Consulate General of Mexico in New York Consular Activities. Mario Cuevas Consul of Protection

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1 Consulate General of Mexico in New York Consular Activities Mario Cuevas Consul of Protection New York City, October 3 rd, 2008

2 OBJECTIVE The protection of Human Rights is a universal value. It is an individual and collective obligation of the States Members of the International Community I modestly pretend to share the vision of the Mexican Consulate and provoke the dialogue and exchange of opinions

3 Mexico is part of over 58 different international legal instruments related to the protection of Human such as: International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Their Families United Nations Declarations of Human Rights International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

4 U.S. MEXICO 2,000 miles of border Migration = top & hot topic 35 million / Hispanic origin 25 million / Mexican origin 12.2 million / born in Mexico 6 million / undocumented 6.2 million / legal status 400,000 immigrants annually 50% undocumented

5 PROTECTION ACTIVITIES The main priority of the Consulate General in the U.S. is to protect and safeguard the rights of Mexican nationals. a) Safe Repatriations b) Locating missing persons c) Hospitalized People d) Visit Detention facilities e) Minors

6 CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN NEW YORK Provides assistance to the Mexican community and represents the Mexican Government within its jurisdiction. Protects the rights of Mexican nationals in the U.S. Protection (immigration, criminal, labor, civil, family and administrative law, Human Rights)

7 MEXICAN CONSULAR NETWORK IN THE U.S 50 CONSULATES SEATTLE PORTLAND BOSTON SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE LOS ANGELES SACRAMENTO FRESNO LAS VEGAS OXNARD SAN BERNARDINO SANTA ANA SAN DIEGO CALEXICO YUMA DOUGLAS SALT LAKE CITY PHOENIX TUCSON DENVER NOGALES EL PASO ALBUQUERQUE PRESIDIO DEL RIO EAGLE PASS SAN ANTONIO OMAHA KANSAS CITY DALLAS LAREDO AUSTIN McALLEN BROWNSVILLE CHICAGO INDIANAPOLIS HOUSTON DETROIT NUEVA ORLEANS ATLANTA NUEVA YORK FILADELFIA WASHINGTON RALEIGH ORLANDO MIAMI

8 MEXICAN CONSULATES IN U.S. NETWORK: 50 Consulates across U.S. 2,100 staff 840 Foreign Service 1260 local employees

9 CONSULAR FUNCTIONS Legal framework.- Mexico-U.S Bilateral Convention (1942) Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) Registration Services (notary, birth, death and marriage registration) Passports and Consular ID s (Matricula Consul) Community Services (education, health, sports, NGO s) Economic & inter-institutional relations Press & Public Information Cultural Issues Consular Protection

10 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE SAFE AND ORDERLY REPATRIATION OF MEXICAN NATIONALS Signed in 1997 and amended in 2000 U.S. authorities should provide a list of individuals to be repatriated and inform the Mexican migratory authorities In special cases, such as vulnerable people, the U.S. authorities should also inform the Consulate at least 30 min. in advance to each repatriation

11 CONSULAR NOTIFICATION AND ACCESS Article 36 b) of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations If the national so requests, the competent authorities of the receiving State shall, without delay, inform the consular post of the sending State if, within its consular district, a national of that State is arrested or committed to prison or to custody pending trial or is detained in any other manner. Any communication addressed to the consular post by the person arrested, in prison, custody or detention shall also be forwarded by the said authorities without delay. The said authorities shall inform the person concerned without delay of his rights under this sub-paragraph

12 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, 1990 After II World War. Growth, diversification and reorientation of population migration Joint effort from ILO and the U.N Mexico played an active role in the working group for 10 years. It tries to regulate the interaction between sending and receiving countries It is the most comprehensive and systematic instrument which enunciates the human rights of migrant workers and their families It has been ratified by 22 States, all of them from developing countries It needs to be reinforced vigorously by the subscription of receiving countries

13 MEXICAN COMMUNITIES Educational Programs Ventanilla de Salud Program

14 EDUCATION The Consulate coordinates 4 main educational programs: Transference Document for the Migrant Student

15 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS 2. Distant Education for Young and Adults through Electronic Media a) Community Plazas b) Learning Community Centers c) California Project 3. Exchange Program of Teachers 4. Donation of Mexican School Books (Libros de Texto)

16 MOBILE CONSULATE PROGRAM Take the services of the Mexican Consulate to remote areas

17 MIGRANT SAFETY CAMPAIGNS U.S. CBP and Mexico. Public service messages produced in Spanish - focus on children Many of these children were hidden by paid smugglers in the seats, dashboard, gas tank, trunk, engine compartment or other areas of passenger cars and trucks before they entered the U.S. Over 11,500 minors were apprehended trying to enter the U.S. illegally through the border POE s (FY 2007)