Un Techo para mi País México vs. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, amparo en Revisión 635/2019

Nature of the Case

The Supreme Court ruled that the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) needs to include informal settlements in the country’s official census in order to fulfill their purpose of providing data to enable the full realization of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. In particular, the judgment highlights the detrimental impact that the lack of census data collection has on the guaranteeing of the right to dignified housing for residents of informal settlements.

Enforcement of the Decision and Outcomes

Techo reached out to INEGI regarding the formulation of a plan for implementation of the Court’s judgment.

Significance of the Case

This ruling represents a vital decision connecting the role of data inclusivity in the full realization of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights. Having representative and inclusive data provides the foundation upon which public policies are designed, implemented, funded, and monitored. If individuals and groups are not represented in data, any policy made or decisions taken on the basis of that data will not be able to address specific issues that they face and will exclude them from equal enjoyment of human rights. Exclusion in data therefore means exclusion in reality. The Court’s decision can serve as an example in other jurisdictions containing struggles for human rights-based data inclusivity.

For their contributions, special thanks to ESCR-Net members: the Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy (PHRGE) at Northeastern University.

Groups Involved in the Case

• Several ESCR-Net members submitted an amicus curiae brief (in Spanish)