Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Praise Mexico’s Progress in Decreasing Pregnancy in Girls, Ask about Measures to Protect Children from Violence, Organised Crime and Child Marriages
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the combined sixth and seventh periodic report of Mexico, with Committee Experts praising the State’s progress in decreasing pregnancy in girls and raising questions about measures to protect children from violence, organised crime and child marriages.
One Committee Expert welcomed achievements made by Mexico in decreasing the rate of pregnancy among girls. Did the State party plan to decriminalise abortion and ensure safe access to it? Was reproductive and sexual health education included in the mainstream school curriculum?
Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Mexico, said there were significant problems in Mexico related to violence and organised crime. Homicide was the second-highest cause of deaths for adolescent boys. Around 17,700 children and adolescents were disappeared, 55 per cent of whom were girls. Every day in Mexico, 14 children disappeared. What measures were in place to address this crisis?
Another Committee Expert said there were still more than 100,000 adolescents living in marital unions, though child marriage had been banned. What steps had been taken to address the social norms that legitimised child marriages in the country?
Introducing the report, Francisca Elizabeth Méndez Escobar, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said that over the last few years, Mexico had moved from a welfare paradigm with respect to children to an approach based on the realisation of their human rights and reparation in case of human rights violations.
In his opening remarks, Roberto De León Huerta, Director General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and alternate head of the delegation, said that thanks to welfare programmes, as well as the development of southeastern Mexico, the percentage of children under 18 years of age in multidimensional poverty went from 50.3 per cent in 2018 to 45.8 per cent in 2022.
The delegation said policies had been implemented to reduce the birth rate among adolescents. These had led to a reduction in the adolescent birth rate by around 30 per cent. Sixteen states had decriminalised abortion and the Supreme Court had in 2023 declared as unconstitutional the criminalisation of abortion. A new model was created for education in 2019 that promoted sexual and reproductive health education.
Addressing violence and organised crime, the delegation said 32 peacebuilding roundtables had been established across the country. The Government was working with the 50 municipalities with the highest rates of homicides and disappearances, providing them with programmes tackling the root causes of violence. There was a general law on enforced disappearance and a national system for the search for individuals, and in 2023, an “amber alert” system had been established to inform the public of missing persons.
State laws set the minimum age of marriage at 18, the delegation said. Persons who forced minors to live in de facto marriages were punished. There were 67 programmes for the prevention and eradication of gender-based violence, which addressed early and forced marriage in rural and indigenous communities.
In closing remarks, Mr. Pedernera Reyna said Mexico was in the midst of change, with a new administration about to take office. The Committee would work to support positive change for children and adolescents through its concluding observations. He expressed hope that the State party would make the most of these observations.
Ms. Méndez Escobar, in concluding remarks, said Mexico was resolved to meet its commitments under the Convention. The State party would pay close attention to the Committee’s recommendations, which would benefit Mexican children and adolescents. Mexico would make the most of the opportunities posed by the change in administration.
The delegation of Mexico consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; National System for the Integral Development of the Family; Federal Judiciary Council; National System for the Protection of Children and Adolescents; Ministry of Health; Secretariat of Welfare; National Institute for Women; and the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Mexico at the end of its ninety-seventh session on 13 September. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public on Monday, 2 September at 3 p.m. to consider the seventh periodic report of Argentina (CRC/C/ARG/7).
Report
The Committee has before it the combined sixth and seventh periodic report of Mexico (CRC/C/MEX/6-7).
Presentation of Report
FRANCISCA ELIZABETH MÉNDEZ ESCOBAR, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said that since Mexico ratified the Convention in 1990, the Committee's dialogue and feedback had made it possible to identify gaps and strengthen the normative frameworks, public policies and institutional structure of the country, with visible and relevant results for girls, boys and adolescents. In 2024, out of a total population of 132 million inhabitants, there were more than 38 million children and adolescents in Mexico.
Over the last few years, the State had moved from a welfare paradigm with respect to children to an approach based on the realisation of the human rights of children and adolescents and reparation in case of human rights violations. The general law on the rights of children and adolescents, adopted in 2014, established the National System for the Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents and the Federal Attorney for the Protection of Girls, Children and Adolescents. The Government was currently supporting the political transition process so the next administration could continue to strengthen public policies. For the first time in the 200 years of Mexico's independent history, the country would have a female President, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum.
