DISCLAIMER
This publication was produced at the request of the United States Agency for International
Development. It was prepared independently by Chemonics International Inc.
Promoviendo la Rendición de Cuentas 
por los Derechos Humanos (RED-DH) 
Quarterly Progress Report 
Contract Number: 72052320C00002
Activity Start Date and End Date: August 7, 2020, to August 6, 2025
Total Estimated Cost: 22,760,923 USD
Prime Implementing Partner: Chemonics International Inc. 
Date: July 22, 2022
Version: 
Reporting Period: April 1 to June 30, 2022 (FY22, Q3)
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Acronyms
AI Amnesty International
ASF Superior Auditor of the Federation 
CCC Centro de Colaboración Cívica
CED UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances
CEDHV Veracruz State Human Rights Commission
CJF Council of the Federal Judiciary
CNB National Search Commission
CNC National Citizen Council
CNIH National Center for Human Identification
CNPJ National Conference for the Prosecution of Justice
CRIH Regional Center for Human Identification
DEAPD Special Declaration of Absence due to Disappearance
DGEADH General Directorate of Strategies for the Attention of Human Rights
DGPPDH General Directorate of Human Rights Public Policy
DOF Federal Official Gazette 
EU European Union
FAFG Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation
FEIDT Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of the Crime of Torture
FGR Attorney General’s Office 
FJDL Fray Juan de Larios Diocesan Center for Human Rights
FJEDD Foundation for Justice, and the Democratic State of Law
GLFD General Law on Forced Disappearance 
GLT General Law on Torture 
GOM Government of Mexico
HRW Human Rights Watch 
ICMP International Commission on Missing Persons
LCC Local Citizen Councils
LLE Laboratorio de Litigio Estructural
LSC Local Search Commissions 
MEIF Extraordinary Mechanism for Forensic Identification 
MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
NPPT National Program to Prevent Torture
PHB Unified Search Protocol
PNBP National Search Program
RED-DH Promoviendo la Rendición de Cuentas por los Derechos Humanos
RNPDNO National Registry of Missing or Disappeared Persons
SEGOB Ministry of the Interior
UDDH Unit for the Defense of Human Rights
UN-CAT UN Committee against Torture
USAID United States Agency for International Development
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Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................................................3
2. Context Analysis...................................................................................................................................................4
3. Indicator Progress.................................................................................................................................................4
4. Accomplishments and Overall Status............................................................................................................ 20
5. Programmatic Challenges (and/or Lessons Learned)................................................................................. 38
6. Major Activities and Corrective Actions...................................................................................................... 39
7. Updates on Evaluation and Learning Plans and Activities......................................................................... 39
8. Gender Activities............................................................................................................................................... 39
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1. Executive Summary
Activity Name Promoviendo la Rendición de Cuentas por los Derechos Humanos 
(RED-DH)
Activity Purpose
RED-DH will enhance the capacity and commitment of the Government of 
Mexico (GOM) to provide effective and accountable responses to gross human 
rights violations, such as forced disappearances and torture, by: strengthening 
national oversight mechanisms and enhancing inter-governmental coordination; 
supporting state-level implementation of laws and safeguards to prevent and 
respond to human rights abuses; and by providing targeted forensic technical 
assistance to address the backlog of unidentified remains in five priority states.
Activity Description
In 2017, the GOM responded to the human rights crisis with several diverse 
initiatives. To further select initiatives, the General Laws on Torture and on 
Forced Disappearances were approved by the GOM in 2017. For these General 
Laws to be implemented at the federal and state levels, it is essential that there 
are competent authorities, efficient institutions, and an active and participatory 
civil society. To ensure the previous, RED-DH will work with GOM counterparts 
at the federal and state levels - including decentralized and autonomous 
institutions and targeted subnational government entities, forensic experts, 
victims’ collectives, and civil society.
COMPONENT 1. Establish and sustain national oversight, coordination, and 
implementation mechanisms to deliver GOM commitments under the 2017 
General Laws on Torture and Forced Disappearances
COMPONENT 2. Enhance implementation of the 2017 General Laws on 
Torture and Forced Disappearances in five priority states Coahuila, Jalisco, Puebla, 
Sonora, and Veracruz. 
COMPONENT 3. Decrease the backlog in forensic cases in priority states: 
Coahuila, Jalisco, Puebla, Sonora, and Veracruz
Geographic Areas RED-DH works at the federal level and in five priority states: Coahuila, Jalisco, 
Puebla, Sonora, and Veracruz.
Reporting Period Year Two, Quarter Three (April 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022).
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2. Context Analysis
2.1. Relevant background and context information for the RED-DH Activity
• Mexico has been going through a severe crisis of violence and insecurity for several years, which 
increased with the so-called "war on drugs" in 2006, leading to alarming levels of crimes and human 
rights violations. The ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies has weakened the rule of law, 
creating structural conditions of impunity and challenges that the Government of Mexico (GOM) 
must address urgently.
• In 2017, the General Law on Torture (GLT) (June 26) and the General Law on Forced Disappearance 
(GLFD) (November 17) were published in the Federal Official Gazette (DOF).
• President Andres Manuel López Obrador took office (December 2018) one year after the GLT and 
GLFD were published in the DOF. However, to this day, essential components of both laws have not 
been implemented, largely due to weak coordination and a lack of systems for information sharing 
and coordinated operations among the many local and federal human rights system actors.
• During the first days of his administration, President López Obrador acknowledged the enormous 
challenges the State faces in addressing human rights violations and recognized the need to take 
decisive actions. In this regard, under the leadership of Alejandro Encinas, Undersecretary for Human 
Rights, there have been significant commitments to advance the human rights agenda. 
• Even though the GOM has taken significant steps toward building an institutional framework that 
puts the search for missing persons as a cornerstone of the federal policy, with the understanding 
that it is an obligation of the State, challenges remain. 
• Presidential Elections in Mexico are scheduled for June 2, 2024. More than 95 million Mexicans are 
expected to go to the polls to elect the successor of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The new 
government will take office on December 1, 2024. At a time when RED-DH will begin the last year 
of implementation.
Please refer to Annex A for more information on the context that foregoes RED-DH’s design.
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2.2. Mexico and the United States' bilateral relationship and relevant points within the human 
rights agenda
This quarter saw important developments in the bilateral agenda between Mexico and the United States. On 
May 18, Mileydi Guilarte, Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Latin America and the 
Caribbean, visited Mexico for a second time. The visit focused on meeting with civil society organizations and 
implementing partners of USAID/Mexico to review efforts on economic development, climate change, and 
the rule of law. Within the human rights agenda, she met with several organizations to discuss the 
importance of incorporating a gender perspective in policies to prevent human rights violations, and with the 
National Search Commissioner to assess current collaborations to strengthen the respect and protection of 
human rights in Mexico. 
On June 6, 17 members of the United States Congress sent a letter to State Secretary, Anthony Blinken, and 
USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, asking “for information on US Cooperation and efforts to address 
Mexico’s disappearance crisis.” The official communication urged strong bilateral cooperation guided by 
consultation with the families of disappeared persons and civil society organizations working on the matter. 
The Members of Congress also pushed to promote the correct implementation of the Unified Search 
Protocol, increase support to tackle Mexico’s backlog of unidentified bodies and remains, and ensure 
authorities have the resources to investigate these cases and obtain justice.
On June 23, 2022, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. House of Representatives held a 
public hearing on Human Rights Challenges in Mexico, with testimonies from members of the Centro de 
Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez, ARTICLE 19, Human Rights Watch, and the Washington 
Office on Latin America. During the hearing, the attendees delivered an overview of the human rights crisis 
in Mexico, which according to them, has become exacerbated by the high levels of corruption and impunity. 
The hearing can be watched here. 
Meanwhile, in Mexico, on June 20, USAID participated in a workshop held by the National Search 
Commission with embassies, international cooperation agencies, and international organizations to share 
experiences in supporting search and forensic identification efforts of the GOM. USAID shared current 
actions carried out through grantees CEDEHM, CADHAC, and its RED-DH Activity at the event. 
The quarter closed with a meeting held between US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, and 
Undersecretary Encinas on June 27. The purpose was to review and move forward with the commitments 
set under the Bicentennial Security Framework. 
For more information on the background of the bilateral cooperation agenda between the United States and 
Mexico, please review Annex B.
2.3. National Overview: Human Rights Context
From March 28 to April 8, the UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances (CED) held a work session 
to review Greece, Niger and adopt its visit report on Mexico, which was carried out from November 15 to 
26, 2021. Four days later, the CED published the findings of the visit, which detailed recent trends, root 
causes, and ongoing challenges of forced disappearances in Mexico. The report stated that public agents 
and organized crime were responsible for Mexico’s increasing numbers of forced disappearances. The 
Committee urged Mexico to strengthen search and investigation processes, provide adequate human and 
financial support to the National Search Commission and local commissions, and ensure systematic and 
effective coordination of all institutions involved in the search, investigation, reparation, and accompaniment 
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to victims. The Committee also called on Mexico to remove obstacles to prosecutions, give due attention to 
disappearances of migrants, and address the forensic crisis. 
On April 12, the Department of State presented the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. In 
the case of Mexico, the report highlighted issues related to the crimes of torture and forced disappearances
and warned that impunity and meager prosecution rates remained a problem for all crimes, including human 
rights abuses. It also identified unlawful killings committed by government agents, forced disappearances, 
arbitrary detentions, torture, and restrictions on the freedom of expression as Mexico’s most significant 
human rights issues. The report noted that 11 journalists had been killed in 2022 (since the report’s 
publication, the number has risen to 12) and a 137% increase in femicides between 2015 and 2021.
On May 16, Mexico reached the grim number of 100,000 people registered as disappeared or missing.
National and international organizations, including the US Embassy, issued communications and press releases 
expressing concern and urging the GOM to work through the crisis. In response, the Undersecretary for 
Human Rights published an Op-Ed stating the importance of combating the institutional inertia that leads to 
impunity and the complicity and corruption of state agents so networks of criminal groups that have made 
the strategy of disappearance a daily method, can be dismantled. He also recognized that federal, state, and 
municipal governments must strengthen actions to prevent and prosecute this crime and, particularly, end 
impunity.
On June 2, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued its 2021 Annual Report, which 
includes a chapter on the sixth follow-up report to the recommendations made to Mexico after its 2015 
visit. The report welcomed Mexico’s adoption of measures to implement the GLFD, such as the installation
and operation of Local Search Commissions, the creation of a National Roundtable for the Search for 
Disappeared Migrant Persons, and the publication of the Additional Protocol for the Search of Children and 
Adolescents. The IACHR also recognized efforts to strengthen forensic capacities through building
infrastructure for forensic activities and operation of the Extraordinary Forensic Identification Mechanism 
(MEIF). However, the IACHR also pointed out that the National Search Program, the National Exhumation 
and Identification Program, the implementation of a National Forensic Data Bank, a National Registry of 
Unidentified Deceased Persons, and a National Registry of Graves were pending. Therefore, it called on the 
GOM to “redouble its efforts in order to fully comply with its programmatic and regulatory obligations in connection 
with disappearances.”
