UNITED NATIONS CCPR Distr. International covenant on GENERAL civil and political rights CCPR/C/MEX/5 24 September 2008 ENGLISH Original: SPANISH HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT Fifth periodic report MEXICO∗ ∗∗ [17 July 2008] ∗ In accordance with the information transmitted to States parties regarding the processing of their reports, the present document was not formally edited before being sent to the United Nations translation services. ∗∗ Annexes may be consulted in the files of the Secretariat. GE.08-44226 (EXT) CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 2 CONTENTS Paragraphs Page Acronyms 5 I. Introduction 1 - 33 7 II. Article 1: Self-determination and free disposition of natural wealth 34 - 37 15 A. Legislative advances 38 - 45 16 B. Judicial decisions 46 20 C. Judicial decisions 47 20 III. Article 2: Establishment of the rights enshrined in the covenant 20 A. Legislative advances 48 - 57 20 B. Judicial decisions 58 - 67 22 C. Institutional measures 68 - 74 25 IV. Article 3: Equality between men and women in the enjoyment of Rights under the covenant 75 - 76 26 A. Legislative advances 77 - 108 27 B. Judicial decisions 109 - 112 33 C. Institutional measures 113 - 136 34 V. Article 4: States of exception 137 - 138 44 A. Legislative advances 139 - 141 44 B. Judicial decisions 142 - 146 45 C. Institutional measures 147 - 149 46 VI. Article 6: Right to life 150 - 151 47 A. Legislative advances 152 - 156 47 B. Judicial decisions 157 - 160 48 C. Institutional measures 161 - 177 49 VII. Article 7: Combating torture and other cruel, inhuman 178 - 180 or degrading treatment or punishment 52 A. Legislative advances 181 - 182 52 B. Judicial decisions 183 52 C. Institutional measures 184 - 235 52 VIII. Article 8: Prohibition of slavery, servitude and forced labour 236 64 A. Legislative advances 237 - 240 64 B. Institutional measures 241 - 266 64 IX. Article 9: Right to personal freedom and security 267 70 A. Legislative advances 268 - 288 70 B. Judicial decisions 289 - 294 74 C. Institutional measures 295 - 317 76 X. Article 10: Rights of persons deprived of liberty 318 - 327 82 A. Legislative advances 328 - 331 82 B. Judicial decisions 332 - 459 84 C. Institutional measures 460 - 461 85 XI. Article 11: Imprisonment for contractual obligations 105 CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 3 Paragraphs Page XII. Article 12: Freedom of movement and residence 106 A. Legislative advances 462 - 466 106 B. Judicial decisions 467 - 470 106 C. Institutional measures 471 - 543 107 XIII. Article 13: Due process in expulsion of aliens 119 A. Legislative advances 544 – 551 119 B. Judicial decisions 552 – 554 121 C. Institutional measures 555 - 567 122 XIV. Article 14: Judicial guarantees 568 – 573 124 A. Legislative advances 574 – 613 125 B. Judicial decisions 614 – 631 132 C. Institutional measures 632 - 662 136 XV. Article 15: Non-retroactivity of the law 663 144 A. Judicial decisions 663 - 668 144 XVI. Article 16: Recognition of legal personality 145 A. Legislative advances 669 - 674 145 B. Institutional measures 675 - 679 147 XVII. Article 17: Respect for privacy, the family, the home, honour and reputation 680 148 A. Legislative advances 681 - 683 149 B. Judicial decisions 684 - 691 149 C. Institutional measures 692 151 XVIII. Article 18: Right to freedom of thought and religion 151 A. Legislative advances 693 - 699 151 B. Judicial decisions 700 - 702 152 C. Institutional measures 703 - 715 153 XIX. Article 19: Freedom of expression 716 - 717 155 A. Legislative advances 718 - 745 155 B. Judicial decisions 746 - 753 163 C. Institutional measures 754 - 797 165 XX. Article 20: Freedom of association 175 A. Legislative advances 798 - 804 175 B. Judicial decisions 805 - 816 176 C. Institutional measures 817 - 823 179 XXI. Article 21: Right to family 180 A. Legislative advances 824 - 834 180 B. Judicial decisions 835 - 837 181 C. Institutional measures 838 - 863 182 XXII. Article 24: Rights of the child 186 A. Legislative advances 864 - 873 186 B. Judicial decisions 874 - 876 188 C. Institutional measures 877 - 891 189 XXIII. Article 25: Political rights 892 192 A. Legislative advances 893 – 904 192 B. Judicial decisions 905 – 907 194 CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 4 Paragraphs Page C. Institutional measures 908 - 953 197 XXIV. Article 26: Equality before the law and non- discrimination 217 A. Legislative advances 954 - 957 217 XXV. Article 27: Right to cultural identity, religion and language 958 217 A. Legislative advances 959 – 967 217 B. Judicial decisions 968 220 C. Institutional measures 969 - 981 221 Fifth periodic report of Mexico - Annexes and References 223 CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 5 ACRONYMS CDI National Council of Indigenous People CEFEREPSI