope of the building code in Mexico, which only covered public buildings, but not tourist sites. The delegation was asked to elaborate on the measures that were being taken to overcome these problems. They also raised concerns about the lack of accessibility to independent living, political participation and education.

How were the Convention standards and guarantees implemented in national and federal legislation? And how could persons with disabilities could rely on those provisions locally, and how could all levels of Government in Mexico supported the participation of persons of disabilities in their society.

Mexico’s constitutional reform which incorporated all human rights instruments, and the impact it has had on recently enacted Telecommunication Act, as well as accessibility standards under the Convention, was enquired about. There were enormous variations in providing services to persons with disabilities due to Mexico’s federal system of government, said Experts, calling for a standardization of services across the country.

The delegation was also asked about Government strategies to sharpen public awareness in Mexico about the Convention, accessibility of HIV and AIDS services to persons with disabilities, in particular women and girls, and the impact of current disability legislation on indigenous populations.

Responses by the Delegation

The Convention was applicable both at federal and state levels, said a delegate, adding that there were improvements in the harmonization of sectoral laws, such as education and health, to cover the needs of persons with disabilities. However, the harmonization process was still under way. The National Council for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (CONADIS) organized training for public servants on the rights and legislation on persons with disabilities, as well as awareness-raising training. The training would lead to greater attention and respect for persons with disabilities. In the past 12 months Mexico had trained more than 5,000 public servants in different areas of human rights.

The Tourism Ministry had conducted a programme to allow persons with disabilities to travel and enjoy leisure activities, and for the first time it adopted specific lines of actions on human rights. The cross-cutting nature of care for persons with disabilities and their inclusion had for the first time become part of numerous ministry programmes, such as accessible tourism and cultural events. The Government provided considerable funding for such initiatives.

The draft legislation to protect children with disabilities was at the discussion stage, and that the President would use his power of discretion to legislate in that field. Consultations had been held with various United Nations agencies to implement that legislation.

Speaking about representation of persons with disabilities in the Government, a member of the delegation who had a disability said that persons with disabilities had opportunities to participate in decision making and had managed to push for relevant legislation, but that more work remained to be done.

About 97 per cent of the content of the National Programme for the Development and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities 2014-2018 remained to be developed in the coming months. Until 2012, indigenous persons with disabilities had not been taken into account, but were now part of the programme. The Government wanted to establish a strengthened measurement mechanism for persons with disabilities and the problems that they face. Regarding indicators, objective goals and the budget, each programme would be supervised and monitored to ensure that all obligations under the Convention were met. As for the resources, the budget had increased 180 per cent in the period between 2002 and 2013. The challenge was to ensure that there were funds available for everything that the programme required. The Government wanted experts and civil society representatives to participate in all legal processes concerning persons with disabilities through working groups, in order to ensure diversity of opinion.

The reform of the telecommunications system opened door for the use of sign languages, and so that all disabilities could be covered by the media. Internet and webpages needed to be updated and made accessible. Various programmes of different ministries looked at how these standards would be implemented across sectors and populations, such as indigenous peoples, for example.

The Government had changed the pejorative terminology present in some local constitutions pertaining to disability. However, 27 codes still used pejorative language, reflecting social culture and attitudes. Such trends required change. Inter-sectoral discrimination was dealt with through various non-discrimination programmes. Statistics on inter-sectoral discrimination were analyzed in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, access to labour and criminal justice for persons with disabilities. As for reasonable accommodation and discrimination, the delegation said that a large number of cases had been dealt with. A measure was recently implemented that all federal web pages would be made accessible. Federal officials were taking courses to effect those changes. As for strategies for a change of public attitudes, work had been done against discrimination on the basis of disability through television programmes and material distributed in public institutions’ areas.

The delegation acknowledged that it was important to provide high-quality care services for children with disabilities. To that effect, staff working in some 3,000 institutions taking care of children with disabilities continued to receive the necessary training. Infrastructure was set up to bring services closer to children with disabilities in remote areas. Thanks to civil society, HIV and AIDS services were also provided to persons with disabilities.

Regarding physical barriers for children with disabilities, the delegation said that the Government was working to improve infrastructure in schools and other educational institutions, as well as information and communication accessibility. Some 25,026 schools needed urgent attention in terms of sanitary conditions, physical accessibility, and general operational systems. The Government has worked to provide all children with disabilities up to the fifth grade with the necessary school equipment and tools. The reform of curriculum for basic education in 2011 included in its provisions guarantees for the needs of children with disabilities. Inclusive education also provided guarantees for the needs of indigenous children with disabilities, and multilingual education materials were made available to children, including in sign language and Braille.

Questions by Experts

Experts enquired about the automatic removal of the legal capacity of persons with intellectual disabilities under civil law, and whether guardianship would be substituted.

