At the signing ceremony on 12 June, Sylvie Junod, head of the ICRC’s regional delegation in Mexico, and Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s public security minister, expressed their satisfaction. “This agreement will mean that middle-ranking officers can become qualified instructors in the use of force and firearms and in arrest and detention procedures," said the minister. "The idea is to promote ethical behaviour and unconditional respect for individual rights alongside the technical skills for combating crime.”

Increasing awareness of national and international human rights and humanitarian principles among police officers forms part of a comprehensive ICRC strategy, condensed in the To serve and to protect course. “The aim is for education, training and sanctions for the police and security forces to reflect these rules in a way that will ensure unconditional respect for life and human dignity at all times,” said Sylvie Junod.