With regards to the forensic crisis, on March 31, 2022, the President submitted to Congress an initiative 
amending and adding several provisions of the GLFD and creating the National Center for Human 
Identification (CNIH). The initiative was turned over to Congress and the Senate at the beginning of April for 
relevant discussion and analysis. On April 26, the initiative was approved and turned over to the President 
for publication in the DOF. On May 13, the creation of the CNIH as an administrative unit with technical￾scientific independence attached to the CNB was published in the DOF. 
The decree creating the CNIH came into force on May 16, stating that the Center should begin functions 
within ninety days (approximately September 20, 2022). Once the operation starts, the CNB will have until 
January 25, 2023, to issue the guidelines to regulate the information provided by the FGR and other 
authorities. In addition, the National Search System and the National Law Enforcement Conference must 
complete the necessary adjustments to the Unified Investigation Protocol and Search Protocols.
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With the creation of the CNIH, the GOM is prioritizing human identification using a massive approach in 
compliance with the recommendations of the CED. The law now grants powers to the CNB to guide the 
operation of the CNIH, and collaborate with Local Search Commissions, the General Prosecutor’s Office 
(FGR), Specialized Prosecutors’ Offices, and any other institutions that contribute to the identification of 
bodies and human remains within the National Search System. 
Some of the most important functions of the CNIH are: 
• To determine, execute, and monitor forensic search actions for human identification purposes from 
an individualized or generalized perspective throughout the country.
• To recover, collect, safeguard, transfer, transport, and analyze the bodies, human remains, and bone 
samples for genetic processing for human identification.
• To safeguard the information intended for human identification. Once processed, the CNIH will 
forward the information to the competent authorities and inform interested families about the 
applicable legal provisions.
• To request the information concerning the search of disappeared persons and the identification of 
bodies and human remains under their custody from any government institution, forensic service, 
FGR, Specialized Prosecutor’s Offices, and other competent authorities. 
• To carry out campaigns to collect DNA reference samples at the national level. This will allow the 
collection of genetic information from the relatives of disappeared persons without an ongoing legal 
process. 
• To inspect cemeteries, mass graves, or any other places that might shelter bodies or human remains 
and unidentified biological evidence.
On June 20, Undersecretary Encinas shared in a meeting with embassies and international cooperation 
agencies progress on the installation of the CNIH, where he confirmed that the CNIH would be built in 
Xochitepec, Morelos. Mr. Encinas also announced the purchase of specialized equipment and the collection 
of reference samples from relatives around the country. The CNB and FAFG, with whom RED-DH 
collaborates, will lead this work. 
In response to the creation of the CNIH, several groups of relatives of disappeared persons, and national and 
international organizations raised budget-related concerns, given that the e decree establishes that any costs 
related to its operation must come from the currently approved fiscal year budgets. 
Complementary to the above, on May 25, the GOM announced the development of a world-class laboratory 
at the National Institute of Genomic Medicine to address the human identification crisis. 
As for the issue of Torture, on June 26, Mexico commemorated the International Day in Support of Victims 
of Torture, which also marked five years since the GLT came into force. Despite this, civil society 
organizations that comprise the Observatory Against Torture, issued an urgent call for authorities to 
overcome delays in the publication and implementation of the National Program to Prevent Torture (NPPT). 
Without this important public policy, government authorities in charge of torture prevention, investigation,
and sanction cannot effectively coordinate actions to address and eradicate this crime. The GOM made 
significant progress during this quarter with respect to the National Program proposal. However, to date, 
the Program has not been officially approved or presented.
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Additionally, in late June, the UN Committee against Torture (UN-CAT) issued the list of subjects for the 
presentation of Mexico’s 8th periodic report. Among the most important ones are pending legal 
modifications to the crime of torture, conditions and exercised rights of persons deprived of their liberty, 
approval of the NPPT, resources allocated to the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture, 
records, and information on victims, and reparation measures. In the coming months, Mexico will have to 
respond and provide the requested information.
On June 27, the Ministry of the Interior presented a National Assessment of Sexual Torture Against Women 
Deprived of Liberty. The report is part of the actions carried out by the GOM to comply with the decision 
of the IACHR in the Case of Women Victims of Sexual Torture in Atenco vs. Mexico. Through 1,280 
interviews with women deprived of their liberty in 66 prisons distributed in the 32 states of the country, the 
assessment placed sexual torture on the public agenda, highlighting structural flaws in the delivery of justice, 
and identifying challenges of the government to prevent and eradicate this issue.
On June 29, the OHCHR presented the updated version of the Istanbul Protocol. The Protocol sets out 
international standards on how effective legal and medico-legal investigations into allegations of torture or ill￾treatment should be conducted. This new edition, which builds upon the one of 2004, is the result of the 
cooperation among civil society, practitioners, academics, and members of all United Nations anti-torture 
mechanisms, namely the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other 
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, 
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of 
Torture. 
Finally, on June 18, the GOM announced the opening of military archives for the Commission of Access to 
the Truth, Historical Clarification, and the Promotion of Justice of the gross human rights committed from 
1965 to 1990. In the presence of authorities, families, and survivors, the commission detailed the 
collaboration with the Army, consisting of acknowledgment actions, searches in military installations, and 
review of files.
Next quarter RED-DH will update the information on the assigned budget to human rights-related 
institutions and its follow-up, which can be found in Annex C. Federal Human Rights Budget.
2.4 State overview
As mentioned earlier, various national and international organizations presented reports with valuable data 
regarding the human rights context this quarter. Both the CED Report published on April 12 and the Report 
on the Situation of Human Rights in Mexico of the IACHR published on June 2, recognized challenges and 
progress in forensic identification efforts carried out in three RED-DH priority states: Coahuila, Sonora, and 
Jalisco. Moreover, in the case of Sonora and Coahuila, the development of Northwest and Northeast 
Regional Plans, which USAID is supporting, were recognized as outstanding public policies for the search for
disappeared people.
On another matter, on May 17, the World Justice Project published the Index of the Rule of Law in Mexico 
2021-2022. The Index, which began in 2018, shows the degree of adherence to the Rule of Law of each 
Mexican state. 
According to the assessment, RED-DH’s priority states obtained the following results on a scale of 0 (least 
commitment to the Rule of Law) to 1 (greatest commitment):
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• Puebla, with an overall score of 0.37, presents challenges, particularly in corruption and criminal 
justice. 
• Jalisco, Veracruz, and Sonora 0.38 with challenges in criminal justice, corruption, order, and security.
• Coahuila was above the national average with a score of 0.44, showing challenges in terms of defining 
limits to government power. 
Least commitment to the Rule of Law Greater commitment to the Rule of Law
0.37 0.38 0.38 0.38 0.41 0.44
Puebla
Ranks 27 of 32 
Jalisco
Ranks 24 of 32
Veracruz
Ranks 23 of 32
Sonora
Ranks 22 of 32
National 
Average
Coahuila
Ranks 10 of 32
In addition, on May 21, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) presented the results of 
the National Survey of Government Quality and Impact (ENCIG) 2019. Every two years, the ENCIG seeks 
to obtain information about the population’s experience, perception, and evaluation of the government’s 
services. Below is a state comparison of the population percentage regarding trust in the following four 
institutions: municipal governments, state governments, judges and magistrates, and the police. While the 
federal government remains the institution with the most trust, the police continues to be the institution 
with the least trust from citizens. 
State Federal 
Govt
Municipal 
Govt
State 
Govt Judges Police Average
Coahuila 63.3 59.2 52.6 46.0 41.4 52.5
Veracruz 63.2 50.7 47.3 38.5 38.1 47.56
Jalisco 51.9 50.1 40.3 37.0 31.4 42.14
Nacional 51.2 44.3 40.5 35.1 33.5 40.92
Sonora 54.7 37.0 40.4 32.2 29.4 38.74
Puebla 47.5 35.9 31.6 30.8 25.8 34.32
As for torture, the national assessment made by the GOM on sexual torture in women deprived of their 
liberty, uncovered that the central region of Mexico (which includes Puebla) documented the highest number 
of cases with 155, followed by the north (which includes Coahuila and Sonora) with 97, the south (including 
Veracruz) with 95, and the west (including Jalisco) with 65. The findings also show a prevalence of sexual 
torture against women aged between 30 and 39 in the north, center, and west regions. In the case of the 
south, the average age of victims is 18 to 29 years. This data implies the need to strengthen the differentiated 
approach in strategies for the prevention and eradication of torture, not only by gender but also by age. The 
assessment also measured the number of complaints related to law enforcement, with Puebla counting an 
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unprecedented number of 312, Veracruz 62, Jalisco 54, Sonora 3, and Coahuila 0. In addition to the filed 
complaints of torture, the report also notes challenges in the delivery of justice, the lack of victim support,
and the few sanctions against those responsible.
Finally, in terms of the budget allocation of Local Search Commissions, the federal subsidy agreements were 
published this quarter. As a result, the Ministry of the Interior distributed federal subsidies for search actions 
in 2022, as follows:
State Agreement publication date Amount (MXN and USD)
Jalisco April 28, 2022 MXN $18,859,775.02
USD $942,988.75
Puebla April 29, 2022 MXN $18,868,175.00
USD $943,408.75
Sonora Mayo 2, 2022 MXN $18,868,175.00
USD $943,408.75
Veracruz Mayo 5, 2022 MXN $18,868,175.00
USD $943,408.75
Coahuila June 1, 2022 MXN $18,860,607.72
USD $943,030.38
*Exchange rate: USD 1 = MXN 20
Coahuila 
In Coahuila, the Regional Center for Human Identification continued its forensic strategy with a massive 
identification approach. With USAID’s support, the Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala 
(FAFG) began collecting DNA reference samples from victims’ relatives and exhumations in mass graves. 
Regarding forced disappearances, Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme promised to address the 
recommendations issued by the CED, which involve prevention, access to justice, search actions, and 
attention to victims.
On the other hand, family members and civil society organizations continued searching for disappeared 
persons. An example was the Eighth International Caravan for the Search of the Disappeared that began on 
April 24 in Torreon, Coahuila, with the participation of victims of various states and countries.
Jalisco
Governor Enrique Alfaro presented a reinforcement plan for the State Search Strategy for 2022-2024. The 
program contains the priority objectives outlined for the next two years, focusing on areas related to the 
search for disappeared persons, the identification of deceased persons, attention to victims, investigation, 
prosecution, and prevention of disappearances. The Plan highlighted the specialized training provided in 2021 
and 2022 to the State Search Commission, supported by USAID through RED-DH. Governor Alfaro also 
highlighted the creation of Jalisco’s Human Identification Center under Jalisco’s Institute of Forensic Sciences 
with personnel dedicated to identifying long-deceased persons. This Center will begin its work with a 
controlled exhumation in the Coyula Pantheon, with the National Search Commission and FAFG with UE 
funds. 
On June 21, the state government published the guidelines for electing the President of the State Human 
Rights Commission, establishing a deadline of August 1 for the selection of the new President.
