Past achievements
In 1993, three Mexican organisations presented three parallel reports separately on food, housing and work. A group of 9 organisations participated in the drafting of the 1999 parallel report. Organisations found the results satisfactory, as the Committee on ESC rights took over the recommendations formulated in the shadow report “word for word”.
In 2002, the federal government created a space for dialogue called “Comisión Intersecretarial”; we, organisations, had “the follow-up of recommendations” included on the agenda.
In 2005, Mexico was late in presenting progress made in the submission of the official report to the Committee on ESC rights.
Organisations that were members of three networks decided to coordinate their efforts in the resumption of the elaboration of the report as an ENFORCEABILITY STRATEGY.
ENFORCEABILITY (Social, political and legal process)
- POLITICAL PROCESS
Impact on public policies and programs, Advocating laws, Mobilisation processes - LEGAL PROCESS
Justiciability = claiming violated human rights before tribunals or other bodies
Strategic objetives
In 2004, the Group for the Promotion of the Shadow Report on ESC Rights (Promotion Group) was created in Mexico with the following aims:
1. Initiate a political process of multi-sector interaction for the circulation of the shadow report, awareness raising and interpellation.
2. Come up with a diagnosis, with scientific rigour, on the situation of ESC rights in Mexico.
3. Participate in interpellation spaces with the government to carry out the follow-up of the official report.
Organisational structure
The Promotion Group was composed of about 50 NGOs from three networks.
- Network All Human Rights for All.
- ESC rights advocacy spaces.
- Convergencia de Organismos Civiles.
The interaction between human rights organisations, organisations for the promotion of development and organisations from the various states of the Mexican Republic proved complementary and effective.
Methodology
Strategic line 1: POLITICAL PROCESS
An interaction with trade unions, social, indigenous and academic organisations was sought. A Forum to communicate on the initiative was put in place. RESULTS: social and indigenous organisations joined the process, but not TRADE UNIONS AND ACADEMES.
Strategic line 2: Drafting of the document
Rights-based groups were formed (in line with the format defined by the Committee on ESC rights).
A guide for the elaboration of each section was outlined.
An organisation was tasked to coordinate thematic groups.
Three organisations compiled information, put it into the right format and translated it into English.
METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE
- Definition on the right in question
- Previous recommendations relating to this right
- Issues to be addressed
- Data and indicators
- Proposed recommendations
- Review of policies (laws, institutions, programs, budgets)
- Critical valuation
- Proposed recommendations
- Analysis of the interpellation space
- Critical valuation
- Proposed recommendations
- QUESTIONS (to be suggested in the pre-session)
Strategic line 3: Pressure on the Mexican government
Since 2002, various organisations of the Promotion Group have been participating in the dialogue with the Comisión Intersecretarial, with the aim of making the new administration aware of the recommendations issued by the Committee on ESC rights in 1999.
In 2004, we started to question the progress of the follow-up.
In 2005, we pointed out the delay in the presentation of the Mexican official report.
In early 2006, the Mexican government started to elaborate an official document. The government first alleged that it had drafted a single report in which it had “incorporated” the organisations’ propositions, what we refused. THERE IS NO MUTUAL TRUST.
The government presented us its methodology and the progress it had made. We were ready, as organisations, to present a shadow report in May 2006. The government presented a first draft in 2006. The draft was revised and organisations incorporated information contained in the official document.
Results
A PARALLEL REPORT was presented as a result of a rigorous data collection and analysis of 80 civil and social organisations from the whole country.
Cases were documented and presented before the Latin American Water Tribunal.
Two promotion groups were set up in the Northern and Southern regions: Coahuila y Chiapas.
2006 recommendations took concerns expressed by civil organisations into account, but we consider that there are still pending issues in relation with the 1999 recommendations.
