FORTAJUS-DH – Human Rights Monitoring System

Description

The Human Rights Judicial Monitoring System (SIMOJUDH) assesses the compliance of the Federal Judiciary of Mexico with its international human rights obligations in both judicial and administrative functions. Unlike initiatives that only track cases or verify recommendations, FORTAJUS-DH links recommendations to their underlying obligations, enabling a more precise and comprehensive evaluation, while allowing to translate the results into internal policies aimed at broadening and strengthening access to justice.

Initially, the system monitors four key rights framed as prohibited conducts:

• The right of women to a life free from violence.
• The right not to be subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.
• The right not to be forcibly disappeared.
• The right not to be subjected to human trafficking.

These rights were selected because of their relevance in the Mexican context and due to the sustained attention from international human rights bodies. The system also integrates, in a cross-cutting manner, the protection of historically discriminated groups, including women, migrants, Indigenous peoples, children, and persons with disabilities.

Developers/Administrators

Managed by the General Directorate for Human Rights, Gender Equality, and International Affairs (DGDHIGAI) of the Federal Judiciary of Mexico, FORTAJUS-DH was developed jointly with internal and external experts, the General Directorate of Strategy and Digital Transformation, the General Directorate of Information Technologies, and with technical support from the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ).

Indicators and Functions

The system provides multiple types of indicators, developed through proprietary methodologies that transform abstract human rights obligations into measurable indicators. These methodologies allow analysis not only of whether obligations are fulfilled, but also of how they are applied in practice. They also lay the foundation for future AI applications, including automated information extraction and large-scale data analysis.

There are three types of indicators, designed specifically for the judiciary, that include:

• Judicial policy indicators – actions undertaken by judiciary organs in areas such as access to public information, training, infrastructure, auxiliary services, coordination, and oversight.
• Judicial process indicators – actions and guarantees during judicial proceedings, such as exclusion of evidence or conduct of hearings.
• Judicial decision indicators – observance of human rights obligations in rulings and judicial decisions.

Quantitative indicators are complemented by qualitative ones to analyze interpretative practices and capture information that cannot be automated. Indicators include relevant disaggregation variables, such as whether individuals belong to groups subject to historical or structural disadvantages, as well as the corresponding federal entity.

The system operates in two complementary phases:

• Conceptualization phase– translating international human rights obligations into precise, actionable indicators.
• Data generation phase– combining manual review with partial automation to structure and validate information, ensuring high-quality data ready for advanced analytical tools.

FORTAJUS-DH monitors both administrative activity and the work of federal judicial bodies, focusing on two key obligations: guaranteeing and protecting human rights. The system is designed for continuous monitoring and can be expanded to include additional rights or obligations, ensuring adaptability to evolving international standards

Users

Information is intended for internal institutional use to support policy and strategic decision-making, for reporting to international bodies, and for consultation by experts from academia and civil society.

Discover the Tool