ROBERTO DE LEÓN HUERTA, Director General for Human Rights and Democracy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico and alternate head of the delegation, said the promotion and protection of the human rights of children and adolescents was a fundamental and cross-cutting aspect of public policies. The Magna Carta established that all persons enjoyed human rights, and it granted constitutional rank to international treaties to which the Mexican State was a party. It required that all decisions and actions of the State needed to comply with the principle of the best interests of the child.
The State had established the National Human Rights Programme 2020-2024, which had five priority objectives, including to guarantee the human rights of groups historically discriminated against, such as children and adolescents. During the current six-year term, Mexico's human rights policy had focused on combatting poverty and the structural causes of inequality and violence. Thanks to welfare programmes, as well as the development of southeastern Mexico, from 2018 to 2022, 9.5 million people overcame poverty in the country. The percentage of children under 18 years of age in multidimensional poverty went from 50.3 per cent in 2018 to 45.8 per cent in 2022.
Programmes that had contributed to reducing the poverty and inequality rates of children and adolescents included the Support Programme for the Welfare of Children of Working Mothers, which had 276,400 beneficiaries, and the Pension Programme for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. Thanks to this programme, 1.4 million people with disabilities received a non-contributory pension. Another programme was the Benito Juárez Welfare Scholarship Programme, which benefitted more than 9.2 million children and adolescents below the poverty line who studied in schools in marginalised communities.
The National Strategy for Inclusive Education was transforming the education system into an inclusive, flexible and relevant system for children and adolescents. The national health system had also been strengthened to guarantee health services for the entire population. In 2024, federal spending on health reached a historic figure, increasing 27 per cent compared to the previous six-year term. Likewise, in just two years, the “IMSS-Bienestar” programme increased its free coverage four times and, by the end of 2024, it was expected to serve 54.5 million Mexicans.
The Government had increased spaces for children and adolescents and representatives of civil society to express their opinion freely and contribute to public policies, such as through the National Consultative Council for Children and Adolescents. Twenty-eight local governments, civil society organizations and academia, as well as children and adolescents, had contributed to Mexico’s report.
Despite these efforts, much needed to be done at the political, institutional and budgetary levels so that children and adolescents who today lived in poverty could achieve their potential. The Government was paying particular attention to children and adolescents on the move, violence against children and adolescents, and the situation of vulnerable children deprived of their family environment.
Questions by Committee Experts
LUIS ERNESTO PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Mexico, said that in 2015, the State party made a large step forward by approving the general law on the rights of children and adolescents. There were still challenges related to children in vulnerable situations and reforms implemented by this law. What were the policies the State planned to implement to address the mismatch between the ideals of the law and the reality? Was the State party considering ratifying the third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
There were concerning reports that the budget for the National System for the Protection of Girls, Boys and Adolescents had been slashed and there was an initiative to move its mandate to an institute with a lower status. Was the decision to shut down the system’s secretariat irreversible? The strategy for early childhood was very important, but it did not have a territorial budget. How would the State address this? Mexico had increased social expenditure from 2018 to 2023, but expenditure on childhood had decreased. For education, Mexico had not reached eight per cent of gross domestic product expenditure – educational expenditure was only at around three per cent. What measures were in place to increase expenditure in education, especially early childhood education?
Mexico had made significant progress in data collection. Did the country plan to improve the processing of data to support policy making? The general law on childhood had defined child-friendly justice, but this definition was not materialised in most local courts. What steps had been taken to guarantee access to justice? How would the current judicial review include a child rights approach?
Discrimination was a significant issue in Mexico. What measures were in place to tackle structural discrimination, especially discrimination on the grounds of gender, disability and migration status? What could be done so that the best interests of the child as defined in law could materialise? What was the State doing to address deportations and institutionalisation of children? Government consultations with children were framed and restricted. Children were prevented from speaking about all the problems they faced in society. How would the State improve this?
There were significant problems in Mexico related to violence, bureaucracy and organised crime. Homicide was the second-highest cause of deaths for adolescent boys. Around 17,700 children and adolescents were disappeared, 55 per cent of whom were girls. Every day in Mexico, 14 children disappeared. What measures were in place to address this crisis? What was the role of the national human rights institute in defending the rights of children? Persons with disabilities were particularly discriminated against. Could the delegation provide information on discrimination against institutionalised children?
