Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has introduced a reform proposal to strengthen the search, identification, and locating of missing persons in the country. This initiative aims to amend the General Population Law and the General Law on Forced Disappearance of Persons to introduce more effective tools against this crime.
Unique Identity Platform and CURP Strengthening
A key aspect of the initiative is the creation of a Unique Identity Platform, which will integrate and centralize crucial information for identifying Mexican citizens and residents. This platform will leverage the strengthened Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP), incorporating biometric data such as photographs and fingerprints.
- CURP, enhanced with these elements, will serve as the official and mandatory identification document for all administrative registrations at federal, state, and local levels.
National Systems for Searching Missing Persons
The proposal also includes establishing several national systems to enhance coordination and efficiency in searching for missing persons:
- National Investigation Folder Database: This will have up-to-date information on all open investigations related to disappearances, facilitating collaboration among fiscal offices and competent authorities.
- National Forensic Data Bank: It will integrate data from the forensic services of the 32 state fiscal offices and the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR), improving the identification of human remains.
- National Alert, Search, and Localization System for People: This system will enable immediate alerts across the country in case of disappearance reports, expediting localization efforts.
All authorities will be required to investigate, cooperate, and provide information in forced disappearance cases. The initiative also contemplates private entities like companies and organizations sharing biometric data to aid in locating missing persons, a topic that has sparked debates on privacy and data protection.
Reactions and Involvement of Victim Groups
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, emphasized the importance of involving victims’ families in the search process and reform implementation. He highlighted their participation as crucial to success.
Groups of relatives of missing persons expressed support for the initiative, provided their participation is guaranteed. Mayor Sheinbaum requested legislators temporarily pause the discussion to incorporate these groups’ proposals, stressing the importance of their collaboration in formulating effective public policies.
This initiative represents a significant effort to tackle Mexico’s missing persons crisis, aiming to implement technological and legal tools for a more efficient and coordinated response to this severe issue.
