Disappearance and murder of a great number of women and girls in Mexico

Doc. 10691

30 September 2005

Disappearance and murder of a great number of women and girls in Mexico

Recommendation 1709 (2005)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 939^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (28 September 2005)

1. The Committee of Ministers has examined with attention Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1709 (2005) on the disappearance and murder of a great number of women and girls in Mexico. It shares the concerns expressed by the Assembly in its Resolution 1454 (2005) on the same subject.

2. The Chairmanship in office of the Committee of Ministers had the opportunity on 5 July last to raise some of these issues with the Minister for Family and Child Welfare of the United Mexican States during her visit to Strasbourg. The Minister outlined the provisions of the new strategy for global family development initiated in Mexico, aiming to re-establish the social fabric, combat the lack of economic security and restore human dignity, particularly that of women. This strategy should, in the long term, help combat the violence and crime against women observed in Ciudad Juarez.

3. The Committee of Ministers welcomes the commitment shown by the Government of Mexico to resolving this problem and its willingness to seek the assistance of international experts to this end. The Committee of Ministers has noted with interest the action undertaken following the recommendations made by these experts.

4. With regard to the Assembly’s proposal that a co-operation and assistance programme be established with Mexico, possibly financed by voluntary contributions, the Committee of Ministers would point out that in view of the relatively limited budgetary and human resources available to the Council of Europe, priority for the use of such resources must be given to addressing the difficult situations in the same field which member states of the Council of Europe are facing.

5. Nonetheless, in the light of the special relations it maintains with Mexico as an observer state to the Council of Europe, it encourages member states to give consideration to any assistance they could provide to Mexico on this matter. It also invites the Mexican authorities to make full use of the expertise available in the intergovernmental committees to which Mexico, as an observer state, is entitled to participate.