For tens of thousands of families, this Mother’s Day is marked by the pain of not knowing the fate of one or more loved ones who have disappeared in Mexico. With more than 130,000 people missing, it is urgent that the Mexican State take advantage of the new opportunity opened by the United Nations Committee against Enforced Disappearances (CED) for Mexico to receive international assistance to curb disappearances and provide answers to families about the whereabouts of their loved ones.
On April 2, the CED issued a decision under Article 34 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, referring the situation in Mexico to the UN General Assembly so that it may adopt measures to support the State in effectively addressing disappearances. Such measures could include technical and financial support for search efforts, forensic identification, and investigations. The CED also points out the need to protect families, an urgent priority in light of the murders of dozens of people searching for their missing loved ones, even in the first months of 2026.
This is the first time the CED has activated the Article 34 procedure, precisely because of the gravity of the crisis and the lack of effective responses from the Mexican State. For the State, this step represents an opportunity not only to strengthen its actions and policies, but also to recognize the dignity of the families and their right to truth and justice.
While this procedure is new, it is not the first time that the international community, as well as civil society and the families, has highlighted the need for the Mexican State to improve its practices at a systemic level (given deficiencies in the performance of the country’s prosecutors’ offices, for example) and has proposed different forms of technical assistance. Both UN bodies and the Inter-American Human Rights System have brought the disappearances crisis to light for years and have urged a reduction in impunity and improved support for victims. The current moment presents an opportunity to move toward these goals.
On Mother’s Day, the undersigned organizations stand in solidarity with the tens of thousands of mothers and families searching for their loved ones in Mexico. We call on the State to listen to and support these families, and to accept international assistance to help end the disappearances crisis.
Source: wola