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Finally, Jalisco will see another important change in public officials from key institutions. The State Search 
Commissioner, Francelia Cuevas, will leave her position on July 1 with Víctor Hugo Ávila, who served as an 
advisor to the Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation, temporarily occupying the position. The 
announced departure of the Commissioner comes after groups of relatives of disappeared persons and civil 
society organizations from Jalisco denounced irregularities in the operation of the Commission, such as the 
constant rotation of personnel who had proven to be efficient. The State Search Citizen Council issued a 
statement urging the Government of Jalisco to follow the applicable regulations in the appointment of the
new head of the State Search Commission. To select a new Commissioner, the state government must issue 
a public, open, transparent, and inclusive call, where relatives of disappeared persons are allowed to 
participate in all stages of the process.
As for the context of torture, on April 20, different organizations responded to news of acts of torture 
inside the detention center of Puente Grande. As a result, the groups issued a statement requesting 
authorities to provide attention to victims, justice, and non-repetition measures.
Puebla
In the context of the March of Mothers of Victims of Disappearance held on May 10, the search collective 
“La Voz de los Desaparecidos” met with Governor Miguel Barbosa and State Prosecutor Gilberto Higuera to 
establish consensuses for the investigation and advancement of public policies regarding forced 
disappearances. As a result of the previous , the State Prosecutor issued an agreement on April 21 creating 
an Internal Committee to Support the Investigation and Prosecution of Forced Disappearances. The 
Committee will be a collegiate body that will advise and support the investigation and prosecution of crimes 
for which the Specialized Investigation Unit for the Investigation of Disappearances and the Unit for the 
Search of Missing Women and Girls of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for the Investigation of the Crimes 
of Forced Disappearance are responsible.
Sonora
On May 5, Governor Alfonso Durazo presented the app “ID Sonora.” This technological tool aims to 
facilitate the search, location, and identification of disappeared persons, allowing anyone to upload 
information that helps identify bodies in the custody of the State Prosecutor’s Office. On May 21, during his 
visit to Sonora, President López Obrador vowed to continue searching for those forcibly disappeared and 
boasted the importance of the identification app.
It should be noted that during this quarter, there were tensions between groups of victims and the Local 
Search Commission related to the requests from Madres Buscadoras de Sonora group for the dismissal of 
the head of the State Search Commission. The group argued that the Commissioner had failed to carry out 
his work, did not accompany the mothers in their searches and lacked an adequate attention to victims. 
Finally, as a result of USAID support, on June 13, Sonora’s Prosecutor published a Citizen Policy on Criminal 
Prosecution, establishing the prioritization of gross human rights violations. 
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Veracruz 
On May 31, Governor Cuitláhuac García officiated an act of public apology to the relatives of Jacob Vicente 
Jiménez González, Abraham Torres, Camilo Silva and Carlos Rojas, victims of forced disappearance during a 
security exercise called Operación Blindaje Coatzacoalcos carried out in 2015. The act, which included the 
participation of the OHCHR, is part of reparation measures for victims established in Recommendation 
170/2020 issued by the State Human Rights Commission.
During this quarter, six new members of the State Citizen Council took office. In compliance with the State’s 
Law on Disappearance, the new members are two relatives of disappeared persons, two technical specialists, 
and two representatives of civil society organizations. This represents an important step, as the Council is 
essential to the State Coordination Mechanism for the Search of Persons.
Furthermore, on April 25, the State Search Commission participated in the second work session of the 
National Technical Coordination for Harmonization and Application of the Protocol to Search for Missing 
Women and Girls. 
Finally, on May 17, the State Search Commission carried out 15 workshops to train police offers from 81 
municipalities in matters related to the General and State Laws on Forced Disappearance and the Unified 
Search Protocol. 
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3. Indicator Progress
The Indicator Summary Table, which includes detailed information about RED-DH’s indicators as defined in 
the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan, is presented in Annex D.
This quarter, RED-DH achieved or surpassed the following three indicators: 
• Indicator 5 with one case that progressed in criminal proceedings.
• Indicator 8 with four public policy proposals, reaching 14 in Year 2.
• Indicator 10 with eight reports delivered to authorities, reaching 24 in Year 2.
In total, RED-DH has reached or surpassed the targets of 15 indicators and continues working on activities 
related to indicators 3 (actors that report to torture registries) and 15 (family reference samples), which are 
the only pending targets for Year 2.
The following section shows progress achieved in each indicator.
Context Indicator 1. Number of torture and other ill-treatment complaints received by National and 
State Human Rights Commissions in RED-DH priority states.
*The reporting frequency of this indicator is semiannual. The information displayed below pertains to the 
previous quarter (Y2Q2).
Commission Torture complaints received 
(Y2Q2)
Other ill-treatment 
complaints received (Y2Q2)
National 19 130
State-Coahuila 30 19
State-Jalisco 8 0
State-Puebla 15 11
State-Sonora 1 0
State-Veracruz 22 29
Context Indicator 2. Number of missing persons registered.
Data from the RNPDNO:
From January 01, 1964, to March 31, 2022:
National total= 98,707.
Males= 73,716.
Females= 24,475.
Unknown= 516.
14 or younger = 7,802.
*Date reviewed: July 7, 2022. 
From January 01, 1964, to June 30, 2022:
National total= 100,897.
Males=75,409. 
Females= 24,895.
Unknown= 593.
14 or younger = 7,954.
Compared to the last quarter, the increase of disappearances or missing people was similar among females 
(1.71%), males (2.29%), and 14 or younger (1.94%). 
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Indicator 3. Number of supported GOM actors who report to the National Registry of Victims of Torture 
or to the National Registry for the Crime of Torture. Target Y2= 1 Accomplished: 0
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 0%
Current status:
• RED-DH continues collaborating with Federal and State authorities to support the operation of 
torture registries. Through different activities, RED-DH is engaging with GOM actors in Puebla, and 
Veracruz. Progress on this indicator will be reported next quarter. 
Indicator 4. Number of strengthened GOM service delivery systems to victims of torture and 
disappearance.
Target Y1= 4
Total accomplished = 5 
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 125%
Q3. Results:
• On April 5, 2022, Veracruz’s Commission of Attention to Victims (CEEAIV) acknowledged RED￾DH’s proposal to improve its internal regulations. Through a dynamic methodology that involves 
analysis of laws and exchanges with relevant public officials, the document provides
recommendations to improve its internal structure, strengthen the functions of the State 
Commissioner, and streamline internal processes. The CEEAIV will now use this proposal as part of 
a consultation process with stakeholders. 
Indicator 5. Number of torture and disappearance cases that show progress in criminal proceedings.
Target Y2= 0
Total Accomplished: 1
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: Targets have been set from Year 3 onwards. 
Q3. Current status:
Monica Ruth Rojas was forcedly disappeared in the State of Mexico on October 21, 2019. Her last known 
location was her employer’s facility. A year later, on October 11, 2020, her body was found in Ocosingo, 
Morelos, a nearby state. After significant efforts and legal support from grantee IDHEAS, the case officially 
moved to the trial phase. On February 28, 2022, the first hearing was held Progress was reported this 
quarter as the verification methods of the hearing only became available in June, 2022. 
Page 15
Indicator 6. Percent decrease in the backlog of unidentified remains at the federal level and in RED-DH 
priority state
Target Y2= -10%
Total Accomplished: -35.96
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 360%
Q3. Results:
• RED-DH continues addressing the forensic backlog by supporting the processing of human remains 
through grantee FAFG and capacity-building to the Regional Center for Human Identification. RED￾DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 7. Number of missing persons identified.
Target Y2= 11
Total Accomplished: 41
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 373%
Q3. Results:
• RED-DH continues addressing the forensic backlog by supporting the processing of human remains 
through grantee FAFG and capacity-building to the Regional Center for Human Identification. RED￾DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 8. Number of public policies proposed to or adopted by the GOM to address torture and 
disappearances. 
Target Y2= 12
Total Accomplished: 14
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 117%
Q3. Results:
• On March 9, 2022, the grantee International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) delivered to 
the FGR the Validation Method for the Adoption of New DNA Extraction Methods. This document 
includes the route to validate two protocols: Complete Demineralization and Dabney, both used to 
identify people. The document also consists of a methodology and nine steps to validate these
processes. 
• On May 25, 2022, RED-DH proposed comprehensive public policy recommendations to strengthen 
the CNB's performance in the implementation of a methodology for generalized searches. These 
include operational recommendations on managing archives from mass graves in two of Jalisco's 
pantheons (Nuevo Guadalajara and Mezquitan). The recommendations also include guidance at the 
state and national levels to improve burial records of cemeteries. 
• On June 13, 2022, RED-DH proposed guidelines to the CNB to strengthen the RNPDNO. This 
proposal allows the CNB to comply with the legal requirements of the Personal Data Protection 
Act.
• On June 20, 2022, RED-DH delivered to the Ministry of the Interior a digital platform to monitor the 
implementation of the National Human Rights Program.
* This indicator includes results from last since data sources to validate those achievements only became 
available this quarter. Mainly as a result of dynamics with GOM counterparts.
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Indicator 9. Number of communication campaigns to raise public awareness on torture and disappearance.
Target Y2= 15
Total Accomplished: 18
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 120%
Q3. Results:
• This quarter RED-DH worked with different grantees on designing and implementing communication 
campaigns. RED-DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 10. Number of reports or analyses developed with project support to improve the prevention 
and investigation of torture and disappearances carried out by GOM authorities.
Target Y2= 24
Total Accomplished: 24
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 100%
Q3. Results:
• On January 24, 2022, RED-DH delivered to the FGR a technical review of the Unified Protocol for 
the Investigation of Torture. 
• On January 25, 2022, grantee ICMP delivered to the FGR a report of the exchanges that members of 
both organizations had during 2021 and 2022 on effective DNA sampling, new technologies for DNA 
analysis, strategies for massive comparisons, data processing, and the iDMS system. From that 
comprehensive experience, ICMP identified areas of opportunity and shared those findings with the 
FGR. 
On March 10, 2022, grantee ICMP delivered to the FGR an assessment of areas of opportunity to 
strengthen the FGR’s forensic services in processing DNA samples. 
• On May 04, 2022, RED-DH developed a context analysis report of disappearances for Altos Norte, 
Jalisco, which includes a conceptual map of unrest in Mexico and a description of the profiles of 
disappeared people. The report aims to improve the CNB’s knowledge of disappearances in the
region with recommendations on how to carry out future search efforts. 
• On May 04, 2022, RED-DH delivered to the CNB a report with systematized experiences of Local 
Search Commissions regarding context analysis. 
• On May 04, 2022, RED-DH supported Guerrero’s Local Search Commission to develop a context
analysis. 
• On May 25, 2022, RED-DH delivered to the CNB a Report of Mass Graves that comprises: 1) an 
overview of mass graves at the national level; 2) previous initiatives to search for disappeared people 
at local pantheons; 3) a mass grave search methodology under the experience of the CNB; and 4) 
recommendations to improve the management of registries of mass graves to identify disappeared 
people.
On June 30, 2022, RED-DH delivered to the CNB a report evaluating the impact of personal data on 
the RNPDNO.
