National Human Rights Commission (Mexico)

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos, or "CNDH") is the national human rights institution (NHRI) accredited at the United Nations with 'A' status by the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs (the ICC). It is a member of the Network of National Institutions in the Americas, one of four regional groups within the ICC. The Commission is a public institution that enjoys judicial, organizational and functional autonomy from the federal government. Since November 2009 the President of the CNDH has been Raúl Plascencia Villanueva, who succeeded José Luis Soberanes.

History

On February 13, 1989 the Interior Ministry (Secretaría de Gobernación) created the "General Human Rights Department" as a wholly dependent office within the ministry's structure. On June 6, 1990, by presidential decision, the General Human Rights Department" was renamed the "National Human Rights Commission" and gained full autonomy from its parent ministry.

It was not until 1999, after some constitutional reforms, that the National Human Rights Commission became fully independent of the government.

Controversy

In January 2006 the CNDH, in collaboration with the US-based Humane Borders, planned to distribute 70,000 border maps to aid immigrants attempting to cross the US–Mexico border illegally. This...
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