Another Committee Expert said there had been good developments in policies and measures towards reaching universal birth registration. Was the law on harmonisation of civil registries still a draft law? How would this improve the registration system and ensure the right of adopted children to access information about their biological parents? Persons could currently not access such information until they reached age 18.
Mexico was the most violent country for environmental defenders, more than 54 of whom had been murdered. Violence and discrimination were directed at female human rights defenders and defenders of indigenous rights. What measures were in place to protect human rights defenders, including children? Around 30 per cent of children in the State did not have access to the internet. What measures would the State party take to expand internet coverage?
One Committee Expert said violence against children remained a challenge for Mexico. The State party continued to allow parents to use some forms of violent punishment. Was corporal punishment clearly banned in all settings? Rates of corporal punishment remained high. What measures were in place to implement legislation on corporal punishment and convince parents not to use such punishment?
There were still more than 100,000 adolescents living in marital unions, though child marriage had been banned. What steps had been taken to address the social norms that legitimised child marriages in the country? Around six million girls were victims of sexual violence before the age of 15. What measures were in place to ensure the identification of victims and promote access to justice? Were there one-stop centres providing legal, psychological and medical support to victims?
The law on children and adolescents promoted inclusion in family settings, but there were still more than 22,000 children in institutional settings. What measures were in place to develop a deinstitutionalisation policy? How were social assistance centres promoting the integration of children in families? There needed to be independent mechanisms overseeing institutions. Did children in institutions have access to a complaints mechanism? Reforms had been made to the law on adoption. How did the State party guarantee that adoptive families were prepared to adopt children? What measures were in place to support children adopted internationally to find out information about their biological parents?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that since the National System for the Protection of Girls, Boys and Adolescents was set up, various local institutions and commissions had been established. All federal entities had laws on children and adolescents in line with the national law and had set up working agendas to address issues faced by children in their regions. The National System implemented policies for the comprehensive care of vulnerable children and adolescents. There were no plans to eliminate the system; it would be incorporated into another institution to strengthen it.
There was a general law on enforced disappearance and a national system for the search for individuals. Nineteen federal entities had criminalised disappearances. In 2021, an additional protocol on the search for children and adolescents was approved. In 2023, a reform had been implemented to legislation to establish an “amber alert” system to inform the public of missing persons.
Mexico had set up a federal mechanism on the protection of human rights defenders. The budget for the mechanism was increased to over two billion pesos, and the staff of the mechanism had been increased 100 per cent since it was established.
The Government had carried out consultations with many organizations representing and including children. The questions posed in these consultations were devised by children themselves. Consultations had been held with indigenous children, children with disabilities, and children who lived abroad. Online discussions with children were held every week on issues affecting them.
The Government was deploying a large-scale programme to provide Wi-Fi connections throughout the country. A mapping project had been conducted to identify where internet infrastructure was needed. The Government was working to protect children online through cybersecurity campaigns.
Thirty-two peacebuilding roundtables had been established across the country. The Government was trying to prevent and punish all types of violence and train first responders and children on protection measures. It was working with the 50 municipalities with the highest rates of homicides and disappearances, providing them with programmes tackling the root causes of violence.
Legislation explicitly prohibited corporal punishment. The Government sought to prevent violence against children and promote positive parenting. Every day, courses for parents and civil servants on child rearing were held. Consultations had been held with children to improve policies addressing corporal punishment. A 24-hour service to respond to violence against children had been set up, as well as hotlines for reporting such violence. The Government sought to eliminate discrimination against children through a training programme for civil servants.
The Public Defender’s Office had around 200 specialists who dealt with cases involving children and adolescents. Around 10 per cent of magistrates specialised in cases involving children and adolescents. Training material had been prepared for the judiciary on the rights of children and on the Convention and other international human rights treaties. The Government was working to develop courtrooms tailored to children’s needs.
The Ombudsman’s Office, an autonomous institution, had developed an observatory for youth citizens, which was working to improve care provided to the youth by the State. The observatory had issued 14 recommendations to improve the situation of children.
