A/HRC/40/8 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-first session from 5 to 16 November 2018. The review of Mexico was held at the 5th meeting, on 7 November 2018. The delegation of Mexico was headed by the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ruiz Cabanas. At its 10th meeting, held on 9 November 2018, the Working Group adopted the report on Mexico. 2. On 10 January 2018, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Mexico: Panama, Republic of Korea and Rwanda. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Mexico: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/31/MEX/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/31/MEX/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/31/MEX/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national implementation, reporting and follow-up, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Uruguay was transmitted to Mexico through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The head of the delegation underscored the importance Mexico attributed to the universal periodic review process, with the participation of a high-level delegation from the three branches of government. Mexico had been open to international scrutiny; since 2013, it had received 28 official visits from universal and regional special procedures and mechanisms, and 18 reports had been submitted. 6. Mexico had an electronic platform open for public consultation, which contained more than 2,600 recommendations made by universal and regional human rights mechanisms. 7. The recommendations from the second cycle of the universal periodic review had been incorporated into the National Human Rights Programme 2014–2018, which mainstreamed the human rights-based approach across sectoral and budgetary programmes. It had become a benchmark for the development of 20 state programmes. 8. The entry into force in 2016 of the new criminal justice system represented the greatest legal transformation in the country in the past 100 years. In that regard, 21 federal or national laws had been created or reformed, and more than 350 local laws had been modified. 9. The use of arraigo had been restricted and it had become an exceptional precautionary measure, with only one person currently detained under that regime. 10. Since 2012, the mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists had provided protection to 1,030 people. Under the mechanism, more than 5,000 2