* This indicator includes results from last since data sources to validate those achievements only became 
available this quarter. Mainly as a result of dynamics with GOM counterparts. 
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Indicator 11. Number of torture and disappearance cases supported, to improve investigations and/or 
administrative measures for victims and families.
Target Y2= 25
Total Accomplished: 98
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 392%
Q3. Results:
• This quarter, RED-DH supported eight additional cases in Veracruz from the Solecito Collective.
Indicator 12. Number of strategies developed for prosecution authorities to advance with the investigation 
of torture and disappearance cases.
Target Y2= 4
Total Accomplished: 16
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 400%
Q3. Results:
This quarter, RED-DH continued working with different organizations to develop strategies to report under 
this indicator. RED-DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 13. Number of coordinated ventures among state and non-state actors involved in the protection 
of human rights.
Target Y2= 8
Total Accomplished: 13
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 163%
Q3. Results:
• Between March 25 and June 17, 2022, RED-DH organized five exchanges between authorities from
Tabasco’s Prosecutors Office on Human Rights and subject-matter experts on torture and 
disappearance to gain different insights to address these cases. The topics covered strengthening 
capacities of justice institutions, case management models, technical assistance to deal with torture 
and disappearance cases, the role of Prosecutors roles in cases of torture and other ill-treatment, 
and attention to victims. 
• On May 4, 2022, grantee Laboratorio de Litigio Estructural (LLE) and the Federal Institute of Public 
Defense presented a series of guidelines for the application of principles on effective interviews for 
investigation and information gathering, also known as the “Méndez Principles”. A total of 185 
government officials attended the event.
• On June 17, 2022, grantee the Iberoamerican University of Puebla gathered search collectives, high￾rank public officials from Puebla’s Government, and the local Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on 
Forced Disappearance to discuss the implementation of the GLFD in that state and family’s needs. 
The meeting went beyond the discussion and led to agreements focused on coordination between 
these actors and future training for public officials.
Between April 22 and June 23, 2022, grantee NKUC carried out discussions with the National Search 
Commission and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on Human Rights to review preliminary 
strategies, acting guidelines, and feedback for the development of the National Search Program. 
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Indicator 14. Number of human remains processed to obtain DNA information.
Target Y2= 200
Total Accomplished: 681
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 341%
Q3. Results:
• RED-DH continues addressing the forensic backlog by supporting the processing of human remains 
through grantee FAFG and capacity-building to the Regional Center for Human Identification. RED￾DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 15. Number of family reference samples collected and processed.
Target Y2= 500
Total Accomplished: 244
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 49% 
Q3. Results:
• RED-DH continues working on the collection of family reference samples in Coahuila through 
grantee FAFG. RED-DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 16. Number of notifications to families about the identification of missing persons.
Target Y2= 1
Total Accomplished: 6
Q3. Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 600%
Results:
• RED-DH continues addressing the forensic backlog by supporting the processing of human remains 
through grantee FAFG and capacity-building to the Regional Center for Human Identification. RED￾DH will report progress on this and other efforts next quarter.
Indicator 17. Number of human rights organizations trained and supported.
Target Y2= 12
Total Accomplished: 27 
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 225% 
Q3. Results:
• This quarter, grantee Instituto Mexicano de Derechos Humanos y Democracia (IMDHD) concluded
training search collectives in Veracruz on the Special Declaration of Absence. RED-DH will report 
the results of this next quarter after reviewing the methods of verification. 
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Indicator 18. Number of government officials receiving USG-supported human rights training.
Target Y2= 75
Total Accomplished: 157 (78 males and 79 females).
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 209 %
Q3. Results:
• Between May 18 and 19, 2022, subcontractor Importare trained six government officials on the use 
of the platform to monitor the implementation of the National Human Rights Program.
• Between April 25, and May 24, 2022, grantee ICMP trained 23 government officials from the FGR on 
DNA extraction methods.
Indicator 19. Number of persons trained with USG assistance to advance outcomes consistent with gender 
equality or female empowerment through their roles in public or private sector institutions or organizations.
Target Y2= 20
Total Accomplished: 31
Percentage of Y2 Achieved: 155%
Q3. RED-DH:
• RED-DH is working with grantee ITESO in the implementation of a training for authorities with 
gender components. Progress on the matter will be reported next quarter. 
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4. Accomplishments and Overall Status 
COMPONENT 1. Establish and sustain national oversight, coordination, and implementation 
mechanisms to deliver GOM commitments under the 2017 General Laws on Torture and 
Forced Disappearances.
Key Outcome 1: National oversight, coordination, and implementation mechanisms to deliver 
GOM commitments under the 2017 General Laws on Torture and Forced Disappearances 
established and sustained.
Key Result 1.1 National plans / programs, policies, and oversight mechanisms in place for the 
EM on Forensic Identification of Disappeared Persons to oversee commitments and 
coordinate implementation with GOM agencies. 
1.1.1. Recover experiences and best practices in forensic investigation for the EM. 
1.1.1.a. Recover experiences and best practices in forensic investigation for the EM.
1.1.2. Provide technical support to track, identify, and report on disappeared persons and their remains.
1.1.2.a. Promote technical support for the creation and enforcement of minimum forensic standards.
RED-DH has followed the MEIF’s first year of work closely and is currently holding discussions with its 
Coordinating Group and USAID to explore potential areas of collaboration. Meantime, through a grant 
awarded to the Centro de Colaboración Cívica (CCC) in May 2022, RED-DH is supporting the dissemination 
of the MEIF’s work among relatives of disappeared persons. Specifically, this grant will:
• Enable dialogue and capacity building for groups of relatives of disappeared persons and civil society 
to develop public policies for the search and identification of persons in Mexico.
• Articulate negotiation spaces between groups of relatives of disappeared persons, civil society, and 
federal authorities to advance the adoption of policies focused on the search and identification of 
disappeared persons.
• Foster spaces with groups of relatives of disappeared persons to disseminate the work of the MEIF.
Key Result 1.2 CNB provides effective oversight of search efforts with states.
1.2.1. Provide needs-based support to CNB
An essential part of RED-DH’s collaboration with the CNB has consisted in reviewing and analyzing relevant 
regulatory frameworks regarding forced disappearances and in designing proposals to strengthen the CNB’s 
capacities and legal attributions. This support is a critical contribution to a more effective search processes 
and the guarantee of the rights of disappeared persons and their families. 
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1.2.1.a. Enable tools for state-level Context Analysis Units for Search and Investigations in coordination with 
FGEs.
Since January 2021, RED-DH has provided technical assistance to the CNB through a team of specialized 
consultants to build the capacities of Context Analysis Units (CAU). By strengthening the skills of authorities 
in charge of searching for disappeared persons, RED-DH has enabled the CNB to comply with its obligations 
under the GLFD. The second stage of technical assistance began on October 8, 2021, and ended on April 28, 
2022, which resulted in the following:
• The development of methodological tools for context analysis.
• A manual on building narratives behind events that led to disappearances
• Inputs for the context analysis of forced disappearances in the Altos Norte region of Jalisco.
• Implementation of the training course “The ABC of context analysis. Basic context analysis tools 
oriented to the search for disappeared persons”.
• A report on the systematization of experiences and practices of context analysis of State Search 
Commissions in Mexico.
• Context analysis support for Guerreros’ State Search Commission.
In June 2022, RED-DH awarded a grant to Lantia Intelligence to improve the FGR’s capacities to investigate 
and prosecute forced disappearances through application of specialized context analysis. Specifically, Lantia 
will: 
• Support the investigation of cases of disappearance by developing specialized context analysis on the 
matter.
• Elaborate and analyze the institutional dynamics that led to forced disappearances in the 
abovementioned cases.
• Train FGR authorities to capture relevant information in databases to conduct context analysis.
• Develop a comparative study of disappearances, describing the most prevalent modalities, their 
regional variation, and how each affects vulnerable groups. This study will offer a general framework 
to the authorities responsible for implementing preventive policies.
1.2.1.b. Design with a participatory vision the construction of the National Search Program (PNBP)
As part of its obligations under the GLFD, the CNB had the mandate to issue the National Search Program 
(PNBP) 180 days after its creation. Despite this, its publication has been delayed for more than three years. 
Against this backdrop, since September 27, 2021, RED-DH has been supporting the CNB in the design of the 
PNBP, with the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders so it can become an efficient policy to guide
the national strategy to search and locate disappeared persons in Mexico. In line with these efforts, in March 
2022, RED-DH, through grantee NKUC, and the CNB reviewed an initial proposal of the PNBP’s. In 
addition, NKUC discussed the recommendations with various actors, such as the National Search System, 
the National Search Citizen Council, relatives of disappeared persons, civil society organizations, and experts. 
Page 22
This quarter, NKUC, the CNB, and key stakeholders such as the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office on Human 
Rights held work sessions to review the PNBP’s preliminary strategies and acting guidelines and receive 
feedback. This process will continue throughout the next quarter.
1.2.1.c. Foster the implementation of the Unified Search Protocol (PHB).
1.2.1.d. Develop and disseminate differentiated summarized targeted versions of the Unified Search 
Protocol for different stakeholders.
The PHB is a legal instrument that sets out the obligations of public officials and institutions in the search and 
location of missing and disappeared persons. This quarter, RED-DH continued working with the CNB to 
review the contents of four didactic summarized versions of the PHB aimed at criminal justice operators, 
public security institutions, diplomatic representations, and local search commissions. Their purpose is to 
share critical information with authorities regarding their obligations in the search for disappeared persons.
This work is expected to conclude in 2022 after the review and approval process of the Implementation 
Commission of the PHB1
.
1.2.2. Support GLFD mutual accountability
1.2.2.a. Create a GLFD evaluation instrument for CNB to apply in states, focusing on infrastructure, human 
resources, institutional framework, and legislative alignment.
In late December 2021, the CNB applied a self-assessment tool for Local Search Commissions (LSC), 
designed by RED-DH. Based on the information collected, in January 2022, the CNB conducted an 
assessment on each state’s capacity to search for disappeared persons. The review also identified areas of 
opportunity for the 292 LSCs that provided information in four categories: (i) human resources, (ii) 
infrastructure and equipment, (iii) regulations and processes, and (iv) management quality. Moreover, to 
compare the self-perception of the commissions, the tool was adapted so that Local Citizen Councils could 
answer it. Out of the fourteen3 councils around the country, nine responded4 to the evaluation. The results 
from the overall assessment have served as key inputs in the design process of the PNBP.
Also, in collaboration with the CNB, RED-DH provided technical assistance to promote actions that facilitate 
the search of disappeared persons. Through an analysis of the legislative adaptation needed to improve 
forensic investigation and attention to disappearances, RED-DH identified the obstacles that search 
commissions currently face, evaluated the powers conferred to them by the GLFD, and pinpointed those 
that hinder the effectiveness of search efforts. This support contributed to the GOM’s initiative to amend 
and add several provisions of the GLFD and the creation of the National Center for Human Identification.