Around 99.6 per cent of the population had been registered, while around 500,000 people did not have a birth certificate. The Government had created a single national registration system. The Senate was still discussing the law on birth registration, but significant resources had been devoted to updating the registration system, particularly in indigenous and marginalised communities.
State laws set the minimum age of marriage at 18. Measures had been implemented to protect children from harmful practices emerging from customary law. Persons who forced minors to live in de facto marriages were punished. There were 67 programmes for the prevention and eradication of gender-based violence, which addressed early and forced marriage in rural and indigenous communities.
The Government was increasing oversight to address corruption in residential centres, which had led to the deaths of children. There were currently more than 18,000 early childhood centres, which were receiving more than 900,000 children. The State party had a large school lunch programme, which provided warm lunches and supported children in rural areas to stay in school. The Government sought to achieve universal coverage of the school lunches system.
The judiciary used age-appropriate language in case documents and rulings. Statements were collected from children by experts, and non-verbal material such as drawings could be used as evidence in courts. A registry of statements was used to prevent the repetition of statements. Specialised legal counsel was provided for child victims of sexual violence. Rulings had been issued on cases involving the prohibition of child abuse, the trafficking of children, child pornography and femicide.
Questions by Committee Experts
LUIS ERNESTO PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Mexico, said that progress had been made in searching for disappeared persons, but there were still problems with bureaucracy. How was the State party training its staff to take a rights-based approach in searches and to conduct timely searches? A recent legislative document on access to justice placed barriers on children’s ability to give statements. Was the State party addressing this? Mexico had low vaccination rates, due to a lack of supply and Government cutbacks. Could the delegation comment on this?
Another Committee Expert asked if there were education programmes in place for children on using the internet? Did lawyers receive training on interacting with children? Could all lawyers take cases involving children?
One Committee Expert said organised crime and armed violence had penetrated the social fabric of communities in Mexico. What steps had been taken to develop a child protection system that was aligned with public policies to combat organised crime? Over the reporting period, crimes against children had increased, including femicides, kidnappings and trafficking in children. Were there public policies in place to address these issues? Could parents reach plea agreements with perpetrators in cases of sexual violence against children?
A Committee Expert asked whether all persons registered had been provided with birth certificates. What measures were in place to inform the population about the importance of birth registration and birth certificates?
Another Committee Expert said Mexico’s progress in aligning with the Convention had been exceptional. Numerous constitutional and legal reforms had been made at the state and federal levels. Was there an age floor for giving testimony in courts?
One Committee Expert said that due to constant changes to the healthcare system, access to healthcare for children had decreased, particularly for indigenous children. It was good news that the budget for healthcare had been increased. How would this budget be used to promote access to healthcare for children, particularly indigenous children? How would the Government disseminate information about the new healthcare system?
Good achievements had been made in decreasing the rate of pregnancy among girls. Were there action plans in place to align with the Supreme Court ruling regarding abortion at the local levels? Did the State party plan to decriminalise abortion and ensure safe access to it? Was reproductive and sexual health education included in the mainstream school curriculum? What measures were in place to address malnutrition and obesity issues?
There were measures to tackle child poverty and the child poverty rate had decreased, but Mexico was reportedly failing to effectively tackle poverty among indigenous peoples. Was there a plan to introduce a universal social protection scheme in Mexico?
Mexico was among the most vulnerable States to climate change, but it was the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Latin America and it was increasing investment in fossil fuels. What steps had been taken to meet commitments to environmental protection and to realise children’s right to a clean and healthy environment? Was the State party implementing child-specific measures into disaster reduction and climate adaptation plans? It was very worrisome that extractive agribusinesses were being expanded in Mayan territories. These projects were based on substandard environmental impact studies and had ineffective waste management strategies. What measures were in place to protect the rights of indigenous children in the context of these projects? Were there measures to obtain free, prior and informed consent related to these projects?
One Committee Expert said it was very concerning that investment in education had been declining since the COVID-19 pandemic. Had this trend changed? There were marked deficiencies in literacy and numeracy at the primary level, and compulsory early education was not reaching marginalised communities. Dropout rates were rising among students 15 years and older. Violence in schools and communities was also affecting school attendance rates. Teachers were not trained to detect and address sexual violence, which was common in schools. Many schools did not have enough trained teachers and sufficient infrastructure. Had the State party been able to address these issues?
