agreement and the State’s acknowledgment of responsibility,” took place for this case. (infra para. 10). 8. Brief of the Common Intervener. On November 19, 2013, the representatives’ Common Intervener presented “several observations on two points of the friendly settlement agreement.”8 9. Observations of the Commission. On November 20, 2013, the Commission presented its observations on the “friendly settlement agreement and the State’s acknowledgment of responsibility” in this case. III FRIENDLY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE STATE’S RESPONSIBILITY A) Friendly settlement agreement and acknowledgment of the State’s responsibility 10. On November 18, 2013, the parties met in San Jose, Costa Rica, for the purpose of formally signing the “Friendly settlement agreement and acknowledgment of the State’s Responsibility.”9 This act took place at the Court in the presence of the President of the Court, one of the victims, Mr. Santiago Sánchez Silvestre, and representatives of the victims and the State.10 The parties submitted this agreement to the Court and requested that it issue a ruling approving the agreement, defining its provisions and supervising its compliance.11 11. The aforementioned agreement provides for a “friendly settlement” of the dispute in this case, agreed to by the parties and “based on the acknowledgment (of international responsibility)” on the part of the State.12 In the agreement the parties expressed “their willingness to reach a friendly settlement in the Case of Juan García Cruz and Santiago Sánchez Silvestre, as stipulated [in the agreement…], omitting the public hearing.” 12. In said agreement the State expressed “its full and absolute commitment to the application, respect, promotion and protection of human rights.” In section V of the agreement, entitled “Legal Basis of the Acknowledgment of Responsibility by the State of Mexico,” Mexico acknowledged its international responsibility in this case with respect to the facts and their legal consequences in the following terms: 8 Specifically, the representatives referred to: i) the importance of “the joint request [included in the friendly settlement agreement and acknowledgment of responsibility] for the Court to develop standards regarding the evidentiary value of confessions and procedural immediacy;” and ii) the need to safeguard the confidentiality of the victims’ names” in the processing of this case (infra paras. 27 and 28). They also submitted a “clarification on the error in the birth date of Juan García Cruz.” 9 Cf. “Friendly Settlement Agreement and the State’s Acknowledgment of Responsibility in the Case of Juan García Cruz and Santiago Sánchez Silvestre”, signed on November 18, 2013, in San Jose, Costa Rica. 10 The following individuals attended the signing of the friendly settlement agreement and the State’s acknowledgment of responsibility: a) victim Santiago Sánchez Silvestre and the representatives: María del Pilar Noriega García from SLIEJ; Marcia Aguiluz, Carlos K. Zazueta and Daniela Araya from CEJIL; and b) for the State: Lía Limón García, Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Interior Ministry; Armando Gonzalo Álvarez Reina, Ambassador of Mexico in Costa Rica; Alejandro Alday González, Director General of Human Rights and Democracy at the Foreign Ministry; Alejandra Negrete Morayta, Deputy Director General of Public Policies of the National Human Rights Program of the Foreign Relations Ministry; and Rafael Barceló Durazo, Political Affairs and Human Rights Officer of the Embassy of Mexico in Costa Rica. 11 Friendly settlement agreement and the State’s acknowledgment of responsibility, supra note 9, paragraph “VII. Statements” “of the parties” second clause. 12 Friendly settlement agreement and the State’s acknowledgment of responsibility, supra note 9, paragraph “II. Purpose.” 5