Council of Europe

MARIA DEL CARMEN ALANIS

 

 

 

Lawyer, Master of Science and PhD with over 27 years of experience in elections, democracy building, rule of law and access to justice. Alanis’ working lines include gender and indigenous communities issues. She has served at the highest levels at the Mexican electoral authorities. Currently Justice at the Federal Electoral Court, is the first and only woman that has been its President. She is member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), where she chaired the Latin American Sub-commission. She has been part of several committees and groups at OAS, the Inter American Union of Electoral Organisms (UNIORE) and is listed as elections consultant for the UN. She was distinguished as Woman of the Year 2012-2013 in Mexico.

 

 

Electoral Court of the Federal Judicial Branch (TEPJF) Since 2006

Justice at the High Chamber, 2006-2016

President, 2007-2011

· Chaired the Administration Commission, co-chaired the Inter American Union of Electoral Organisms (UNIORE) and is member of several bodies.

Demos Participación, S.C. 2006

Founding Partner and President

· Consulting firm specialized in elections, access to justice and public affairs.

Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) 1999-2005

Executive Secretary and Secretary of the Board, 2004-2005

Executive Director at the Civic Education and Training Department, 1999-2004

Substitute Electoral Commissioner of the Board, 2003

Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL) 1998-1999

Administrative Coordinator of the Secretary´s office

Ministry of Interior (SEGOB) 1998

Executive Assistant at the Department for the Dialogue and Negotiation in Chiapas, 1998

Executive Assistant of the Undersecretary for Political Development, 1996-1998

Federal Electoral Court (now TEPJF) 1987-1996

Director of the Judicial Electoral Training Center and Executive Secretary of the Editorial Board, 1995-1996

Director of the Training, and Information & Documentation Departments, 1990-1996

Assistant Law Clerk of an Electoral Justice, 1987-1990

 

CONSULTING WORK

 

UNICEF, Mexico 2006

· Project: “Elections incidence 2006”. Design and implementation of a bonding strategy between the Advice Board members of UNICEF-Mexico and political parties to foster the presence of Children´s Rights and education issues on political campaigns.

Mexican Cements, CEMEX 2005-2006

· Analysis of regulatory aspects of the electoral process and political scenarios for the 2006 election cycle.

Organization of American States, OAS 1996

Promoting Democracy Department

· Project: “Creating the Information and Documentation Department at the National Electoral Jury (JNE) of Peru”. Training, drafting of the bilateral agreement between JNE y and the Federal Electoral Court of Mexico to export the relational Data Base design, media strategy.

 

 

PhD of Philosophy degree on law. 2013

National Autonomous University of Mexico

Dissertation “Jurisprudence, Constitutional and Legal Reforms on

electoral issues (gender and indigeneous)”

Master in Comparative Government (MSc) 1990-1991

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

Dissertation: “México: An authoritarian state or a Democracy? –The current state of affairs“.

Bachelor of Laws (Licenciatura) 1985-1990

National Autonomous University of Mexico

Dissertation: “Mexican electoral behaviour, 1812-1990”.

 

 

Leadership and decision-making 2006

JFK School of Government, Harvard University, Boston, US

Education for an active citizenship: new tendencies in schools 2001

The British Council, Warwick, UK

Democracy and political transition in Mexico 1996

Graduate School of Economics and Business, Anahuac University, México

Continuing Education Course on Design & Analysisis of Political Comunication 1992-1993

Ibero-American University, México

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

· Election Law professor, Bachelor of Laws program (Licenciatura) 2006

Monterrey´s Technological and Superior Studies Institute (ITESM), Law Department

· Professor of the Election Law continuing education program 2003

· Adjunt profesor of Administrative Law 1989 – 1990

National Autonomous University of Mexico´s (UNAM) Law School

 

 

· “Electoral justice form a gender perspective” in Alcocer Jorge (comp), Gender quota: an historic resolution, 2013 ·

· “Jurisprudence of the Electoral Court: formal source of the 2007-2008 electoral reform”. Studies on the 2007 Electoral Reform: towards a new model / Lorenzo Córdova Vianello and Pedro Salazar Ugarte Coord. Mexico, TEPJF, 2008. p. 3-24.

· “Mexican Constitutional Democracy” (coauthored with Carlos González Martínez). Mexican People´s Rights. Mexico through its Constitutions. México, H. Cámara de Diputados. LIX Legislatura: Senado de la República. LIX Legislatura: Poder Judicial de la Federación, Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación: TEPJF: Instituto Federal Electoral: Grupo Editorial Miguel Ángel Porrúa, 2006. v.25, p. 679-721.

· “IFE´s assignments”. Mexican expats vote. Jorge Alcocer V. (comp.). México, Nuevo Horizonte Editores, 2005. pp. 479-485.

· “Women and their Contribution to Democracy”. 50 Years of Struggle and Thinking: Women´s Participation in the Mexican Electoral Processes. México, Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, 2003. pp. 9-27.