Mexico was receiving many hundreds of thousands of people trying to migrate to the United States. There appeared to be dangerous refoulement, with children being sent to their home countries without assessment. There were no policies regarding family reunification. There were unmonitored, private detention centres for migrants where various human rights violations were taking place. Had investigations been carried out into the 2023 fire that killed 40 migrants? What reparations had been provided to victims? How many children had died? Was the State party supporting social services to provide services for migrants?
There were children below the age of 15 working in hazardous occupations, and many girls were working in the domestic sector. How was the Government addressing child labour? Were officials treating children engaged in forced begging as victims and providing them with adequate support?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Mexico had made significant progress in addressing climate change through policies and laws encouraging access to a healthy environment.
A new model was created for education in 2019 that incorporated a human rights approach and promoted sexual and reproductive health education. Measures to close the digital gap had helped to increase access to education in rural communities. There was a protocol and guidelines for teachers on fighting harassment in schools. Early education was a priority. The national strategy for early childhood sought to ensure that children under six years old had access to education, including in rural areas, and a life free of violence.
The secretariat for the eradication of child labour had a national network of institutions working to address the phenomenon. There was a national strategy for the care and protection of street children. Birth certificate campaigns and national health cards had benefitted these children.
The National System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family had been renewed. It addressed the situation of children and families, including migrant children. The National System had established a platform for children to discuss issues related to them. It had also created 900 community centres that provided care to disadvantaged children and adolescents, where they received tutoring support and vocational education. It was further working to develop positive parenting programmes.
There were 10 million migrants in Mexico. Around three million worked in agriculture, and four million worked in factories and the tourism sector. Migrant children working in agriculture were exposed to harmful agrichemicals. Early childhood centres had been established for persons working in these sectors. There were 106 migrant centres established across the country, where the National System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family provided services for migrant families. The deportation of unaccompanied minors by the United States Government was a serious problem. Protection systems were in place to care for these minors.
A subcommittee for family reintegration had been set up in the Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Families. The Office had also established a citizens’ observatory on children’s rights. Due process was guaranteed for children. Children had the right to participate in court cases that affected their lives. Children involved in cases received social and legal assistance. The Prosecutor’s Office had produced guidelines on legal representation of children and adolescents, and on recognition of migrant children’s refugee status. The Office had processes for restoring the rights of children and adolescents and identifying violations of children’s rights.
Adoptions that did not follow legal channels could be treated as human trafficking. A draft law on adoptions would soon be submitted to Congress. There were over 12,000 children in social care centres. Migrant children and adolescents could not enter migration centres; the Government provided them with residential housing.
The Government recently reformed the healthcare system to guarantee the right of all to health. Reforms focused on addressing vulnerable groups and ensuring that services were inclusive. Mexico was committed to guaranteeing access to health for migrant and indigenous children. Care was provided in a sensitive environment.
Efforts had been made to expand vaccination programmes after the pandemic. For the first quarter of 2024, coverage was at around 85 per cent. Campaigns were underway against measles and human papilloma virus.
Meals provided at schools needed to meet nutritional standards. The national strategy for the prevention of teenage pregnancy had been running for 10 years. Indicators on the implementation of the strategy would be included soon. The national programme on preventing HIV/AIDS provided care and treatment for children living with HIV.
Mexico had nationwide welfare programmes for children and adolescents that prioritised support for indigenous and marginalised children. Over 25,000 civil servants were working to implement social security programmes. They had been trained on the rights of children. Pensions and grants were being provided to over 25 million citizens. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of employees in child healthcare services had been increased. Monitoring visits to kindergartens had been conducted to ensure children were receiving adequate support.
Questions by Committee Experts
One Committee Expert said the act on comprehensive juvenile justice was commendable, but there were reports of lengthy use of pre-trial detention and prolonged solitary confinement against children. Did this situation persist? Was there a complaints mechanism for children deprived of liberty? There was little use of non-custodial measures for child offenders. Did child offenders receive free legal aid? The age of criminal responsibility was 12; would the State party consider raising that to 14?
There were worrying reports of widespread discrimination of indigenous and Afro-descendant children. There did not seem to be a comprehensive system to address this. What positive measures were in place to support these children? Would the State party develop sexual and reproductive health education targeted at indigenous children, who were disproportionately affected by sexual violence and child marriage? What was the State party doing to rescue indigenous children from drug cartels? Many children were being displaced by climate change. How was the State party addressing this? It was welcome that the State party had made education mandatory up to age 18.