1 The CNB chairs the Implementation Commission. The rest of the members correspond to a representative of each Local 
Search Commission, two members of the CNC, and a person designated by the CNPJ. It also has the participation of 
international organizations as permanent guests and experts. 2 The LSC of Chiapas, Hidalgo, and Yucatan did not submit their self-assessments by the closing date of the reception period 
(January 3, 2022).
3 Mexico City, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Puebla, Sonora, Veracruz, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Hidalgo, 
Morelos, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
4 Mexico City, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Puebla, Sonora, and Veracruz.
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Key Result 1.3 Full implementation of the National Program to Prevent Torture (NPPT) and 
other Cruel Treatments.
1.3.1. Build capacity to promote full implementation of the NPPT.
1.3.1.a. Follow up on the publication of NPPT.
1.3.1.b. Organize work sessions with key actors to review the final version of the NPPT. 
On March 25, 2022, the FGR contacted RED-DH to follow up on potential collaborations related to the 
publication and subsequent implementation of the NPPT, a key element under the GLT. Consequently, on 
April 7, the FGR presented progress on the NPPT and the proposed version to be published, among various 
actors involved in the elaboration process in 2019, particularly civil society organizations, international 
organizations, and federal government institutions. The content of the NPPT and the blueprint for its 
publication were agreed upon by all parties at the end of April. In general, this version takes into account the 
work supported by USAID through its EnfoqueDH Activity in 2019 and updates the assessment of torture 
with the new data from the ENPOL. In addition, the proposal incorporates a monitoring and evaluation 
mechanism to implement the NPPT through a Committee chaired by the Undersecretary for Human Rights 
and the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights, with the participation of various international and civil society 
organizations. However, conversations have stalled in the past months, and to date, the NPPT has not yet 
been published in the DOF.
1.3.1.c. Review of the Standardized Protocol for the Investigation of Torture. 
RED-DH maintained regular communications with the Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Torture (FEIDT)
to lay out steps to update the Unified Protocol for Investigating Torture. In February, RED-DH presented a 
preliminary report identifying the critical aspects that the FEIDT must update following the GLT and 
international recommendations. RED-DH agreed with the FEIDT to lead a session with relevant stakeholders 
to disseminate the report and obtain feedback. The documents are currently being reviewed to advance with 
the update in 2022. As mentioned in the context section, at the end of June, the UN-CAT issued the list of 
subjects for the presentation of Mexico’s 8th periodic report, which includes information regarding the 
update to the Protocol. This opens a window of opportunity to move forward with providing technical 
assistance to the FGR on this matter.
1.3.1.d. Provide technical assistance to the FGR for the design of a Prosecution Plan for the Crime of Torture 
In March 2022, RED-DH, through subcontractor Fortis, concluded technical assistance provided to the 
FEIDT. This effort focused on defining the strategic objectives that should guide the investigation and 
prosecution of the crime of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. RED￾DH is currently working on the next stage of collaboration to pilot the application of the aforementioned 
efforts.
Page 24
1.3.1.e. Support GOM actors who report to the National Registry of Victims of Torture or to the National 
Registry for the Crime of Torture.
Articles 83 through 85 of the GLT regulates the National Registry for the Crime of Torture (RENADET), 
which is defined as an investigation and informational tool that must compile data on all cases of torture and 
other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatments that are being investigated, including the number of victims. 
According to the FGR, at the federal level, RENADET became operational in May 2019, while its operating 
guidelines were approved and published on December 15, 2021. However, to date, the process of gathering 
information and interconnecting the Registry to data sources from the state level has yet to be completed.
This quarter, RED-DH met with the FGR to set up a route to promote the RENADET among State 
Prosecutors' Offices. At the same time, RED-DH, through its grant with LLE, started preparing specific 
recommendations for registries in Veracruz and Puebla. The results will be presented in the next quarter. 
1.3.2. Strengthen GLT oversight and accountability
1.3.2.a. Collaborate with the Observatory Against Torture to continue promoting the platform that monitors 
GLT implementation at the federal level and in RED-DH’s priority states.
RED-DH continued to actively participate in meetings with the Observatory Against Torture to review 
strategies that promote the GLT’s implementation, particularly the NPPT. In addition, RED-DH participated 
in discussions on the challenges faced during the Law’s implementation and facilitated a list of preliminary 
questions to be submitted to the UN-CAT. As reported previously, the UN-CAT published in June the
subjects and type of information requested from the GOM.
1.3.2.b Build capacity of public defenders at the Federal Institute of Public Defense. 
On May 4, 2022, grantee, LLE, organized a webinar with government authorities on the “Méndez Principles”
and their usefulness in a practical context. The principles propose a concrete alternative to interrogation 
methods that rely on coercion to extract confessions. They aim to improve the results of investigations while 
respecting human rights and enhancing trust in the State. During the webinar, Professor Juan E. Méndez, 
United Nations former Special Rapporteur on Torture, explained how the principles incorporate best 
practices dictated by science, ethics, and international human rights law. The course had an audience of 185 
people, 88 women (47.56%) and 86 men (46.48%). Most of the assistants were authorities from the Human
Rights Commissions of Chihuahua, Jalisco, and Nuevo León, Public Defenders from Puebla, Sonora, and 
Veracruz, and the Prosecutors of Tabasco and Coahuila. 
Next quarter, RED-DH will train Federal and State Public Defenders in the identification, documentation,
and litigation of cases involving acts of torture. The workshops will take place at the IFDP’s office in Mexico 
City between July 4 and 7. In addition, RED-DH will print 800 copies of the updated version of a practical 
guide for the documentation of torture that will be disseminated among relevant authorities as part of the 
course.
Page 25
Key Result 1.4. Increased collaboration between EM, FGR, CNB, and state-level governments, 
search commissions, and AGOs to consolidate databases, registries, and other data tools and 
effectively respond to disappearances and forensic remains.
1.4.1. Support the development of interoperable registries and their sustainable maintenance and 
operation.
1.4.1.a. Provide technical assistance to the FGR and CNB to collaborate in the Registration and Information 
System that aims to improve the capacity to register, control and follow up on the information 
corresponding to the crime of Disappearance of Persons. 
1.4.1.b. Improve with the CNB the technological development that facilitates the organization and analysis 
of information from the enforced disappearances that have occurred since the 1960s to structure search 
actions and learn the fate of persons.
1.4.1.c. Collaborate with the CNB in strengthening the Mass Graves Module (MFC), which is part of the 
National Register of Mass Graves and Clandestine Graves (RNFCFCFC)
1.4.2. Strengthen efforts and capacities to actively pursue acts of Forced Disappearances and to curb a 
culture of impunity.
1.4.2.a Collaborate with the FGR on mechanisms for the review of files and lines of investigation of crimes 
of disappearance through experts and civil society organizations. 
1.4.2.b Develop tools aimed for judges to comply with the correct implementation of the GLFD.
In May 2022, after six months of work, RED-DH concluded the second stage of technical assistance to 
strengthen the CNB’s general search actions in mass graves. With this effort, RED-DH promoted search 
actions by integrating and standardizing burial records in common graves from municipal cemeteries. 
Specifically, federal authorities received a series of public policy recommendations to implement a generalized 
search methodology on mass graves, and reports documenting the process of digitization, analysis, and 
information that was entered into the Mass Graves Module from visits carried out by RED-DH’s consultants 
to cemeteries in Jalisco. Most importantly, according to the CNB, the standardization and comparison of 
data, has provided leads to the possible location of a person who died in September 2019 and was buried in 
one of the inspected cemeteries in Jalisco. 
For the next stage of collaboration, RED-DH and the CNB plan to conclude the processing and collection of 
information from Jalisco’s cemeteries. Moreover, this collaboration will result in an assessment of common 
graves and a proposal to carry out a similar intervention in another state.
On another matter, since December 2021, RED-DH has been assisting the CNB’s Search Unit for 
Disappeared Persons during the Dirty War with the enhancement of the analytical capabilities of a computer 
system called “Angelus,” which establishes search actions based on the organization and analysis of 
information. Subsequently, in June 2022, RED-DH, through an expert consultant, continued strengthening 
“Angelus” by reviewing, cleaning, and validating the lists of people, organizations, places, events, and 
institutional processes related to the disappearances that occurred during the period from 1960 to 1980. 
Furthermore, to improve the quality of the information in the system, the CNB adopted several validation 
processes to migrate the information contained in the forced disappearance files to the Angelus system, 
avoiding duplications and errors in the information upload. The main result has been a massive increase in 
data collected in the Angelus system, on which RED-DH will report in the next quarter. RED-DH also 
Page 26
expects to award a subcontract to Importare Software to build on Angelus's current advantages and further 
optimize its operation. 
Finally, after four months of work, in May, RED-DH concluded its technical assistance to the CNB to review 
the guidelines of the RNPDNO. After analyzing the standards related to the RNPDNO, RED-DH proposed
to the CNB several amendments to handle personal data on disappeared persons. These amendments allow 
public access to official government records while ensuring the protection of personal data.
C. 1. Extraordinary collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Attorney 
General’s Office of the Republic. Institutional strengthening for the Undersecretariat for 
Human Rights.
C.1.a Design and Development of a Digital Platform for the Follow-up of the National 
Human Rights Program 2020-2024. 
During the quarter, RED-DH, through subcontractor Importare, collaborated with the General 
Directorate of Public Human Rights Policy of the Undersecretary for Human Rights to develop a 
digital platform to monitor the implementation of the National Human Rights Program (PNDH) 
2020-2024. First, between May 18 and 19, Importare organized an induction workshop on the 
platform’s usage with authorities. Then, on June 20, USAID delivered the platform to the head of the 
Unit for the Defense of Human Rights of the Ministry of the Interior, Enrique Irazoque. The project 
will continue with an internal testing period of the tool, which will then be unveiled to the public in 
December 2022. 
C.1.b. Design and develop a technological platform for management, attention, and follow￾up of cases.
Since September 2021, RED-DH, through its subcontractor Virk, has been working on the 
development of a technological platform to manage the cases of the Unit for the Defense of Human 
Rights (UDDH) of SEGOB. The technological development concluded and is currently under a 
validation process from SEGOB to ensure accessibility and enable the creation of a test environment 
on the government’s server. The project, which will end next quarter, will improve the management 
of information on the actions implemented by the GOM to address recommendations issued by 
national and international human rights organizations.
C.1.c. Technical Assistance for the design and development of the National Protocol for the 
Investigation of Crimes Committed against LGBTI+ Persons. 
To date, the FGR has not requested additional technical assistance on the matter.
Page 27
C.2 Support the recovery of memory, truth and justice for gross human rights violations 
committed between 1960-1980.
C.2.a. Recover experiences of digitization of Historical Archives from 1960 to 1980.
C.2.b. Develop documentary and testimonial research on places related to human rights 
violations that occurred between the 1960s and 1980s.
C.2.c. Strengthen the work of the Extraordinary Mechanism for Historical Clarification.
