Intervention of the Delegation of Mexico in the Session on the Challenges in Addressing the Demands and Necessities of Minorities in Justice systems 8th Forum on Minority Issues Geneva, 25 November 2015 Thank you Mr. President, Mexico reinforces what the Special Rapporteur stated, that the obligatory training and education of the agents of public order and judicial functionaries, including the penitentiary personnel, on human rights and the rights of minorities, in particular on the principle of nondiscrimination and cultural competencies, is an essential element of all judicial systems which function properly. In our country, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN by its Spanish acronym) has developed an extensive set of activities for promotion and diffusion focused on ensuring that judiciary work is fully embedded in human rights. In particular, it is important to highlight that between 2012 and 2014, the SCJN published eight protocols of action to facilitate judges to fulfil—with strict respect to judicial autonomy and independence—constitutional and conventional obligations in matters of human rights in the ambit of their competences. These protocols establish, among other things, the teaching of justice in cases involving individuals and communities from indigenous peoples; a gender perspective including sexual orientation or gender identity; people with disabilities; and migrant people and those subject to international protection. In matters of indigenous peoples, which is one of the most active minorities in Mexico, the “Protocol of Action for those who teach justice in cases that involve the rights of individuals, communities, and indigenous peoples,’ presents the necessary lineaments of judicial action to thoroughly comply with what is present in our Political Constitution and the international instruments in this matter, among these the Declaration of the United Nations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It is important to highlight that following the principle of participation in the matters that affect them, this protocol establishes the possibility that any person, including the same peoples and indigenous communities concerned contribute to their improvement. In our experience, the adoption of these protocols constitute a worthy tool to guarantee the validity of the rights of minorities by the Judicial Power, and because of this we consider that the possible elaboration of similar protocols of action must be incorporated in the final recommendations addressed to the States, stemming from this work. On the other hand, between the institutional actions tending to guarantee the access to justice of indigenous communities or peoples, the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous