Event information

8 November 2024, 17:00-18:00

Downloads

Flyer >

Voices from the Ground: Forced Disappearance in Mexico

Event

March for 10 months without the Ayotzinapa normalistas March for 10 months without the Ayotzinapa normalistas

The Case of the Forced Disappearance of 43 Students in Mexico

Is there any Justice after 10 Years? Reflections with the Former Prosecutor

 

Ten years have passed since the tragic disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in Mexico, carried out by security forces collaborating with a drug cartel. Despite the severity of the case, the resilience of the relatives and their lawyers, and the unprecedented international response it sparked, neither the full truth nor justice has been achieved. This case is emblematic of a broader crisis in Mexico, where approximately 117,000 people are currently missing, with 76,000 of those disappearances occurring in the last decade.

This online event invites Omar Gómez Trejo, the former lead prosecutor of the special criminal unit created to investigate the Ayotzinapa case, who was previously involved with the Group of Experts for the case appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, to reflect on the complexities of achieving accountability in such a high-stakes situation. What progress has been made? What remains unresolved? What lessons can be drawn from this long struggle for truth and justice? Is the concept of transitional justice applicable in this case?

Speaker

Omar Gómez Trejo is a lawyer from National University of Mexico (UNAM) and has a Master Degree from FLACSO. He served as the executive secretary of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) for the Ayotzinapa case. Subsequently, he became the lead Prosecutor of the Special Unit for the Investigation and Litigation of the Ayotzinapa case in Mexico. Prior to this, he worked for 12 years in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at UN in different countries. Currently, he is a school visitor to the Human Rights Center at the Law School in Berkeley University.

Moderation

Ana Srovin Coralli and Agustina Becerra Vazquez

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

neurodata graphics News

New Research Brief Evaluates the Effectiveness of GDPR in Mitigating Risks Associated with the Distinctive Nature of Neurodata

21 January 2025

Our recent research brief, Neurodata: Navigating GDPR and AI Act Compliance in the Context of Neurotechnology, examines how effectively GDPR addresses the unique risks posed by neurodata.

Read more

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

Training

Human Rights and the Environment: Introducing Legal Regimes and Key Issues

1-8 September 2025

Participants in this training course will be introduced to the major international and regional instruments for the promotion of human rights, as well as international environmental law and its implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Read more

Open dump Training

Protecting Human Rights and the Environment

15-19 September 2025

Participants in this training course will gain practical insights into UN human rights mechanisms and their role in environmental protection and learn about how to address the interplay between international human rights and environmental law, and explore environmental litigation paths.

Read more

surveillance image of people Project

Human Rights in a Digitalized World: Mapping Risk, Strengthening Regulation and Promoting the Development of International Human Rights Law

Started in August 2023

To unpack the challenges raised by artificial intelligence, this project will target two emerging and under-researched areas: digital military technologies and neurotechnology.

Read more

Un plate with Rapporteur Spécial written on it Project

Support to UN Special Procedures

Started in June 2020

Read more

Cover of the publication Publication

Briefing N° 25: Localizing Multilateralism

published on March 2025

Domenico Zipoli, Ludovica Chiussi Curzi, Kamelia Kemileva

Read more

Cover page of the working paper Publication

AI Decoded: Key Concepts and Applications of Artificial Intelligence for Human Rights and SDG Monitoring

published on January 2025

Milica Mirkovic, Jennifer Victoria Scurrell

Read more