On behalf of President Enrique Peña Nieto,
it is an honour for me to address the plenary of this
Organization, a symbol of universal values and of the
best causes of humankind.
On behalf of the people and Government of Mexico,
I thank the international community for the generous
expressions of solidarity and support following the
weather-related events in my country. They contribute
to the work of the Government and to the fraternal
participation of civil society in providing assistance to
those affected.
Over the past two weeks, Mexico has suffered the
unprecedented simultaneous arrival of two hurricanes,
Ingrid and Manuel, one on the Pacific coast and the
other on the Atlantic coast. Over the past few decades,
Mexico has worked hard to bolster its capability to
prevent and respond to natural disasters. However,
the increased vulnerability we face in the world
underscores the need and urgency for action. That is
why we welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to
convene a summit in September 2014 to address the
impact of climate change. Mexico will participate
enthusiastically and will continue to contribute to the
implementation of the agreements reached in 2010 at
Cancún.
I join in the international community’s unanimous
condemnation of the unspeakable attacks against
civilians in Nairobi. Mexico expresses its solidarity
to the Government and people of Kenya, as well as
our condolences to relatives of the victims. Such
unfortunate acts constitute an affront to peace and
clearly demonstrate the need for us to remain vigilant
in the fight against terrorism. We also join those who
have expressed their condolences to the Government
and people of Pakistan following the recent earthquake.
My countrty believes in multilateralism and
reiterates its unflinching commitment to the
Organization. We support the diplomatic initiatives
aimed at finding a peaceful political solution to the
crisis in Syria, in particular the agreement reached by
the United States and Russia on eliminating chemical
weapons in that country.
The prohibition of the use or threat of use of
chemical weapons is absolute. The events of 21 August
outside Damascus are unacceptable. The dismantling
and destruction of the Syrian arsenals, under the
auspices of the Organization for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons and the Security Council, must be
immediate and unconditional. There can be no room
for dilatory tactics or blackmail. Mexico supports the
convening of the “Geneva II” international conference
on Syria as soon as possible, with the goal of achieving
lasting peace there.
The challenges we face today compel us to seek
a Security Council that is truly representative of the
international community, without positions of privilege
reserved for a few; a Council that is transparent and
accountable; and a Council that acknowledges that a
veto does not work in situations involving genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Mexico believes that disarmament should continue
to be one of the key goals of the United Nations. In
keeping with my country’s longstanding contributions
to the cause of disarmament, in February 2014 in
Nayarit, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, we will host the
second Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of
Nuclear Weapons.
Human security is also affected by the irresponsible
use of, and illicit trafficking in, conventional weapons.
Mexico therefore welcomes the adoption of the Arms
Trade Treaty. Demonstrating great vision, the Mexican
Senate has approved the Treaty, and I deposited our
instrument of ratification yesterday. We will comply
with it immediately, even before its entry into force
worldwide. Mexico calls on all States to ratify the
Treaty, which is a testament to the Organization’s ability
to achieve common solutions to shared challenges. I
also hope that the United Nations will show the same
willingness to take on the fight against sexual violence
as a weapon in conflict situations.
Mexico is also acting responsibly in dealing
with the global drug problem. Like Chile, Colombia
and others, Mexico believes we should evaluate
internationally agreed policies in the search for more
effective responses based on a focus on health and
a framework of respect for human rights and from a
perspective of damage control. The goal must be the
well-being of society in all its aspects.
Along with Costa Rica, Paraguay and others, we
believe we should give priority to prevention so as
to reduce the impact on health and, in particular, the
violence associated with drug problems. Similarly, it
would be helpful to strengthen international cooperation
so as to reduce the illegal flows of arms and money that
fuel criminal networks.
Along with Guatemala and others, we believe the
new global strategy should be based on an open and
inclusive debate leading up to the special session of the
General Assembly scheduled for 2016. We welcome the
Antigua Declaration issued at the General Assembly of
the Organization of American States as a first step in
the right direction towards the 2016 special session.