On October 6, 2021, President López Obrador signed a decree to create the Commission for the Truth and 
Historical Clarification of Gross Human Rights Violations from 1965 to 1990. As part of the Commission, the 
GOM established a working group to investigate, monitor, propose, and issue reports on the gross human 
rights violations of political violence during the mentioned period. On June 22, President López Obrador 
announced that the Commission would begin investigation work in the Ministry of Defense’s archives and 
military installations where gross human rights violations have been committed. In a meeting, held on June 18
with survivors and relatives of disappeared persons, Undersecretary Encinas presented the five points of the 
work plan agreed upon with the Army, which are described in the contexts section of this report. Since 
March, RED-DH has held conversations with SEGOB to assess a possible collaboration with the 
Commission. 
C.3 Provide technical assistance to the FGR on the design and development of the National 
Protocol for the Investigation of Crimes Committed against LGBTI+ Persons. (Part I)
C.3.a RED-DH will work to promote the use of the investigation protocol for crimes 
committed against LGBTI+, which was developed in Y1
After six months of work, in December 2021, RED-DH’s subcontractor Fundación Arcoíris por el Respeto a 
la Diversidad Sexual, finished elaborating the National Protocol for the Investigation of Crimes Committed 
against LGBT+ people. In addition to drafting the final version of the National Protocol, Arcoíris analyzed the 
legal framework and the investigation process of the crimes against LGBT+ people. The FGR approved both 
products in the same month, thus fulfilling the commitment established in the collaboration agreement signed 
between USAID and the FGR in March 2021.
C.3 Provide technical assistance to the FGR on the design and development of the National 
Protocol for the Investigation of Crimes Committed against Migrants. (Part II)
C.3.b Provide technical assistance to the FGR on the design and development of the National 
Protocol for Migrants.
C.4 Provide technical assistance to the Unit for the Investigation of Crimes against 
Migrants from the FGR.
C.4.a RED-DH will strengthen, through technical assistance, the Unit with clear guidelines 
for investigating crimes related to migrants. 
In May 2022, RED-DH concluded the selection of a team of experts to provide technical assistance to the 
FGR for the design and development of the Approved Protocol for the Investigation of Crimes Committed 
by and against Migrants and Subjects of International Protection. This protocol will provide critical support 
for the FGR’s Unit for the Investigation of Crimes Against Migrants. In April, the technical experts began 
working in coordination with the FGR. 
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COMPONENT 2. Enhance implementation of the 2017 General Laws on Torture and Forced 
Disappearances in five priority states: 1. Coahuila; 2. Jalisco; 3. Puebla; 4. Sonora; and 5. 
Veracruz.
Key Outcome 2: Implementation of the 2017 General Laws on Torture and Forced 
Disappearances in five priority states enhanced. 
Key Result 2.1 Strategies, work plans, budgets, and processes in place in five priority states 
to implement the General Laws on Torture and Forced Disappearances.
2.1.1 Conduct state-level PEAs to map actors and assess GLT and GLFD implementation status. 
2.1.1.a. Elaborate annual state reports for: Coahuila, Jalisco, Puebla, Veracruz, and Sonora.
2.1.1.b. Design a proposal for state legislative harmonization in accordance with the GLD and GLT.
2.1.2. Facilitate system alignment through State Systems through CEBs or other established platforms for 
coordination across the system.
2.1.2.a Design and follow-up drafts for State and /or Regional Search Plans. Stage 1.
2.1.2.b. Develop Directives clarifying the roles and responsibilities of CEBs and support oversight of state￾level search efforts in line with the Unified Search Protocol.
2.1.3. Facilitate system alignment through State Systems for the Prevention of Torture.
2.1.3.a Design a draft plan for each State.
In 2019, the CNB, in coordination with state authorities, and with USAID support, carried out consultations
with stakeholders to develop the Northeast Regional Search Program (PRB-NE). The CNB plans to continue 
developing regional search strategies during the second semester of 2022Specifically, the CNB is 
contemplating carrying out initial assessments in Sonora, and the Bajío region, which comprises the states of 
Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Jalisco, and Zacatecas. Based on this new priority, 
RED-DH is assessing support through a team of expert consultants. Support would involve contributing to 
the design of search strategies with a regional focus through the facilitation of a participative approach with 
government and non-government stakeholders.
Coahuila. RED-DH is renewing its collaboration with grantee Centro Diocesano para los Derechos 
Humanos Fray Juan de Larios (FJDL) to continue advocacy strategies that focus on the implementation of the 
GLFD in the state. FJDL will develop activities along four main lines of work: institutional strengthening, 
forensic exercises, comprehensive case support, and advocacy, which includes monitoring the
implementation of a Forensic Citizen Platform. 
Jalisco. This quarter, RED-DH awarded a follow-on grant to the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios 
Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) to continue fostering actions for the implementation of the GLFD in 
Jalisco. Specifically ITESO will (1) create awareness of the stigmas faced by disappeared persons, their 
families, and the organizations that support them through the dissemination of communication materials; (2) 
enable spaces for learning, and collaborative advocacy between different social actors and groups of 
disappeared persons from Jalisco; (3) disseminate, among civil society, different communication and advocacy 
materials with actions to prevent and respond to disappearances; (4) promote compliance with international 
recommendations at the state level in matters of disappeared persons through the implementation of a 
certified training on attention to victims for local authorities in charge of addressing cases of disappearance; 
Page 29
and (5) promote the adoption of a methodology so state authorities and civil society can follow up Jalisco’s 
compliance with international recommendations.
Key Result 2. 2. Improved capacity of state-level commissions, autonomous institutions, 
prosecutors, and judges to detect and track disappearances and torture cases, as well as to 
coordinate the investigation, identification, notification, referral, and integral reparation.
2.2.1. Assess and build capacity to detect and track disappearances in coordination with other system 
actors.
2.2.1.a In coordination with the CNB, promote capacity building in Local Search Commissions (LSC) to 
conduct context analysis.
Coahuila. On June 1, 2022, RED-DH and the LSC began exploring strategies to improve internal 
communication materials such as their internal procedures manual and the induction kit for newly hired 
employees. 
Jalisco. Last quarter RED-DH held discussions with the LSC to award it an in-kind grant to strengthen its 
capacities to conduct context analysis through the donation of state-of-the-art software. This work will 
contribute to the formulation of location hypotheses, development of search strategies, and location of 
people through an analysis of the dynamics of violence and criminality that lead to the disappearances. 
However, as stated in the context section, Francelia Hernández, Local Search Commissioner, resigned on July 
1, with Víctor Hugo Ávila, who served as an advisor to the Secretariat of Planning and Citizen Participation, 
temporarily occupying the position. In the coming months, RED-DH will re-assess the viability of this grant 
with the interim head of the LSC. 
Sonora. On June 1, RED-DH awarded a follow-on grant to Fortis Consultoría to develop a second phase of 
work with Sonora’s LSC. The grant focuses on the technical strengthening of the LSC through the piloting of 
an internal registry of disappeared persons, an assessment of disappearances in the state, and the design of a 
management model to strengthen the immediate search actions established in the PHB.
2.2.1.b. Build capacities in searching for persons with a differentiated and gender approach (Alba and 
Childhood Protocols).
Last quarter RED-DH reported that as part of the International Women’s Day commemoration on March 8, 
the project team collaborated with the CNB and the UN Women to produce a social media campaign
regarding the search for missing and disappeared women and girls, considering its specific impact on them.
This quarter, RED-DH began reviewing proposals to collaborate on additional actions to build capacities of 
authorities in the search of persons with a differentiated and gender approach.
2.2.1.c. Strengthen Units for the Search of Persons
2.2.1.d. Build the capacities of law enforcement authorities from Jalisco.
Jalisco. Last quarter, RED-DH reported the conclusion of the Training Program for Municipal Police on the 
Search for Disappeared and Missing Persons in the State of Jalisco carried out by grantee Delibera. 
Therefore, there are no new actions to report this quarter.
2.2.2. Assess and build capacity to detect and track torture cases in coordination with other system actors
2.2.2.a. Support public defenders, victim’s advisers, and judicial personnel in the five priority states by 
equipping them with better tools and understanding regarding their role in preventing and responding to 
torture.
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Puebla. Grantee LLE is drafting a State Assessment on Torture to present to Puebla’s Institute of Public 
Defense next quarter. The report analyzes the material and human resources available, and current actions 
carried out for the prevention and punishment of torture. Based on the findings, the LLE will propose 
strategies and technical assistance to address torture. 
Veracruz. Grantee LLE is drafting an analysis on the implementation of the GLT in Veracruz using data from 
access to information requests and other official sources. The document aims to account for the current 
state of torture in Veracruz and provide an initial proposal for strategies to strengthen GLT implementation 
based on the identified findings. On June 28, LLE presented a preliminary analysis of the implementation of 
the GLT to the State Human Rights Commission for feedback. Finally, on June 29, LLE met with Veracruz 
Public Defense to transfer tools designed in collaboration with the Federal Institute of Public Defense for the 
identification, documentation, complaint, and litigation of cases of torture.
Key Result 2.3. Data systems track and report torture cases, number of disappearances, and 
unidentified human remains.
2.3.1 Promote the development, use, and integration of state-level registries for torture cases.
2.3.1.a. Support State actors to report to the National Registry for the Crime of Torture. 
Sonora. As part of its follow-on grant, Fortis Consultoría is providing technical assistance to the State 
Prosecutor’s Office in the design and piloting of tools to detect cases of torture, the development of a 
Criminal Prosecution Plan for Torture, and the development of a database of torture cases linked to the 
National Registry of Torture.
Additionally, RED-DH is exploring areas of collaboration with authorities in , Veracruz, and Puebla that will 
be reported in the next quarter. 
2.3.2. Promote the development, use, and integration of state-level registries on the number of 
disappearances and unidentified human remains. 
2.3.2.a. In coordination with the CNB, provide technical assistance for using the National Registry for 
Missing or Disappeared Persons. In addition, the use of different types of registries will be promoted among 
state search commissions.
In January 2022, RED-DH began collaborating with the CNB to provide technical assistance to strengthen the 
National Registry of Missing or Disappeared Persons. RED-DH has reviewed the guidelines of the Registry 
and provided recommendations in light of personal data protection standards and to guarantee the rights of 
disappeared persons and their families. RED-DH has been working with the CNB to propose 
recommendations on burial and registration practices in cemeteries and mass graves at the state level. The 
efforts include protecting and registering the corpses of unidentified deceased persons and unclaimed 
persons. 
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Key Result 2.4 Strengthened services to victims of torture and families of disappeared 
persons, including psychological, social, and administrative support, in five priority states.
2.4.1. Integrate victim services across RED-DH support.
2.4.1.a. Support victims and families defend and enforce their rights.
2.4.1.b. Provide institutional capacity building to victims’ service providers to budget sufficient resources for 
specialized services and design effective strategies to fulfill their obligations.
2.4.2.c. Elaborate tools to make visible the effects of torture on the victims and their families.
2.4.2. Increased public awareness of the issue of disappearance and torture.
2.4.2.a. Design and disseminate communication campaigns with civil society to raise public awareness on 
torture and disappearance cases.
2.4.2.b. Elaborate with civil society tools to inform the public about “What to do in case of a 
disappearance.”
