Mexico - IOM has signed an agreement with the Mexican Ministry of the Interior and the Commission of Higher Courts of Mexico to work together to protect the human rights of victims of human trafficking, to prosecute trafficking cases and build to judicial capacity to combat the crime.

According to the Inter-Secretariat Commission to Prevent and Punish Trafficking in Persons in Mexico, federal agencies in 2014 reported 229 pre-trial trafficking investigations, resulting in just 19 convictions or 0.08 percent of all cases. Victims rarely see justice or compensation.

“Signing this agreement is a step forward in combating human trafficking in Mexico. It represents both the commitment of the government to fight this crime, and its capacity to embrace teamwork to obtain better results,” said Christopher Gascon, IOM Chief of Mission in Mexico.

Roberto Campa Cifrián, Mexico’s Vice Minister of the Interior, said: “This agreement will enhance our ability to punish traffickers and protect and assist victims, under the new (oral, adversarial) criminal justice system, as well as strengthen the capacity of the judiciary.”

He went on to present a study identifying trafficking-related training needs in the judicial system. Based on this study, IOM will design courses that take a gender-sensitive approach and focus on human rights.

For further information, please contact José Ramón Cordoba at IOM Mexico, Tel: +52.55.5536.3954, Email: jcordoba@iom.int