Other questions referred to the access of disaster management and risk reduction information for persons with disabilities. The delegation was asked to elaborate on any comprehensive plans or mechanisms for disaster risk reduction, and how they would take into account disability.

An Expert raised the question of a case of the sterilization of girls with disabilities in Mexico in spite of the lack of legal authorization. She asked how the Government would deal with that case.

Were there effective mechanisms for consultative framework with persons with disabilities, in particular for persons with psychosocial disabilities? An Expert noted that there seemed to be a discrepancy between Government reports and the situation on the ground.

Other questions concerned concrete initiatives and policies that had been taken for deinstitutionalization and that would allow persons with disabilities to decide where and with whom they wanted to live. Experts also wanted to know how the Government would incorporate disability issues into its Millennium Development Goal strategies.

Responses by the Delegation

Responding to experts’ questions regarding the problems of migrants with disabilities in Mexico, a delegate explained that the Migration Act adopted in 2011 included provisions for the protection of migrants with disabilities, including the provision of medical, psychological, legal and interpretation services. On 30 April 2014 a Special Migration Programme with provisions for persons with disabilities was introduced for the first time, such as, for example, assisted repatriation through the initiative called Leonidas, which was introduced in August 2014.

Speaking about the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities in penitentiaries, a delegate explained that the Constitution was modified in 2011 and the Government was restructuring the entire penitentiary system to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities were respected in both federal and local prisons. Some 6.8 per cent of the entire population in the penitentiary system in Mexico were persons with disabilities. The Government was also setting up measures to secure areas for persons with disabilities in penitentiaries, removing physical barriers, and introducing areas for sports and leisure, and visits by family.

Concerning violence against women with disabilities, and even cases of incest, a delegate said that the Supreme Court of Justice had designed protocols of actions with disability perspective. For example, an instrument guaranteed that judges should bear in mind the disability perspective when carrying out their work. In August 2014 a second edition of protocols were published and were widely distributed to local and federal authorities, judiciary, academia and civil society organizations so that relevant stakeholders could become more aware of the particular conditions of persons with disabilities in criminal proceedings and conflict resolution. A particular protocol focused on the gender perspective in trials, and provided for more effective protection for women and girls, particularly those cases whom experienced violence and discrimination.

The Government shared the Committee’s concern about the equality of persons with disabilities under law, and was committed to harmonizing current legislation in line with Convention standards, particularly those relating to the question of legal capacity and guardianship of persons with disabilities. A delegate explained that the Government was aware that not all the legislation was not in compliance with Convention standards, and that certain rights of persons with disabilities, such as to act as witness, be an organ donor or write a will, were limited. The Government expressed commitment to remedy that problem and considered it a priority.

Speaking of street children with disabilities in Mexico, a delegate explained that programmes for such children existed in each of the 32 states. At least 6,000 children with disabilities received care and support through those programmes, while economic support was given to them and their families. In addition, in all 32 state systems such children were registered at birth in order to prevent their maltreatment and abuse.

As for the provisions of equality before law for persons with disabilities in criminal proceedings and penitentiaries, they were entitled to an interpreter and legal advice, and measures were in place so that they could fully understand charges and the scope of the case. When a person misunderstood charges, the charges had to be drafted in a way that persons with disabilities could understand them. In addition, a new scheme for public prosecutors provided training and awareness raising for judiciary staff, in order to reinforce the disability perspective and ensure access to justice for persons with disabilities. Measures were also taken so that persons with disabilities could receive information in relevant formats, including sign language and Braille.

The General Health Law in Mexico covered the disability aspect in access to medical centres and care. Provision of medical services was developed in cooperation with the private and public sector. The Ministry of Health established a monitoring mechanism for medical services and technical guidelines for buildings and their accessibility to persons with disabilities, and it ensured that information in medical centres was available in sign languages and Braille. Services for vulnerable children were also available. The medical staff had to have certificate of training for providing care to children and persons with disabilities. As for psychosocial care, the law was reformed in line with Convention standards, and detention of persons with disabilities was considered the last resort. The right of confidentiality was established for patients in psychiatric units. However, the remaining challenge was to provide more space for persons with disabilities, and greater access to information.

Mexico did not promote forced sterilization and abortion, and the Government encouraged citizens to reports such violations. Specialized institutions provided different mechanisms for prevention and sanctioning of those issues, and progress was made in making provisions to prevent sexual and reproductive violence against persons with disabilities. A significant challenge remained in providing relevant trainings programmes to all health professionals, in order to prevent cruel and inhuman treatment of patients with disabilities.

Speaking of violence against women with disabilities, a delegate explained that Mexico recognized the problem of double vulnerability of women. With that problem in mind, the President of Mexico called for the adoption of cross-cutting policies in gender mainstreaming, including affirmative actions for women with disabilities in employment transport and other areas of life. The 2014-2018 National Programme for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities included specific measures the improve the position of women with disabilities.

