Since the codification of the jus cogens concept in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969 the link between international human rights and jus cogens has been clear. This work intents to enlarge the catalogue of international human rights belonging to jus cogens; mainly through the demonstration that the absolute nature of human rights overcomes the arguments against this possibility (e.g. the emergency case clause). This work analyzes also the effect of the jus cogens-human rights binomial in Latin-American constitutions, with a special emphasis to the Mexican legal order.