On April 4, the Ministry of the Interior opened to the public the exhibition This Search of Yours, made up of 
48 photographs and 16 videos produced by grantee Centro de Derechos Humanos Toaltepeyolo. The videos 
present the life stories of forcibly disappeared persons and narrate a more personal side of the victims. At 
the same time, the photographs, which have been edited through illustration, allow the families to observe 
themselves with their absent relatives.
On May 16, grantee LLE kickstarted a campaign to raise awareness of the Méndez Principles among victims, 
civil society, and GOM institutions with responsibilities related to combating torture. The campaign aims to 
disseminate information focused on concrete alternatives to interrogation methods that rely on coercion to 
extract confessions, thereby improving the results of investigations while respecting human rights and 
enhancing trust in the State. The second stage of the campaign will start in August and last until January of 
2023.
Coahuila. In coordination with victims’ families, the LSC and RED-DH began printing and disseminating the 
publication titled: “Historias que no pedimos.” This work, which was supported by the Government of 
Coahuila and the LSC, contains 27 short stories gathered after a testimonial writing workshop with relatives 
of disappeared persons in the cities of Piedras Negras and Allende in 2019. This publication uses hand￾written texts from victims’ relatives to raise awareness about forced disappearances and the effects suffered 
by the affected families. Following the re-design and publication, a series of events will be launched around 
the country to disseminate the book. 
Puebla. On June 17, RED-DH grantee Iberoamerican University of Puebla facilitated a dialogue between 
groups of relatives of disappeared persons and local authorities in Puebla. During the discussion, the families 
shared with the state government and the prosecutor’s office the findings of a report about disappearances 
in the state, published last year by the University. The conversation also raised awareness of the needs of 
families and the insufficient attention provided by the authorities thus far. Through this support, RED-DH is
building communication channels between families and decision-makers to improve attention to victims. In 
addition, the University also held training sessions for three search groups comprising several families of 
victims of enforced disappearance. The workshops centered on search techniques, case monitoring, and 
psychosocial support for children.
Page 32
Sonora. This quarter, grantee IDHEAS began the registration process for the “National Workshop on the 
Disappearance of Persons and Access to Justice for Families and Groups of Disappeared Persons.” The 
workshop will have a hybrid model with four virtual sessions between August and October and an in-person
closing session on October 15 in Mexico City. The project aims to provide families with practical tools to 
participate in the effective implementation of the GLFD and the PHB.
Veracruz. On June 18, USAID grantee IMDHD concluded the training of ten search groups of relatives of 
disappeared persons in Veracruz. Over five months, participants developed skills in case documentation, 
context analysis, and the use of legal mechanisms involving the Special Declaration of Absence due to 
Disappearance. With these actions, relatives of disappeared persons were empowered so they can demand 
the compliance of authorities with their obligations and respect for victims’ rights. 
Key Result 2.5. Increased case documentation and legal representation of torture and 
disappearance cases by CSOs and victims’ families leading to an investigation
2.5.1. Empower collectives and CSOs, including Citizen Councils, to advance human rights cases.
2.5.1.a. Support the participation of families of missing persons in developing investigations or public 
policies through legal advice, elaboration of advocacy strategies and strategic litigation of cases of 
disappearance before national and international human rights protection institutions.
2.5.1.b. Strengthen capacities and tools at the disposal of local actors for the adequate documentation, 
follow-up, and visibility of torture cases.
Veracruz. This quarter, RED-DH continued to provide legal assistance to the Solecito Collective. 
Assistance included an assessment of the Collective’s cases to document their status, identify proceedings 
and pending investigations, generate recommendations to improve investigations, and provide the Collective 
with inputs to follow up on its cases. To develop the assessment, RED-DH has been collecting, analyzing, and 
systematizing the information contained in investigation folders or preliminary inquiries filed with Veracruz’s 
General Prosecutor’s Office related to the investigation of the disappearance in as many cases as possible 
from a list of 78 files previously selected by the Collective.
Sonora. On April 28 and 29, grantee IDHEAS held an in-person workshop with groups of families of 
disappeared persons in Sonora to provide technical information on the documentation of human rights 
violations, with a particular emphasis on the forced disappearance of people.
Page 33
COMPONENT 3. Decrease the backlog in forensic cases in priority states.
Key Outcome 3: Backlog in forensic cases in priority states decreased.
Mexico faces a severe forensic crisis marked by many unidentified humans remains. Adequate techniques for 
DNA extraction in samples of unidentified remains are necessary to identify highly degraded remains.
To achieve results for Component 3, RED-DH provides support through grants and subcontracts to leading 
forensic institutions and non-governmental organizations to deploy teams of investigators, scientists, and 
anthropologists in priority states to process forensic cases and build local capacities through proven forensic 
methods, piloting emerging technologies, and exchanging best practices. 
As part of the second year’s work plan, RED-DH partnered with world-renowned international forensic 
organizations such as the Fundación de Antropología Forense de Guatemala (FAFG), Equipo Argentino de 
Antropología Forense (EAAF), and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) to support the 
GOM in decreasing the backlog in the recovery, processing, and identification of human remains. At the 
same time, RED-DH has worked alongside federal and state governments to strengthen Forensic 
Identification Centers. 
Page 34
“Towards an Effective and Sustainable Strategy to Account for Large numbers and Complex 
cases of Missing Persons in Mexico.” Technical assistance to the FGR
Under the collaboration agreement signed between USAID and the FGR in March 2021, RED-DH awarded a 
grant to the ICMP to increase the FGR’s capacity to obtain DNA profiles from highly degraded bone samples. 
Through a specialized scientific collaboration, the ICMP is supporting the FGR’s Central Genetics Laboratory 
to optimize and implement new methods that increase their success at identifying disappeared persons.
From April 25 to May 17, the ICMP trained 43 geneticists of the FGR on DNA extraction methods from 
unidentified bone remains. Consequently, on May 9, 2022, the ICMP Lab in The Hague, Netherlands, 
received ten samples of bone remains from the FGR to conduct an inter-laboratory study on the remains to 
validate the implementation of two novel DNA extraction protocols in the Central Laboratory of the FGR.
Finally, on June 24 and 28, RED-DH delivered to the FGR the last batch of lab supplies to the Central 
Laboratory of the FGR as part of the conclusion of the mentoring process of the 43 geneticists. This final 
delivery added to the four carried out since November 2021 and consisted of specialized laboratory supplies 
to validate the new DNA extraction methods that the Genetics Laboratory of the FGR is adopting.
Photos Description of equipment and supplies delivered by date
June 28, 2022.- RED-DH delivered four boxes of 24 units of 
Amicon (laboratory supplies).
June 24, 2022.- RED-DH delivered four bags of 50 units of 
Zymo (laboratory supplies) and four centrifuges.
Page 35
May 12, 2022.- RED-DH delivered two bags of 25 units of 
Zymo (laboratory supplies)
April 19, 2022.- RED-DH delivered 12 boxes of 24 units of 
Amicon (288 units in total) and 44 bottles of Proteinase K 
of 100ml (both laboratory supplies)
December 17, 2021.- RED-DH delivered two cans of 
ethanol and four boxes of 24 units of Amicon (laboratory 
supplies).
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November 12, 2021.- RED-DH delivered the following 
equipment:
• Digital camera
• Dispenser 1-10 ml vol.
• Dispenser 1-10 ml vol.
• 5-50 ml dispenser.
• 5-50 ml dispenser.
• Bead Mill TissueLyser II.
• Multipette Plus pipette
• Multipette Plus pipette
• easy pet 3
• easy pet 3
• Hybridization oven
• UV purifier
• Vortex-Genie 2 digital.
• Vortex-Genie 2 digital.
• Balance
In addition, RED-DH delivered the following laboratory 
consumables:
• Phosphate (5 pieces of 3.8L)
• Sodium N-Lauroylsarcosine (1 article)
• Qiaquick kit (2 boxes of 250 units)
• MinElute Kit (1 pack of 250 units)
• Combitips (3 boxes of 100 units)
• Combitips 0.5 (3 boxes of 100 units)
• Zymo column (1 box of 50 pieces)
• Guinidine (1 piece)
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• 10ml pipette (1 pack with 200 units)
• 25 ml pipette (1 pack with 200 units)
• 50 ml pipette (1 pack with 100 units) 
Next quarter, the ICMP will present the results of the inter-laboratory study of processed samples applying 
the new protocols in the FGR’s and the ICMP’s laboratories to compare and validate results.
Multidisciplinary forensic support for the Regional Center for Human Identification in 
Coahuila by the FAFG and technical assistance coordinated between the CNB and Coahuila’s 
Government. 
On March 19, 2021, USAID, through RED-DH, formalized a collaboration with Coahuila’s Search 
Commission and the CRIH to provide technical assistance to support authorities to address disappearances
and move forward with forensic identifications in the state. As part of this support, on March 10, 2021, RED￾DH awarded a grant to FAFG to strengthen the CRIH’s institutional capacities in forensic identification 
through guided exhumations, forensic anthropological analysis, genetic analysis, and confirmation of 
identifications. The grant closed on April 11, 2022. 
On April 29, RED-DH awarded a new grant to FAFG to continue supporting the GOM’s strategy of search 
and identification in Coahuila and Sonora. , Specifically, FAFG will provide technical assistance to Coahuila’s 
Regional Center for Human Identification by guiding it through four exhumations that involve forensic 
anthropological analysis in gravesites and the recovery of 255 skeletal remains to process for genetic analysis. 
FAFG will also assist in two forensic interventions in specific sites where unidentified remains were located 
and on the recovery of 285 skeletal remains to process for genetic analysis. 
Additionally, FAFG will support in the documentation and collection of 540 DNA reference samples from 
family members of disappeared persons in Coahuila. It will also support the CRIH in developing an operating 
system that orders, categorizes, and standardizes access to forensic information. In May 2022, FAFG began
the first grant activity by supporting the CRIH to carry out exhumations in Coahuila. 
In Sonora, FAFG will support the State Prosecutor’s Office and the State Search Commission in the 
development of technical tools to document cases and DNA reference samples from relatives of disappeared 
persons. For this activity, FAFG will collect and analyze a total of 800 family DNA reference samples in 
Sonora between October 2022 and February 2023.
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CRIH’s capacity-building
As reported last quarter, in November 2021, RED-DH awarded an in-kind grant to Coahuila Search 
Commission to provide it with specialized equipment to enhance the CRIH’s capabilities to identify human 
remains5
. Specifically, the CRIH received two computers with specialized software for data collection and 
genetic profiling and a 3500 8-capillary Genetic Analyzer6
. 
During this quarter, the CRIH continued the certification process of its laboratory under the International 
Organization for Standardization. Furthermore, RED-DH engaged in discussions with the CRIH to assess the 
possibility of donating supplies needed for future exhumations. 
National Center for Human Identification (CNIH)
As mentioned in the context section of this report, on March 30, 2022, President López Obrador sent to 
Congress a proposal to create a CNIH to facilitate progress towards an effective search model and a 
dignified treatment of unidentified bodies.