Another Committee Expert asked about the role of citizen observers in the subcommittee for access to justice. Was there a regular review of placements of children in institutions?
LUIS ERNESTO PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Mexico, said there needed to be greater efforts to support vaccinations. Around 420 priests had abused children in churches. How was the State party tackling this issue and providing reparation for victims?
One Committee Expert asked what the Government was doing to ensure that all communes registered births. What was the 2025 budget for vaccination?
A Committee Expert called for more information on birth registration programmes targeting poor communities and migrants.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said all persons who were registered were provided with electronic birth certificates. There were specialised brigades established in close to 1,000 target municipalities working to ensure that indigenous and rural populations were registered. These had contributed to registering 24.7 million children and adolescents.
The Afro-Mexican population had been recognised in the Constitution. There was legal reform underway to recognise the rights of the indigenous communities and provide them with reparations, including land returns. Nutritious programmes targeting indigenous populations were also in place. The State had a national strategy for care of indigenous children.
Policies had been implemented to reduce the birth rate among adolescents. These had led to a reduction in the adolescent birth rate by around 30 per cent. Child marriage was banned in all federal entities. There had been a 26 per cent increase in units providing reproductive education and contraception. These were available in 20 federal entities. Over 20 million pesos had been invested in promoting reproductive health. There were campaigns on reproductive health targeting rural and indigenous communities. There had been a 59 per cent increase in access to contraception between 2018 and 2023. Sixteen states had decriminalised abortion and the Supreme Court had in 2023 declared as unconstitutional the criminalisation of abortion. Persons who subjected children to conversion therapy were punished.
Programmes were in place to address violence against women and femicide, targeting 850,000 people. Punishments for the crime of femicide had been increased and the statute of limitations for crimes against children had been removed. There had been a 36 per cent drop in femicides since 2018.
A third of the State budget was allocated to projects aimed at alleviating poverty. Consultations had been held with indigenous groups in developing these policies. The Government was trying to tackle discrimination against indigenous youth and was developing policies to assist children to return to school after dropping out. The strategy for peacebuilding aimed to directly reach out to the youth and ensure that they were not recruited by cartels. School lunches were provided in around 46 per cent of schools. The Government was working to increase the coverage of school lunches.
There were 725 residential centres in Mexico hosting around 12,900 children. These centres were all monitored by the State. In 2023, over 7,000 family reunifications took place and 4,000 children were taken in by extended family. The Government ensured that birth certificates were granted to adopted children. If there was abuse or neglect in social centres, the Government shut them down.
The Government had increased investment in the vaccination programme, including in acquiring and storing vaccines. The number of staff providing vaccinations had increased. A national system had been set up to monitor vaccination rates. This year, the vaccination rate had increased. The State party was completely dependent on transnational manufacturers that provided vaccines. It sought to identify alternative manufacturers and set up vaccination campaigns that targeted rural areas.
There were six initiatives to address forced recruitment by armed groups. The State party planned to increase sentences for this practice.
The Supreme Court had ruled that preventive custody could be challenged when it exceeded the time length established in the Constitution. There was an explicit prohibition of corporal punishment. Traditions could not be used as a justification for corporal punishment. The Ombudsman’s Office provided support to children deprived of liberty. Plea agreements were not permitted in cases of sexual violence.
Concluding Remarks
LUIS ERNESTO PEDERNERA REYNA, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Country Taskforce for Mexico, thanked the delegation for the dialogue. The Committee wished to develop concluding observations tailored to the needs of the country. Mexico was in the midst of change, with a new administration about to take office. The Committee would work to support positive change for children and adolescents through its concluding observations. He expressed hope that the State party would make the most of these observations.
FRANCISCA ELIZABETH MÉNDEZ ESCOBAR, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said Mexico was resolved to meet its commitments under the Convention. In the fruitful dialogue, the delegation had exchanged best practices to improve respect for the rights of children and adolescents in Mexico. The State party would pay close attention to the Committee’s recommendations, which would benefit Mexican children and adolescents. Mexico would make the most of the opportunities posed by the change in administration.
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