prosecution ofoffenders anditcouldtherefore nolongerbeheldthataBasque who hadtakenrefugeinFrancemetthecrite~ia forpolitical refugee status. Moreover, inaccordance witharticle 1ofthe1951Convention relating tothe StatusofRefugees, persons whohadcommitted serious offences outside thehost country wereexcluded fromthescopeoftheConvention. Thathadbeenthereason fortheexpulsion ofcertain Basqueterrorists toSpain. Moregenerally, therehad been181,679 political refugees inFranceinJanuary 1989,alargeproportion of thembeingCambodians, Laotians andVietnamese. Referring tothequestion of employment ofclandestine workers, therepresentative saidthatfinesofupto 30,000francsperoffence couldbeimposed andguiltyemployers couldbebrought to court. Aliensholding aresidence permitfor10yearscouldenteranyprofession exceptthecivilservice andprofessions subject tospecial regulations. However, anyalienwhoobtained thenecessary Frenchqualification couldworkinthe relevant profession. 58.Themothertongues ofthechildren ofimmigrants couldbetaughtinFrench schools outside normalschoolhours. Agreements onthat subj~ct hadbeenconcluded withAlgeria, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia andYugoslavia. Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish couldbestudied bychildren over12aspartoftheregular school programme. Replying toquestions concerning illegal associations, the representative saidthattheonlyassociations thatwerebannedwerethose impairing theintegrity ofthenationbyactsofviolence. Thatprovision hadbeen enforced against anassociation responsible forterrorist actsinCorsica. An organization oftheextreme rightproclaiming Naziideologies hadalsobeen dissolved underlegislation conce~ning combatgroups andprivate mIlitias. 59.Withreference toarticle 6oftheConvention, therepresentative saidthat theMediator 01theRepublic dealtmorespecifically withdisputes between private individuals andtheadministration. TheNational Commission forImmigrant Populations metseveral timesayearunderthechairmanship oftheMinister for SocialAffairs forthepurpose ofexposing anyabusescommitted bythe administration. 60.Thesixthperiodic reportofMexico (CERD/C/146/Add.2) wasconsidered bythe Committee atits833rdmeeting, on8August1989(CERD/C/SR.833). 61.Therepresentative oftheStateparty,inpresenting thereport, saidthat, underMexican constitutional law,theConvention formedanintegral partofthe supreme lawoftheMexican Feder4tion anditsapplication wasconsonant withoneof thefundamental principles oftheConstitution oftheRepublic ofMexico, nRmely, equality beforethelaw.Hesaidthatracialdiscrimination wascontrary tothe culture, thesystemoflawandtheinstitutions ofindependent Mexico andhe described indetailthejuridical regimethathadbeenestablished inMexicoto prevent anypractices thatmightresultinanyformwhatever ofdistincti~n, exclusion, restriction orpreference forracialoranyotherreasons. The representative provided theCommittee withinformation additional tothatcontained inthereportsubmitted in1986. Hereferred, inparticular, totherecent davelopments relating totheprotection oftheindigenous populatlons intheStates ofGuerrero andOaxaca. Inconclusion, hesaidthatnotwithstanding thegrave economic crisisthatthecountry hadbeenexperiencing overthelastsixyears, -22-Mexicowascontinuing toensurerespect forhumanrights3nd.inparticular. to prevent anypractice thatmightencourage anyformofcacial discri~ination. 62.Themembers oftheCommittee thanked therepresentative oftheStatepartyfor theadditional information hehadfurnishad inintroducing thereportandpaid tribute tothedetermination wLthwhichtheMexican authorities wereseeking to promote racialequality onMex~can territory andthecandour theyhadshownin theirdialogue withtheCommittee. However, theyfoundthestatement in paragraph 4ofthereportthat"inMexicothereisnoracialdiscriminatlon" difficult toaccept. Someclarificatlon ofthatpointwasrequested, particularly giventhefactthattherewere56different ethnicgroupsinMexico. 63.Withreference toarticle 4oftheConvention, itwasIlotedthatinMexican lawracialdiscrimination wasnottreated asanoffence; thatratification ofthe Convention byMexicowasnotinitselfsufficient tomakeracialdiscrimination an offence; thatdiscrimination waGnotanoffence because Mexico hadnot,after ratifying theConvention, takentheadditional measures thatwererequired, and
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing issues related to human rights, refugees, and immigration, which are all related to the social and political aspects of a country. The text also mentions education and employment, which are related to the economic development of a country. However, the focus of the text is more on the social and political implications of these issues rather than the economic aspects.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Education