Responding to questions about uniform implementation of Convention standards across 32 different states in Mexico, a delegate from Guanajuato presented the progress of Convention implementation in his state. He said that disability legislation in Guanajuato could serve as an example for the rest of the country.

Questions by Committee Experts

ANA PELAEZ NARVAEZ, Committee Member acting as Country Rapporteur for the report of Mexico raised the issue of femicide and asked the delegation to elaborate on the measures taken to provide relevant reports which included the disability indicator. She again raised the issue of forced sterilization, problems with the rights of indigenous persons with disabilities, and migration centres which held persons with psychosocial disabilities against their will. Experts recognized the problem of involuntary confinement of persons with psychosocial disabilities as an area that Mexico needed to work on more.

Another Expert raised concerns about the lack of access of indigenous persons with disabilities in rural areas to education, medical care, and particularly to sexual and reproductive health. They observed a high level of vulnerability and poverty among that population, as well their limited access to drinking water, decent housing, and sanitation tools. The high unemployment levels among persons with disabilities was noted by an Expert who asked the delegation to elaborate on measures to increase employment and self-employment opportunities for such persons.

One Expert enquired about the role persons with disabilities played in data collection on disability, in particular indigenous persons with disabilities, as well as how their representative organizations participated in the design of bilateral, regional and global disability projects. Another Expert wondered why there had not been more women with disabilities in the Mexican Parliament, and whether lack of funding had caused their underrepresentation.

Other questions referred to Mexico’s monitoring of adequate standards of living for persons with disabilities; vision of inclusive education and activities that promoted inclusive education; as well as collaboration between the monitoring mechanisms and organization of persons with disabilities.

Responses by the Delegation

Regarding inclusive education, a delegate said that the Ministry of Education had started harmonizing education policies in order to include a disability perspective and to strengthen inclusion and equity of education in Mexico. Special education was defined as the kind of education intended for those with definitive disabilities. However, over the last few years there had been a tendency to decrease the number of special schools and increase enrolment in mainstream schools.

The Ministry of Education was paying more attention to migrants and indigenous persons with disabilities, as well as to gender perspective in providing education services. In that respect, instruction in indigenous languages had been introduced in schools, in addition to Spanish. In cooperation with the Foreign Affairs Department, the Government worked on international projects of inclusive education in the Latin American region, aiming to introduce new technologies, teacher trainings, teaching procedures for life and work of youth with disabilities. The delegate stressed that the Government had been providing free school textbooks to children since 1966. Textbooks were also printed in Braille and indigenous languages.

Speaking of privacy protection provisions for persons with disabilities, a delegate explained that the Law on the Protection of Personal Data required strict confidentiality for persons with psychosocial disabilities, especially those with mental disabilities and behavioural disorders. Medical professionals were obliged to protect the physical and mental integrity of users in line with human rights standards.

Responding to questions about equality before law, a delegate explained that since 2011 the political constitution specifically prohibited any type of discrimination, including employment and gender discrimination. Laws aimed to provide equal opportunities and full inclusion for persons with disabilities. Different Government strategies endeavoured to promote labour rights with full respect for the dignity of persons with disabilities, and to fully include persons with disabilities in the labour market. The Government aimed to ensure a favourable environment and continued employment for persons with disabilities, and to provide them with access to scientific and technical knowledge. Strategies were developed to employ vulnerable persons and to apply good labour practices and equality of opportunities for persons with disabilities. A provision was introduced to ensure that three per cent of workplaces in the public service be set aside for persons for disabilities.

Speaking about the underrepresentation of parliamentarians with disabilities, a delegate said an electoral reform was carried out in 2014 to increase the chances of women with disabilities to be elected to legislative positions.

The delegation admitted that statistics on poverty in Mexico showed that indigenous peoples indeed faced severe conditions and poverty levels, and expressed hope that the Government’s actions in the fight against poverty would improve the situation in indigenous areas.

Speaking about international cooperation, a delegate said that Mexico would continue to promote sustainable development goals that would truly reflect the needs and interests of persons of disabilities. He stressed that Mexico was one of the few countries contributing to the United Nations Fund for Persons with Disabilities, and invited other countries to put forth their contributions.

Concluding Remarks

LIA LIMON GARCIA, Under-Secretary for the Human Rights Secretariat of the Government of Mexico, concluded by saying that the discussions with the Committee provided the delegation with useful feedback and that the delegation would include Committee’s recommendations into its future work.

MARIA SOLEDAD REYES CISTERNAS, Chairperson of the Committee, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the delegation to answer questions that have been raised by experts. She also welcomed the announcement by the delegation regarding the establishment of a monitoring committee for the implementation of concluding remarks. She also highlighted the role that Mexico’s foreign policies played in the establishment of the new mandate of Special Rapporteur for the rights of persons with disabilities.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CRPD14/008E