Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Mexico to improve protective measures for (a) religious leaders and (b) other human rights defenders.

The Government continues to engage regularly with the Mexican authorities at Ministerial, official and state levels to discuss human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and to support a broad human rights agenda in the country. During the Foreign Secretary's first visit to Mexico in August 2019, he raised human rights with his counterpart Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who expressed his support for working with us bilaterally and multilaterally to protect human rights. Baroness Williams also raised FoRB with Mexican Interior Minister in September 2019. I have also spoken to Deputy Foreign Minister Ventura. At the UN Universal Periodic Review session in November 2018 the United Kingdom made recommendations regarding accountability for human rights violations and addressing impunity for violence against human rights defenders.