UN Committee identifies systematic forced disappearances in Mexico

The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) has reported that forced disappearances in Mexico are being practiced in a widespread and systematic manner, potentially constituting crimes against humanity. During a presentation to the UN General Assembly, Committee President Juan Pablo Albán invoked Article 34 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, a preventive measure triggered by situations of extreme gravity.

Official records from Mexico’s National Registry of Disappeared and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO) indicate that more than 132,000 people are missing. The CED noted that while Mexican authorities have made institutional efforts toward search operations, structural failures, a forensic crisis, and impunity persist.

The Committee has offered technical support to the Mexican government and proposed international cooperation in six key areas: person searches, investigations, truth-seeking, addressing the forensic crisis, and protecting victims and their families.