Enforced Disappearances and the United Nations

The week of October 5^th was an opportunity to host a delegation from Mexico who came to the United Nations to advocate on behalf of the 132,000 disappeared in Mexico and to present their pleas for redress to the members of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, or SOCHUM) that focuses on global social, humanitarian affairs, and human rights issues.

The Delegates explained that they have been in consultation with the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva since 2012. That was the year 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College disappeared during a peaceful protest at the school. The attention of the Third Committee is the most substantial outcome resulting from their advocacy.

Michael W Chamberlin, a Human Rights consultant and founder and President of Consultora Solidaria in Mexico, led the Delegation.

Additional delegation members included:

Dr. Elizabeth Uruchurtu, sister of Claudia Uruchurtu Cruz, who is a victim of enforced disappearance that occurred in March of 2021;
Cristina Bautista mother of Benjamin Aslmio Baustista, one of the 43 victims of the forced disappearance of 43 male students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College on the night of September 26–27, 2014, in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico;
Omar Gómez Trejo, a Mexican human rights lawyer, internationally recognized for his work as the special prosecutor in the Ayotzinapa case, one of the most emblematic cases of enforced disappearance in contemporary Latin America.
Alberto Solis Castro, is a Lay Dominican and supporter of the Delegation from Mexico. He works for Global Exchange is one of the primary planners of the Dominican Month for Peace.
Marco Castillo, Global Exchange Co-Executive Director, New York Office also joined the Delegation in New York City. Also joining from Global Exchange were Tania Velmoral, Washington Advocacy Coordinator and Elena Gutierrrez, Mexico – US Program Director

During the time that the Delegation was present in New York they did a presentation for the Religious at the United Nations October Monthly Meeting. The participants, who represent various Religious Congregations at the United Nations, were deeply moved by the painful experiences shared by the relatives of the disappeared.

On Thursday afternoon, the Delegates provided a Round Table Forum for a broader United Nations audience at the Church Center. In addition to the reflections of the relatives of the disappeared, Attorney Omar Gómez Trejo who was the lead prosecutor on the Ayotzinapa case—the 2014 mass kidnapping of 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College. This case remains open and unsolved, officially declared a “State Crime” with no convictions yet secured for the abductions.

While the exact final whereabouts of most of the 43 students remain unknown, years of domestic and international oversight have completely dismantled the initial 2015 government cover-up (termed the “Historical Truth”) that claimed that corrupt local police handed the students over to the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel, who incinerated them at a trash dump in Cocula. Independent forensic experts and the UN proved this scenario was scientifically impossible and fabricated using evidence planted by authorities and confessions obtained through torture.

Additional Family delegates will be in New York and the UN the week of October 19th. In addition to continuing their advocacy on behalf of the Disappeared. They are also coming to the United Nations so that they can be present at 3pm on Tuesday, October 20th, when the Chair of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) will present its annual report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly and raise the issue of disappearances in Mexico and the activation of Article 34 of the Convention, according to the Secretary General’s note to all Member States (A/80/737 https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4115570?v=pdf).

Families invite you to join them on Monday, October 19th from 4pm to 6 pm, at the Church Center, 2nd floor, for Enforced Disappearances and the United Nations, a dialogue on the General Assembly’s role in ending the impunity of the enforced disappearances and protecting defenders. If you are unable to be present in person, you can also register to participate via Zoom at https://shorturl.at/l7Mu4 A recording of the dialogue will be available following the event.

A Press Conference will take place on Wednesday, October 21^st from 2 to 3 pm at United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) Room. United Nations Headquarters, New York

On Tuesday, October 20th, there will be a Billboard projection in Times Square, with an image noting the 132,000 disappeared displayed for 15 seconds, once per hour, over 22 consecutive hours.

Here is the recording of the Round Table from last Thursday in case you were unable to participate.