Federal Psycho-social Rehabilitation Centre CEFERESOS Federal Centres for Social Rehabilitation CEJIL Centre for Justice and International Law CEUM Political Constitution of the United Mexican States CIDH Inter-American Commission on Human Rights CIESAS Centre for Research and Advanced Studies in Social Anthropology CIM Inter-American Commission of Women CISEN Centre for Investigations and National Security CNDH National Human Rights Commission COFIPE Federal Code on Electoral Institutions and Procedures COMAR Mexican Commission for Aid to Refugees CONACULTA National Council for Culture and the Arts CONAPO National Population Council CONAPRED National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination CPGMDH Commission on Government Policy on Human Rights CURP Single Population Register Key DIF National System for the Full Development of the Family ECLAC Economic Commission for Latin America EZLN Zapatista National Liberation Army FEAHMCJ Office of the Special Prosecutor for Crimes Related to Homicides of Women in the Municipality of Juárez FEMOSPP Office of the Special Prosecutor for Past Social and Political Movements FMTF Border Worker Migration Form FSP Prison Security Force ICAP Institute for Training and Professionalization in the Administration of Justice ICHR Inter-American Court of Human Rights IFDP Federal Public Defender Institute IFE Federal Electrocal Institute ILO Internationa Labour Organization IMSS Mexican Social Security Institute INACIPE National Institute of Criminological Sciences INALI National Institute of Indigenous Languages INBA National Institute of Fine Arts INEA National Institute for Adult Education INEGI National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics INM National Institute for Migration INMUJERES National Institute for Women IPN National Polytechnic Institute IRCT International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims ISSSTE Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers LFTAIPG Federal Law on Transparency and Access to Public Government Information MNPT National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 6 OAS Organization of American States PAN National Action Party PFP Federal Police PGR Office of the Attorney General of the Republic PHR-USA Physicians for Human Rights PIAMF Inter-agency Border Programme for Care of Minors PRD Party of the Democratic Revolution PRI Institutional Revolutionary Party PROFECO Federal Consumer Protection Agency PRONIM Programme of Primary Education for Migrant Children PT Labour Party PVEM Green Environmentalist Party of Mexico RENAPO National Population Registry SAGARPA Departmnt of Livestock and Fisheries SCJN Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation SCRPPA Office of the Deputy Attorney General for Regional Oversight, Penal Procedures and Amparo SEDENA Ministry of National Defence SEDESOL Ministry of Social Development SEGOB Ministry of the Interior SEMAR Ministry of Naval Affairs of Mexico SEMARNAT Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources SEP Ministry of Public Education SEPOMEX Mexican Postal Service SHCP Ministry of Finance and Public Credit SIEDO Office of the Deputy Attorney General for Investigation of Organized Crime SIJE Election Day Information System SRA Ministry of Agrarian Reform SRCI Indigenous Cultural Broadcasting System SRE Ministry of External Relations SS Ministry of Health SSP Ministry of Public Security STPS Ministry of Labour and Social Security TEPJF Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary UNAM National Autonomous University of Mexico UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women CCPR/C/MEX/5 page 7 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Government of Mexico submits for the consideration of the Human Rights Committee (hereinafter the “Committee”) its fifth periodic report pursuant to article 40 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (“the Covenant”). 2. The present document was distributed to the participants in the Subcommission on Civil and Political Rights of the Commission on Government Policy on Human Rights, which comprises representatives of governmental fora and civil society, at a meeting held on 8 July 2008. The views expressed or later conveyed by participants at that meeting were subsequently incorporated into the document. 3. Since the submission of the last periodic report, Mexico has been pursuing a process of consolidation of democracy with significant structural, normative and political changes that have an impact on the full enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Covenant1. 4. The present report takes as its point of departure the observations made by the Committee following consideration of the fourth periodic report of Mexico (document CCPR/C/79/Add.109),