Mexico Publishes 'Manual on Consular Notification and Access'

Monday, December 2, 2013

● The manual is designed to provide more information on Mexico’s international commitments regarding the right of foreign citizens to contact their consulates.

The Mexican Foreign Ministry and other government agencies presented a Manual on Consular Notification and Access to provide more information to Mexican institutions, civil society organizations and citizens of other countries on Mexico’s international commitments concerning the rights of foreign citizens to communicate with and have access to their consular officials.

The manual consists of several sections which serve as a guide for officials in complying with the obligations of the Mexican government in various areas such as arrests of foreigners, custody proceedings for minors, deaths, accidents of ships and aircraft, as well as consular access and notification in cases where it is required.

At the presentation ceremony, the head of the Foreign Ministry’s Legal Department, Max Diener, said the manual is invaluable for helping the authorities responsible for complying with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations concerning consular access.

The Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Ambassador Juan Manuel Gómez Robledo, said the manual is the result of a major effort by the Mexican government to strengthen the rights of foreign citizens who are arrested or are in custody, which will be effective in contributing to respect for their human rights.

The presentation was attended by officials from the agencies involved in protecting the rights of foreigners, including officials from the Ministries of Interior, Defense and Navy, and the Attorney General's Office. The ceremony was also attended by members of the consular and diplomatic corps accredited in Mexico.

● "Manual sobre Acceso y Notificación Consulares," Primera edición, 2013, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (mostly in Spanish)

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Press release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Nov. 27, 2013, Mexico, DF; translation by SRE