The fight against organized crime must always
respect the rule of law and human rights. When there is
a risk or merely a possibility that the right to privacy of
any citizen might be infringed by any Government, we
have demanded that it be investigated and the parties
responsible held accountable. In Mexico, the protection
of personal data is a human right guaranteed by the
Constitution.
Mexico believes firmly in free trade and in
building mechanisms that promote the free circulation
of people, goods and capital. That is why we and Chile,
Colombia and Peru formed the Pacific Alliance, which
is organized in a spirit of openness and plurality, as
the heterogeneity of its members with observer status
reflects. Our only goal is for the Pacific Alliance
to be an inclusive, useful tool for the promotion of
prosperity for the citizens of our nations. That is also
the spirit behind our work this year in the Association
of Caribbean States.
During this session of the Assembly we will
begin the process of evaluating our achievement of
the Millennium Development Goals and outlining
a road map for the post-2015 agenda. The success
of the Millennium Development Goals is rooted in
focusing the actions of the international community
on clear and ambitious targets. Despite that, it is
important to acknowledge that painful inequality and
a lack of participation and access to development still
persist among the most vulnerable groups in highly
industrialized countries, as well as developing ones.
Poverty, inequality and social exclusion exacerbate
conflicts and help to undermine the rule of law. The
development agenda must be based on a commitment
to inclusion. Policies that bring together mechanisms
promoting development and openness to innovation,
coupled with political determination on the part of the
international community, will enable us to advance
towards a world with opportunities for all.
Inclusion should be a central premise in the
negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda,
thus ensuring not only a narrowing of the poverty and
inequality gaps but also active participation by society’s
most vulnerable groups. That is why we will convene
a meeting in Mexico to promote a global perspective
on inclusion, in which Governments, civil society and
United Nations agencies, funds and programmes will
participate with the aim of defining the parameters of
inclusion and its impact on development policies, so
we can establish minimum thresholds for inclusion to
which every human being is entitled. In that context, we
acknowledge the high-level events being held within the
framework of this session of the General Assembly — on
persons with disabilities and on international migration
and development. Full observance of the rights of such
groups is an essential component of the post-2015
development agenda.
Mexico is a multi-ethnic and multicultural nation
that is proud of its 68 indigenous peoples. That is why
we attach such importance to the World Conference on
Indigenous Peoples,to be held in 2014, for which great
event we will host a preparatory meeting.
Our experience shows that to achieve the goal
of inclusion, we must consider every dimension of
poverty — lack of income and financial inclusion,
nutrition, health, education, housing and basic services.
Both through our national crusade against hunger
and as a member of the Group of 20, Mexico has
sought to place such deficiencies at the centre of the
debate. The innovative feature of our national crusade
against hunger lies in its focus on a multidimensional
measurement of poverty and in the fact that it seeks
to overcome the deficiencies thus measured in order to
arrive at sustainable and structural ways of mitigating
the conditions that lead to hunger.
In the spirit of moving Mexico forward, we are
undertaking transformative reforms for increasing
access to quality education, telecommunication, the
financial system and social security. Strengthening
international support will be crucial to implementing
the post-2015 development agenda. We must meet
the international commitments on financing for
development agreed on under the Monterrey Consensus
and achieve coordinated, transparent cooperation
with clear goals. That is why Mexico will host the
first High-level Meeting of the Global Partnership for
Effective Development Cooperation next year. Central
to the agenda for that forum will be the mobilization of
domestic resources for development. Mexico therefore
agrees with all measures that help prevent the erosion
of our tax base and its migration to jurisdictions with
low or no taxes.
Today the world is coming closer together, because
we have a greater global awareness. We are all affected
by the suffering and challenges of other nations,
wherever we are. Let us capitalize on that awareness in
order to include those who are excluded and to extend
a hand to those who have not had our opportunities.
Let us do what is necessary to make our world a place
where greater equality is a reality.
President Enrique Peña Nieto wishes to leave no
doubt as to his and Mexico’s commitment to a peaceful
world, a world in which the best causes of humankind
make headway, an inclusive world in which inequalities
are reduced and extreme poverty is eradicated and a
world in which economic growth produces prosperity
for all. From this rostrum, Mexico declares its firmly
held belief in its global responsibilities.