Brussels/Mexico City – June 17, 2016
We, the undersigned European and Mexican civil society organisations look forward to the 4th EU-Mexico Civil Society (CSO) Seminar scheduled for next Monday 20 June, prior to the 6th high level Human Rights Dialogue between the European Union and Mexico.
In a global context of shrinking space for civil society, our organisations stress the importance of meaningful consultation and participation of civil society in the context of political, legislative and other decision-making processes, as well as in bilateral agreements and cooperation projects. In this sense, our organisations value the opportunity to have an open exchange on the human rights situation in Mexico as well as within the European Union, and to provide constructive recommendations to the authorities on how to better tackle human rights violations.
Within this framework, we strongly encourage Mexico and the EU to take into serious consideration the recommendations of the CSO Seminar and to ensure their concrete implementation and follow-up the following year. This is a crucial commitment to give substantial meaning to this annual practice of civil society consultation, especially considering that many of the recommendations issued by civil society in the past years unfortunately continue to be valid in 2016. Therefore, we strongly encourage Mexican and EU authorities to use this 6th Human Rights Dialogue to guarantee the effective respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights, including by implementing the recommendations of civil society.
This year’s human rights dialogue takes place against the backdrop of a severe financial crisis affecting the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR). In the spirit of joint commitment to human rights in the Americas, we urgently call on both sides to work toward a strong and stable funding structure to guarantee the protection and promotion of human rights throughout the region and to foster impactful exchanges between regional human rights mechanisms.
Finally, to promote a climate of constructive cooperation, we encourage the European and Mexican authorities to allow the attendance of CSO representatives during the high level Human Rights Dialogue, in order to enhance transparency, cooperation and accountability throughout the process. Our organisations would like to recall that the EU set some best practices in this direction within the framework of other Human Right Dialogues, such as the Tripartite Dialogue among EU, Tunisian authorities and Tunisian CSO representatives, as well as during the Human Rights Dialogues with other third states such as Brazil (2014) and Moldova (2016).
Signatory organisations:
Amnesty International
Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan
Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas
Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez
Centro Diocesano para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios
Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental CEMDA
Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)
Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos
Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca
Equis Justicia para las Mujeres
FIAN International
FIDH
Freedom House
German Network for Human Rights in Mexico (Deutsche Menschenrechtskoordination Mexiko)
I(dh)eas, Litigio Estratégico en Derechos Humanos
Iniciativa de Copenhague para Centroamérica y México, CIFCA
Instituto de LiderazgoSimón de Beauvoir
Instituto Mexicano de Derechos Humanos y Democracia
Open Society Justice Initiative
Peace Brigades International – Mexico, PBI-Mexico
Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, ociales y Culturales (ProDESC)
Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER)
Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos, "Todos los Derechos para Todas y Todos"
Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México REDIM
SERAPAZ
Sin Fronteras IAP
Soleterre - Strategie di Pace ONLUS
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
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