That this House notes that Ulises Ruiz Ortiz is accused of having become governor of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico through fraudulent elections in 2004, and of being responsible for human rights abuses against a mainly indigenous population, against teachers on strike for food, shoes and school supplies for pupils and higher wages, and against anyone who speaks out against the repression; further notes that the International Civil Commission for Human Rights Observation in December 2006, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in October 2006 and Amnesty International in 2005 have reported extensive and systematic human rights violations, including assassinations, torture, rapes and arbitrary detention in Oaxaca state; further notes that one and a half million people, of a population of under four million, have marched to ask for the removal and prosecution of Ulises Ruiz, and in support of teachers' demands; recognises that Mexico's Supreme Court (June 2007) has ordered an investigation into Ulises Ruiz's human rights abuses; and therefore urges the Government to use its influence to press for these investigations to be carried out, and for the protection of those who have brought human rights violations to public attention, in particular Jaqueline Lopez Almaz??n, Leyla Centeno, Alejandro Cruz L??pez, Samuel Hern??ndez Morales and Ulises Reynosa Guerrero.

That this House notes that Ulises Ruiz Ortiz is accused of having become governor of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico through fraudulent elections in 2004, and of being responsible for human rights abuses against a mainly indigenous population, against teachers on strike for food, shoes and school supplies for pupils...

That this House notes the UN's view that `violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive and as long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace'; is dismayed at the extraordinary numbers of rapes and murders in both Mexico and Guatemala and at the regular impunity for the perpetrators; welcomes the visit and bravery of two human rights defenders in the region, Jorge Velasquez, who came to seek justice for the murder of his daughter Claudina, and Neil Arias, who is trying to find justice for two indigenous women, Ines Fernandez Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantu, who were raped by members of the Mexican armed forces; and urges the UK Government to press the Mexican and Guatemalan governments to put in place appropriate measures to protect all women and girls from these violations and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

That this House notes the UN's view that `violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is perhaps the most pervasive and as long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace'; is dismayed at the extraordinary...

That this House is appalled by the use of sweatshop labour by some of the biggest high street brand names, many of which are anti-union, pay poverty wages and force employees to work long hours in unsafe working conditions, notes that the sportswear giant Puma has recently pulled out of Matamoros garment factory in Puebla, Mexico, after a strike against low pay, in which workers demanded their own democratic, independent union; further notes that Puma are effectively trying to break a union by withdrawing orders from this factory and that an international campaign is demanding that Puma return to the factory; and calls on the Government to approach Puma in the UK to express its opposition to poverty pay and union-breaking and to legislate to ensure that all goods sold in the UK are made under internationally-recognised labour standards.

That this House is appalled by the use of sweatshop labour by some of the biggest high street brand names, many of which are anti-union, pay poverty wages and force employees to work long hours in unsafe working conditions, notes that the sportswear giant Puma has recently pulled out of...

That this House recalls the protest action of Mexican President Vicente Fox last August when, after the execution in the United States of a Mexican national who had been denied his basic right to consular assistance, cancelled a scheduled visit to President Bush to show his displeasure; records that the Mexican Government subsequently brought a case to the International Court of Justice which has now found in its favour; welcomes the reaffirmation in international law of the right to prisoners on death row to consular access and legal representation as laid down by the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations; recollects that the United States has a dismal record of not complying with the judgement of the International Court of Justice; and urges the UK Government to publicly welcome this judgement and urge the United States to comply with it.

That this House recalls the protest action of Mexican President Vicente Fox last August when, after the execution in the United States of a Mexican national who had been denied his basic right to consular assistance, cancelled a scheduled visit to President Bush to show his displeasure; records that the...

That this House is deeply concerned about the terror campaign being waged by both paramilitary groups and the Mexican Federal Army against indigenous Zapatista communities in Chiapas, while human rights observers whose presence has deterred state attacks are being expelled; notes the findings of the recent delegation of MEPs which reported widespread evidence that paramilitary groups in league with security forces are responsible for forced expulsions, death threats, rape, kidnapping and murder; deplores the Mexican Government's abandonment of the 1996 San Andres Accords on Indigenous Rights and Culture, which guaranteed autonomous self-government and land rights to those communities; notes that respect for democratic principles and fundamanetal human rights form an integral part of the Mexico-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement; therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government to demand that Mexico fully implements the San Andres Accords, disbands and disarm all paramilitary groups, withdraws the Federal Army to its pre-1995 presence in Chiapas; and allows foreign visitors to remain as human rights observers; and further advocates that the EU-Mexico Free Trade Agreement be suspended until all these conditions are fulfilled by the Mexican Government and that all arms sales to Mexico cease.

That this House is deeply concerned about the terror campaign being waged by both paramilitary groups and the Mexican Federal Army against indigenous Zapatista communities in Chiapas, while human rights observers whose presence has deterred state attacks are being expelled; notes the findings of the recent delegation of MEPs which...