On September 24, 2012, the High-level Meeting of the 67th Session of the General Assembly on the Rule of
Law at the National and International Levels was held at the United Nations (UN). Its Member States and a large,
high-level representation of civil society organizations reached a historic joint declaration by consensus in which
the rule of law and development were recognized as closely interrelated variables with mutual feedback. This
declaration establishes that “the advancement of the rule of law at the national and international levels is
essential for sustained and inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, the eradication of poverty and
hunger, and the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”1
This way of understanding the rule of law and its importance in people’s lives, as well as for the prosperity
of countries, has been our leitmotif at the World Justice Project (WJP) in developing the Mexico States Rule of Law
Index, which we present in its third edition. We believe that the advancement of the rule of law must be based
on a shared understanding, as well as a systematic, comprehensive, and actionable assessment, in order to identify
its main strengths, areas of opportunity, improvements, and setbacks.
In its 2020-2021 edition, the Index reaffirms its place as the most complete tool for measuring the rule of law
in Mexico’s 32 states, offering updated and structured data on eight factors: constraints on government powers,
absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil
justice, and criminal justice. The scores for these factors are comparable over time for each state. They reflect the perspectives and experiences of more than 25,000 citizens and of more than 2,300 specialists from all over Mexico, combined and validated with quantitative data from highly reliable third-party sources such as the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI). Behind each score, there is a rigorous technical analysis, supported by a robust capacity for data collection, verification, and validation.
The results of the Mexico States Rule of Law Index 2020- 2021 show persistent challenges in all the aspects of
the rule of law, although the main gaps continue to be in the areas of justice, security, corruption, and regulatory
enforcement. However, there are important differences in performance and progress between the states. The general
scores increased in 17 states, decreased in 5, and stayed the same in 10.
This edition of the Index also shows the first local effects on the rule of law caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The ongoing health emergency that began in 2020 has disrupted every possible dimension of our lives in both
the private and public spheres, and the rule of law has not been the exception, for example, in the paralysis of
justice services. In the absence of provisions from Open and Digital Justice, some states were forced to suspend
their operation for a long period of time, despite the fact that all federal and local jurisdictional activity was defined
as essential by the country’s health authorities.2 Sixteen states decreased their scores in criminal justice as a result
of this unfortunate situation.
However, 2021 offers a significant opportunity to generate political and programmatic commitments towards
strengthening of the rule of law at the highest level, since there will be elections for governors and local congresses
in at least 15 states. The results of the Index provide an outlook on the rule of law in these places. It is not only
possible but highly desirable that new development plans and programs identify public policy priorities based on
evidence. We hope that the data, scores, and findings that we present here serve as a reference to inform the diagnostics and strategies for strengthening the rule of law in programmatic instruments, as well as to evaluate the
progress of state authorities over time.
1 UN, A/RES/67/1, General Assembly resolution 67/1, Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels. November 30th, 2012. Available from: undocs.org/en/A/RES/67/1 undocs.org/A/RES/67/1.
2 Agreement establishing extraordinary actions to address the health emergency generated by COVID-19, published on March 31, 2020 in the Official
Gazette of the Federation (Diario Oficial de la Federación). Available from: https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5590914&fecha=31/03/2020
(Retrieved January 29, 2021).
Alejandro González Arreola
DIRECTOR OF RULE OF LAW PROJECTS