La revista de la Barra del Colegio de Abogados de México publica el Artículo de nuestro director jurídico – Juan Carlos Gutiérrez – sobre la Activación del Articulo 34 de la Convención de la ONU contra las desapariciones. Por primera vez, la ONU activa el Art. 34 contra la desaparición forzada en México. Ante más de 130 personas desaparecidas y una crisis forense sin precedentes, la ONU reacciona.
La ONU activa el Art. 34 de la Convención contra la Desaparición Forzada en México. Es la primera vez que se usa este mecanismo «de emergencia». El Comité contra las desapariciones forzadas de la ONU (CED) señala indicios de una práctica «generalizada o sistemática». El caso podría escalar hasta la Asamblea General de la ONU.
La realidad es innegable: crisis forense, y una deuda histórica con las familias buscadoras.
Los ojos del mundo están sobre México. Lee el análisis completo aquí:
https://bmateinforma.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/La-Barra-133.pdf
ENG VERSION//
ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN MEXICO ARE AN INTERNATIONAL ISSUE
By Juan Carlos Gutiérrez
With more than 130,000 missing persons in Mexico and a scandalous lack of results, the legal director of IDHEAS, Strategic Litigation in Human Rights A.C., points out that it is understandable that Article 34 of the Convention against Enforced Disappearance was activated in our country, despite the anger of the SRE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Presidency of the Republic.
INTRODUCTION: Context of the Activation of Article 34
In March 2025, the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) activated Article 34 of the Convention for the first time, stating there are well-founded indications that enforced disappearance is practiced in a widespread or systematic manner in Mexico.
This exceptional procedure allows the Committee to request information from the State and, if deemed necessary, bring the case before the United Nations General Assembly. The decision was based on:
- The magnitude of the phenomenon: over 130,000 disappeared and missing persons.
- Tens of thousands of unidentified bodies and a persistent forensic crisis.
- The participation or acquiescence of state agents in numerous cases.
The Committee clarified that this decision does not prejudge later stages of the procedure but rather initiates a formal request for information.
Reactions of the Mexican Government
The Mexican government rejected the activation of Article 34. President Claudia Sheinbaum and the SRE stated that enforced disappearance by the State does not exist in Mexico, arguing the phenomenon is primarily linked to organized crime.
Mexico’s representative to the UN, Héctor Vasconcelos y Cruz, argued that Article 34 should be reserved for exceptional situations to avoid undermining the spirit of cooperation between States and the Committee. Conversely, organizations like Amnesty International backed the measure, citing the impunity and lack of investigative results as justification for international scrutiny.
I. Why Article 34 Constitutes a Paradigm Shift
The activation of Article 34 is an unprecedented event in international human rights law. It is the most powerful tool within the Convention’s framework, designed to alert the General Assembly when information reveals a pattern of disappearances of exceptional gravity.
Until 2025, this provision remained inactive. Its application now opens a new phase of international scrutiny, particularly relevant in contexts marked by structural impunity.
II. An Unprecedented Legal Debate
There are no previous practices, consolidated doctrines, or clearly defined procedural mechanisms for implementing Article 34. This creates a global normative laboratory where the legal community—judges, academics, and litigants—can contribute to developing a mechanism destined to set future jurisprudence.
III. The Symbolic and Political Dimension
Submitting a case to the General Assembly is not strictly an international sanction; its strength lies in its moral and symbolic power. For Mexico, it represents:
- International recognition of the structural gravity of disappearances.
- A perception of insufficient state efforts to address the crisis.
- A warning to other States that prolonged inaction can trigger the most rigorous international mechanisms.
IV. Implications for the Mexican Legal Community
For Mexican legal professionals, this moment exposes structural gaps in the prosecution of justice and the disconnect between the legal framework and the reality of victims. It forces a rethinking of the role of justice operators and allows litigants to use the activation of Article 34 as an argument to demand structural measures in domestic processes.
V. A Foundational Moment for Law
We are witnessing a global milestone. The application of Article 34 inaugurates a new stage in international law. For the legal community, it is a unique invitation to contribute to the construction of a mechanism that can transform international protection against enforced disappearances.
February – March 2026