Secretary-General Expresses Deep Sadness for More Than 100,000 ‘Disappeared’ in Mexico, Welcomes Positive Steps to Guarantee Rights of Victims

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General expresses his deep sadness for the more than 100,000 people officially recognized as disappeared in Mexico.  He conveys his profound solidarity to the families of the victims who yearn to reunite with their loved ones, search for them tirelessly, and continue to fight for truth, justice and guarantees that this will never happen again.

The Secretary-General welcomes the positive measures undertaken by the Mexican Government to guarantee the rights of the victims of disappearances and encourages Mexican authorities to continue to accelerate progress.  He also welcomes that some of these measures are being implemented with the support of the United Nations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED).

The United Nations renews its commitment to accompany Mexico in its efforts to prevent and combat this serious violation of human rights, which causes extraordinary suffering to the victims and their families and harms society as a whole.