I share the warm greetings of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and the entire population of Mexico.
In 2022, we are facing one of the most serious crises in recent times, which has had an impact on the global order, international peace and security, the economy, the supply of basic commodities and essential services. Humanitarian assistance needs have multiplied, inequality has unfortunately grown, and the negative effects of climate change have also increased. In addition to health security, which has been weakened by the pandemic, there is a serious threat posed to food security for large segments of the populations in the poorest and most marginalized countries. Furthermore, the current situation is marked by an increase in geopolitical tensions among the major Powers.
Just as it seemed that we were recovering from the grave effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the war in Ukraine erupted, bringing with it the risk of a nuclear accident and its potentially catastrophic consequences. In addition to its high cost in terms of human lives and impact on millions of internally displaced persons and refugees in third countries, the war in Ukraine has affected the availability of food and fuel throughout the world.
Together with other unresolved armed conflicts, the war in Ukraine is seriously undermining cooperation and the global order based on international law. As a responsible State committed to the promotion of the peaceful settlement of disputes, Mexico would like to make the following proposal before the General Assembly to foster dialogue and peace in Ukraine.
The Security Council — it must be said — has been unable to fulfil the mandate conferred upon it by the Charter of the United Nations by having failed to prevent the war, take the measures needed to end the armed aggression and, to a greater degree, initiate any diplomatic process to seek a solution through dialogue and negotiations. It has also been unable to ensure the delivery of the all the humanitarian assistance required and, unfortunately, to openly support the work of the Secretary-General and other actors in managing access to the markets for Russian- and Ukrainian-produced grain and fertilizer.
Confronted by that paralysis, we had to resort to the General Assembly and convene its eleventh special emergency session, in which Mexico, together with France, proposed the appropriate framework for channelling humanitarian aid in the adoption of resolution ES-11/2, which has undoubtedly been useful but is clearly inadequate in the wake of the destruction and suffering that the war has left behind. For those reasons, as he is aware of our individual and collective responsibility, His Excellency President Lopez Obrador of Mexico proposes that a delegation or caucus of Heads of State and Government encourage and support the Secretary-General’s efforts to promote measures to build trust, which has been lost, between the Russian Federation and Ukraine so as to establish, as soon as possible, the conditions necessary for the parties to avail themselves of the mechanisms designed for the peaceful settlement of disputes, as set forth in the Charter. In other words, before the paralysis of the Security Council, we must provide, inter alia, a diplomatic channel to complement those already in place to communicate with the parties to the conflict, with a view to reducing tensions and harnessing crucial mediation.
This proposal has been shared in recent days with the Secretary-General, the parties concerned and the delegations of India and the Holy See, since President Lopez Obrador believes that His Excellency
Narendra Modi and His Holiness Pope Francis, among others, should participate, together with the Secretary- General, in any such delegation. We will continue with the necessary consultations, with the sole purpose of being able to contribute, as an impartial actor and in good faith, to generate the broadest possible support for the efforts and good offices of the Secretary-General and the caucus, whose formation we hope will proceed, with the support of United Nations Member States.
For nearly two years, as an elected member of the Security Council, Mexico has sought to address the structural causes of conflicts and promote preventive diplomacy as a central element in the maintenance of international peace and security. We have brought to the Council’s attention issues that had been neglected, such as poverty, corruption and inequality, as underlying factors of conflict, the goal of ensuring mental health as an integral part of humanitarian aid, concepts of masculinity to prevent radicalization and terrorism, the importance of respecting the collective security system established under the Charter and the need for coordination and cooperation in achieving peace among the principal organs of the United Nations.
The illicit flow of small arms and light weapons, as a result of their widespread availability, undermines regional and international security. That is why Mexico has urged for the need to take measures to stop their flow. That was also demonstrated by the adoption of Security Council resolution 2616 (2021), on respecting arms embargoes and ensuring that peace operations contribute to strengthening the capacities of national authorities to combat illicit arms trafficking and diversion. We have also advocated for transparency, efficiency, accountability and equitable participation in the Council’s work. In that regard, Mexico will continue to advocate a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, including more seats and with longer terms of office in the elected-member category, to make it more representative, transparent and efficient.
The paralysis of the Security Council is the result of the abuse of the poorly named “right of veto” by some of its permanent members. During this plenary meeting, two of them have even explicitly referred to the need to restrict its use to truly exceptional situations. In that regard, Mexico and France have continued to advocate that the permanent members refrain from resorting to the veto in situations of mass atrocities. We invite those States that have not yet done so to join that initiative, which is already supported by 106 States.
In the meantime, Mexico and 83 other States have promoted an accountability mechanism whereby, each time a veto is recorded in the Security Council, the General Assembly would meet without delay to discuss the issue and invite the author or authors of the veto to explain their position or positions. That proposal, which was adopted unanimously by resolution 76/262 and has already been used twice, points in the right direction. It is now up to us to decide whether we want to take the subsequent steps to prevent the system from continuing to be paralysed in the face of massive human suffering.
Nuclear weapons continue to represent the worst threat to the very survival of humankind. Mexico regrets the lack of political will, particularly on the part of the nuclear-weapon States, to reach agreements to achieve that goal, something that was confirmed at the recent Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which did not achieve any results, even though the risks of nuclear proliferation are becoming more real and obvious every day. My country agrees with the Secretary-General’s vision that a safer and more peaceful world must be based on international law, cooperation and solidarity — and not on the incessant accumulation and modernization of nuclear and conventional arsenals. It was precisely that vision that led the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to establish the first nuclear-weapon-free zone in a densely populated area through the Treaty of Tlatelolco, which led to the conclusion and entry into force, in recent years, of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Mexico reaffirms that the United Nations continues to be a unique tool of the international community for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the achievement of the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our country will continue to promote multilateralism, international solidarity and cooperation as the best way to face global challenges.
We cannot close the door to political dialogue and diplomatic negotiation. Current international tensions will not be resolved by force. We must secure political understandings and confidence-building mechanisms. Indeed, restoring trust is one of our greatest challenges. Mexico calls on all Member States to work together to achieve the peace we all yearn for, to work as one in post-pandemic recovery with a sustainable and resilient approach that fully considers the needs and priorities of all countries and which puts people at the centre of our actions.