· “Historic Prelude of Political Representation in Mexico”, Hugo Concha Cantú (Coord.). Representative System and Semidirect Democracy: Memoria del VII Congreso Iberoamericano de Derecho Constitucional. Serie Doctrina Jurídica Num. 100. México, UNAM. Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, 2002.

PROJECT LEADER OF RELEVANT RESEARCH PROJECTS (IN SPANISH)

· Coordinator of IFE´s taskforce working with the Senate for the approval of the Election Law reform on Mexican expats vote (later approved by the House of Representatives, becoming Law on June 30th 2005).

· National poll “Nature of civic commitment: social capital and political culture in Mexico”. IFE - Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), 2003.

· Study on the political participation of Mexico´s Women at the federal, local and county levels. Centro de Formación y Desarrollo del Instituto Federal Electoral, 2002.

· Statistical Analysis of the Child and Juvenile Consultation, 2003. IFE - Francisco J. Lozano Espinosa, 2002.

· Social Change and electoral processes in indigenous regions. IFE - Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS), 2001.

 

 

· Member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), where she chaired the Latin American Sub-Commission.

· Former founding chair of the American Electoral Jurisprudence Group, members are Presidents of Electoral Courts of American States and OAS.

· Former co-President of the Inter American Union of Electoral Organisms (UNIORE), with the Head of IFE.

· Listed as elections consultant for the UN, has been consultant for OAS.

 

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES SEMINARS AND RELEVANT MISSIONS

 

International speaker on electoral justice and administrative management bodies, civic education, democratic transition, gender and democracy, minorities representation, electoral and party systems, strengthening women´s rights and political participation, among other issues. Some events attended are:

· Meetings of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), of the Sub-commission of Democratic Institutions, of the Latin American Sub-commission, of the extended body and plenary sessions of the Venice Commission, as well as of the Presidential Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, since 2008.

· 6th European Conference “Enhancing Participation in Elections”, hosted by the Venice Commission and the Dutch Electoral Council, The Hague, November 30th – December 3, 2009.

· US 2012 General Elections Program, panel on indigenous communities vote and roundtable of relevant experiences through electoral justice with the Indonesian delegation, International Foundation for Electoral Systems, IFES, Washington, D.C., November 4 – 7 2012.

· Preparatory meeting of Mexico´s 7th & 8th periodic report to the CEDAW regarding the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico, July 17th, 2012.

· Conference “Rule of Law as a Practical Concept”; Venice Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UK, Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, London, UK, March 2nd, 2012.

· 2nd Meeting of Ibero-American Electoral Judges, Supreme Court of Elections of Costa Rica, Justice & Gender Foundation, UN Women, IDEA International, and IIDH/CAPEL, San Jose, Costa Rica, September 26 – 30, 2011.

· 10th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN Headquarters, New York, US, May 17 – 19, 2011.

· 2nd Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice “Separation of Powers and Independence of Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Bodies”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, January 16 – 18, 2011.

· X Conference of the Inter American Union of Electoral Organisms (UNIORE). Mexico´s report (TEPJF), Mérida, Yucatán, November 9 – 12, 2010.

· 1st Meeting of the Presidents of the Electoral Courts of the Americas, OAS, Washington, D.C., US, April 13, 2010.

· 1st Meeting of the Ibero-American Electoral Judges, Guadalajara, Jalisco, October 7, 2009.

· “Design and functioning of the Federal Electoral Court (TEPJF): Mission and Lessons Learned. Swedish Election Authority (Valmyndigheten). Assisting General Secretary of IDEA International, Stockholm Sweden, May 26 – 27, 2008.

· Roundtable Fostering Confidence on the Electoral Process: Managing Election Disputes “Building Trust in the Electoral Process: Electoral Disputes Mechanisms”. 7nd Global Forum on Reinventing Government, Vienna, Austria, June 26 – 29, 2007.

· Conference on “Electoral Management Bodies as Promoters of Civic Education: the Case Study of Mexico”, World Congress on Civic Education (CIVITAS) Jordan, June 2005.

· Course “Campaigns to Promote Citizen’s Participation in Mexico” addressing the Iraqi Delegation visiting Mexico, July 2004.

· Roundtable “The Challenge of Building Political Culture with Gender Perspective. Democratic Governance in Mexico”, (CEPAL), Mexico City, December 2003.

· Moderator of the Roundtable “Civic Education: Instrument for Fighting Corruption”, International Conference “Mexico Against Corruption”, OAS, The World Bank, Transparency International-Mexico

Chapter, Ministry of the Comptroller General and Administrative Development, IFE, Mexico City, April 2002.

· Member of electoral observation missions to London, UK, May 4 – 5, 2010, and to Washington, D.C., November 2008 & 2012.

· Keynote speaker at several universities, including: London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE, London, UK. University of Salamanca, Spain. University of California, San Diego, US. As well as at the School of Law of the Catholic University, University of Lima and University of San Martín de Porres, in Peru.

 

 

· Awarded Woman of the Year in Mexico 2012-2013

· She has appeared on numerous occasions as legal & political commentator on Mexican T.V. and regularly publishes specialized & opinion articles in national newspapers, magazines and specialized media.

· She is Fluent in English, reads in French and lives in Mexico City.