Comisión Nacional de Derechos Los Humanos
Comisión Nacional de Derechos Los Humanos
Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) was established in 1990 by the Mexican Interior Ministry for the promotion, study, and protection of the human rights of persons in Mexican territory. From 1847 to 1989 there were no fewer than nine efforts to legally enshrine and institutionalize respect for human rights in Mexico, without significant success. Although the commission was designed to be an independent entity, it was not until 1999 that the CNDH enjoyed juridical, organizational, and functional autonomy from the federal government.
A ten-member panel, headed by a president who since 1999 has been appointed by the Senate, governs the commission. As of 2007, its most salient work involves spurring investigations into people's disappearances, issuing human rights reports, addressing sexual abuse and inequality, and advocating for greater transparency. Since its founding, the human rights record of the Mexican federal government has improved, an achievement noted by NGOs such as Human Rights Watch. However, human rights concerns persist with regard to state and municipal governments in Mexico, especially in the most impoverished regions of the country, where lawlessness and drug trafficking thrive.
See alsoHuman Rights; Truth Commissions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Comisión Nacional de Derechos los Humanos. Available from http://www.cndh.org.mx.
Sean H. Goforth