Consulate of Mexico North Carolina Social Services Attorneys 7 February 2006

Consular Relations The Consular institution is very ancient, it has its origins in ancient Greece. Its main function has always been to protect and defend the interests of citizens of one State in another. Currently the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations adopted on 24 April 1963, guides the conduct of Consular offices in the world. Article 5 (h) of the Vienna Convention states as one of the main functions of a Consulate: “safeguarding, within the limits imposed by the laws and regulations of the receiving State, the interests of minors and other persons lacking full capacity who are nationals of the sending State, particularly where any guardianship or trusteeship is required with respect to such person”

Mexican Consulates in the US Mexico has 47 Consulates in the US. We are divided in three departments: documentation; community affairs and promotion; and protection and legal affairs. The department of protection and legal affairs is the one that you are likely to have the most contact with.

Right to communication Art. 36 of the Vienna Convention establishes that Consulates and their nationals have the right to communicate with each other. It also provides for the requirement of notifying the Consulate when a national has been detained or arrested. In the case of minors there is no notification requirement. However we are able to help in many ways.

How can we help? As is the case for you our first concern is for the childs safety. Another priority is keeping families together. We can obtain documents, such as birth and death certificates. We can locate and contact family members with whom the children may be placed. Obtain socio-economic studies of relatives to determine if the children’s best placement is in Mexico

Our resources A network of 41 offices in Mexico and 47 in the US. We are all connected through a reliable information system known as SPC (Consular Protection System) We also are in constant contact with DIF, who provides socio-economic studies. This institution has offices at the federal, state and municipal level.

Our resources We also have financial resources appropriated by the Mexican Congress for consular protection, including the repatriation of children to Mexico. Since 1 January 2002 to date the Consulate in Raleigh has assisted in the repatriation of 18 minors.

Please keep in mind When we help you do your job regarding Mexican children, you are also helping us do our job of protecting our nationals. We thank you for your assistance and hope we can also be of assistance to you.

Contacts Protection and Legal Affairs Esteban González Felix Herrera Abril Torres Consulate of Mexico ext. 200, 205, 214

Thank you