The CNIH decree of came into force on May 16 and mandates that the Center within ninety days, 
approximately on September 20, 2022. Once the process starts, the CNB will have until January 25, 2023 to 
issue the regulatory guidelines for processing information provided by the competent authorities. In addition, 
the National Search System and the National Law Enforcement Conference still need to make the necessary 
adjustments to the PHI and PHB.
Against this backdrop, in agreement with the CNB, RED-DH hired an expert consultant to draft legal inputs 
for the CNIH’s incorporation into the legal framework. Amongst these inputs are modifications to the 
CNB’s internal regulations, guidelines to the information provided by other institutions, and a proposal for 
legislative harmonization of state laws regarding the operation of the CNIH, particularly the coordination 
model with the FGR, other State Prosecutor's Offices and authorities in charge of the Regional Centers for 
Human Identification and the MEIF.
5. Programmatic Challenges (and/or Lessons Learned)
On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS 
Number to the Unique Entity ID (UEI, generated by SAM.gov). Consequently, businesses and organizations 
that have received or want to receive funding from the US government must request a Unique Entity 
Identifier (UEI). This transition allowed the US government to streamline the entity identification and 
validation process, thus making it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the federal 
government. For RED-DH, all new subcontracts and grants that previously required a DUNS (any 
subcontract equal to or above USD $30,000 and typically any grant equal to or above USD $25,000) will 
need a UEI number. 
5 On November 29, 2021, Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme and Commissioner Karla Quintana inaugurated the CRIH 
Genetics Laboratory, where the equipment donated by USAID is located.
6 A Genetic Sequencer or Analyzer is a technological system that allows the reading of DNA information in a biological 
sample, whether reference or human remains. Its use in the identification process is essential; otherwise, it would not 
be possible to import the genetic information into the database to compare DNA profiles. The 3500 8-capillary Genetic 
Analyzer can process up to 368 samples per day. 
Page 39
However, since the transition to the UEI occurred, the system has experienced delays in assigning UEIs as 
many organizations are required to validate their entity business name and address, which has overwhelmed 
SAM.gov’s ticket processing times. This has led to delays in executing planned grants and subcontracts with 
Importare Software, Centro Diocesano para los Derechos Humanos Fray Juan de Larios, Academia 
Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, and NKUC Consultoría.
6. Major Activities and Corrective Actions
RED-DH has maintained in constant communication with USAID to keep it informed about current issues 
and delays this issue has caused. In addition, the grants team is in constant contact with grantees and 
subcontractors to support them to obtain the UEI number and to periodically document that they are 
making every effort possible to obtain it. 
7. Updates on Evaluation and Learning Plans and Activities
This quarter, RED-DH organized three thematic exchanges between partner civil society organizations to 
gain insights about activity implementation, best practices, and challenges faced. The dates and specific topics 
of the exchanges were:
1. April 20, 2022. Processes to strengthen groups of relatives of disappeared persons.
2. May 18, 2022. Communication campaigns and memory recovery initiatives.
3. June 22, 2022. Assessments and evaluations of the GLT and GLFD implementations.
As COVID-19 restrictions have eased, RED-DH’s MEL team has been accompanying on-site workshops to 
understand the dynamics of these activities between the grantees and beneficiaries. 
8. Gender Activities
According to the Gender Activities Track from Partners Guidelines, the gender activities listed in the 
following table (especially the column "Beneficiaries") should not be counted in RED-DH’s output 
indicators. There is no information to report this quarter.
Time period: Q2, FY 2022 
State   City/Municipality   Institution/  
Organization  
Type of 
activity  
Tools or 
materials 
used/developed  
Duration  
Beneficiaries 
(if any) Notes  
***
Page 40
Annex A: Relevant background and context information for the RED-DH Activity.
• Mexico has been going through a severe crisis of violence and insecurity for several years, which 
increased with the so-called "war on drugs" in 2006, leading to alarming levels of crimes and human 
rights violations. The ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies has weakened the rule of law, 
creating structural conditions of impunity and challenges that the Government of Mexico (GOM) 
must address urgently.
• In 2017, the General Law on Torture (GLT) (June 26) and the General Law on Forced Disappearance 
(GLFD) (November 17) were published in the Federal Official Gazette (DOF).
• President Andres Manuel López Obrador took office (December 2018) one year after the GLT and 
GLFD were published in the DOF. However, to this day, essential components of both laws have not 
been implemented, primarily due to weak coordination and a lack of systems for information sharing 
and coordinated operations among the many local and federal human rights system actors.
• During the first days of his administration, President López Obrador acknowledged the enormous 
challenges the State faces in addressing human rights violations and recognized the need to take 
decisive actions. In this regard, under the leadership of Alejandro Encinas, Undersecretary for Human 
Rights, there have been significant commitments to advance the human rights agenda. 
• Even though the GOM has taken significant steps toward building an institutional framework that 
puts the search for missing persons as a cornerstone of the federal policy, with the understanding 
that it is an obligation of the State, challenges remain. 
• Regarding the administration of justice at the federal level, in 2020, the Superior Auditor of the 
Federation (ASF) found that the General Prosecutor’s Office (FGR) was investigating more than 
1,600 crimes of enforced disappearance. However, the cases remained stuck in the initial procedural 
stages for years. Even when the FGR dispatched some cases, they never resulted in prosecutions. 
According to the WOLA, the specialized prosecutor’s office of the FGR on the matter reported that 
it did not obtain any convictions for the crime of disappearance from 2018 to 2020.
• Regarding the forensic crisis, official figures indicate that more than 52,000 people remained 
unidentified, most of them in mass graves. Currently, the GOM lacks the capacity to respond to this 
crisis. According to the Ministry of the Interior (SEGOB), the states can only identify two out of 
every ten bodies they receive, coupled with overcrowded corpse storage facilities by 40%. In 
addition, as of 2019, there were only 217 identification laboratories and 263 forensic offices at the 
national level.
• One of the government’s responses to address the forensic identification backlog was the creation of 
the MEIF on December 5, 2019. The MEIF is an extraordinary, multidisciplinary mechanism with 
technical-scientific autonomy to carry out the appropriate expert assessments on the bodies or 
remains that have not been identified and are within its faculties. The agreement was published in the 
DOF on March 19, 2020. In August 2021, the MEIF’s Coordinating Group formally began its activities. 
Three months later, the EM concluded the planning for 2022, which constitutes Phase I of a six-year 
Page 41
strategic plan (2022-2027) that is still being drafted. For the first year of operation, a 40 million pesos 
(USD 2 million) budget was assigned to the MEIF via the United Nations Population Fund.
• The GOM also inaugurated in August 2020 the Regional Center for Human Identification (CRIH),
created to amass, organize, and analyze all available information regarding unidentified remains in 
Coahuila and adjacent states. Finally, for the past two years, the CNB has been promoting the 
implementation of a methodology to process human remains and genetic information massively. 
• Specifically, all branches of government still need to provide a comprehensive, coordinated response, 
from federal to municipal levels, including autonomous institutions. Regarding financial resources, as 
of November 2021, 1.7 billion pesos (USD 85 million) of federal subsidies have been allocated to 
Local Search Commissions (LSC). Furthermore, the National Search Commission’s (CNB) staff has 
doubled since its creation, with 89 people now employed (52% women and 48% men). 
• In the case of torture and other ill-treatment, there are no reliable figures at the national level. Data 
from a survey of persons deprived of liberty reflect the high incidence of these gross human rights 
violations. In 2021, 85.8% of the population deprived of liberty suffered some use of force during an 
arrest. Moreover, six out of ten mentioned that the police or authorities used physical force to 
subdue them. Additionally, 64.5% suffered some act of violence, carried out or allowed by the police 
or authority after the arrest and up until they were presented to the prosecuting authorities.
• From 2019 to 2021, the Executive Commission for Victims’ Attention treated 2,254 victims of 
torture, including direct and indirect victims.
• From 2006 to October 2021, the FGR initiated 20,777 criminal investigations (10,395 preliminary 
inquiries and 10,382 investigation files) for the crime of torture. As of November 1, 2021, 4,801 case 
files are pending resolution (3,583 preliminary investigations and 1,218 investigation files).
• As part of FGR’s reforms, on January 26, 2018, the Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of the 
Crime of Torture (FEIDT) was created. Consequently, as of October 2021, 26 states have created 
Specialized Prosecutors or institutions focused on the matter. Out of RED-DH’s priority states, four 
have established specialized institutions for the crime of torture, with Sonora being the only one 
pending.
• From its creation in 2015 until October 31, 2021, the FEIDT initiated 4,627 investigations (3,142 
preliminary investigations 1,485 investigation files).
• In November 2021, the Supreme Court of Justice updated the Action Protocol for those who impart 
justice in matters involving torture and ill-treatment, initially published in 2014. USAID, through its 
EnfoqueDH Activity, had the opportunity to collaborate in its update.
• During 2020-2022, the COVID-19 health emergency added a layer of complexity to implementing
activities across the country. The health emergency forced governmental and non-governmental 
organizations to make an abrupt adaptation to remote work and rely on information and 
communication technologies to carry out most of their tasks.
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Annex B: Mexico and the United States bilateral relationship and relevant points within the 
human rights agenda.
A significant milestone was the visit to Mexico of US Vice President Kamala Harris on June 8, 2021. On that 
day, Mexico and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding on international cooperation. 
Among its highlighted areas of cooperation, noteworthy is the commitment by both governments to engage 
in a forensic collaboration that will help solve the thousands of enforced disappearances in Mexico for the 
benefit of victims’ families and their fight against impunity. Four months later, on October 8, 2021, a US 
delegation, led by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, traveled to Mexico City to participate in the first U.S.-
Mexico High-Level Security Dialogue. Both governments agreed on a new security collaboration framework: 
the Bicentennial Understanding on Security, Public Health and Secure Communities, which replaces the 
Mérida Initiative. The occasion reinforced the commitment of both governments to forensic cooperation to 
address the thousands of cases of forced disappearances. The agreement was officially published on January 
31, 2022. Its contents can be reviewed here.
Another significant development occurred with the appointment of Ken Salazar as US Ambassador to 
Mexico on August 26, 2021. His appointment fueled the cooperation agenda between the two countries and 
enabled opportunities to promote concrete and strategic partnership actions to address the human rights 
crisis.
In late August 2021, USAID’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mileydi 
Guilarte, visited the Mexican capital for three days. Guilarte and Mission Director Bruce Abrams met with 
the SEGOB and held a series of roundtables on climate change, human rights, and civil society.
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Annex C: 2022 Federal Human Rights Budget.
Federal budgetary decisions made in early 2022 did not lead to a significant increase in the resources 
allocated to human rights, compared to those allocated in 2021. According to various civil society 
organizations, the budget does not adequately prioritize the human rights agenda since some of the amounts 
allocated to institutions and policies do not reflect the urgency of the crisis the country is experiencing. 
RED-DH will follow up on the expenditures made at the federal level and in the five priority states 
throughout the year.
States 2019 budget spent 2020 budget spent 2021 budget spent 2022 budget spent
30 $248,881,652.22 $416,237,571.30 $581,941,510.00 $465,039,821.44
TOTAL (MXN) $1,712,100,554.96
TOTAL (USD) $84,184,208.76