Mexico, 1995

Since the United Nations was founded, Mexico has made

a committed and enthusiastic contribution to its positive

development. Without exception, Mexico has effectively

promoted the principles, the letter and the spirit of the

San Francisco Charter. Today Mexico confirms before the

world its unswerving commitment to peace, development

and collective understanding, which are the inspiration of

the United Nations.

We have had five decades of collective diplomacy,

controversy over the scope and limitations of multilateral

action, difficult adaptations for the United Nations to a

world that is constantly changing at a dizzying pace; five

decades in which the ship of the United Nations has often

been pounded by the waves of intolerance, of the

arbitrary and irrational use of power and force and of

overt violations of the norms of international law. Despite

the pounding it has received, the ship remains afloat.

Today it has 185 nations on board, and it is still

mankind’s best alternative for bringing future generations

to a safer and stabler port than the one we inherited at the

end of the Second World War.

In these first 50 years the foundations have been laid

for building a new civilization at a higher level for

peaceful coexistence between nations. Never before in

history has mankind possessed an instrument as universal

and spirited as the United Nations. The general debate in

this fiftieth anniversary year is an appropriate occasion for

us to pledge ourselves to preserving the achievements of

the United Nations and outlining the form it should take

in the next century. Clearly, the world cannot do without

the United Nations, but it is also obvious that its

structures are in need of far-reaching changes in order to

be up to the challenges of the present day.

The recurring topic is the need to reform the

Organization, and the main issues are, among others, the

following:

First, Mexico attaches priority to the examination of

the reform of the Security Council and has proposed an

increase in the Council’s membership, strictly respecting

the principle of equitable geographical distribution in the

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context of a genuine reform of its working methods,

including reconsideration of the use and the existence of the

veto power.

A second issue is the limitations on the role of the

Secretary-General, which have very significantly curtailed

his ability to act.

Thirdly, there is the failure of a large number of

Member States to meet their financial obligations.

A fourth issue is the extreme bureaucratization of

some of the specialized agencies of the United Nations

system and the lack of coordination of their activities, as

well as the lack of political support by the Members for

other agencies, such as the United Nations Industrial

Development Organization (UNIDO), which carry out very

useful functions.

The enthusiasm generated by the end of the bipolar

confrontation has lessened due to the emergence of vast and

painful ethnic, religious and regional conflicts, especially in

the former Yugoslavia and in several countries in Africa —

conflicts whose resolution we must urgently seek.

Fortunately, there are reasons for optimism, such as the

progress achieved in the negotiations in the Middle East,

which we must acknowledge and continue to encourage.

We view with special satisfaction the progress of the

negotiations toward a firm and lasting peace in Guatemala,

to which the Secretary-General and the Group of Friends,

among them Mexico, have greatly contributed.

The issue of disarmament has for many years been a

priority on the agenda of the international community. Just

a few months ago, we agreed on the indefinite extension of

the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. At

the same time, we reaffirmed by consensus important

commitments relating to disarmament, including agreement

by all nuclear weapon States to make systematic and

progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally, with

the goal of eliminating these weapons within a programme

of general and complete disarmament. We now need to

establish deadlines for the attainment of these objectives

and remain vigilant, through the review mechanism we also

approved at the Conference, in monitoring the commitments

entered into.

Nevertheless, the vast majority of members of the

international community are clearly dissatisfied with the

pace of the negotiations on the subject. It would seem that

the necessary political will does not exist to take advantage

of the detente between the major military Powers to move

ahead in the sphere of disarmament. Rather, the fear

persists that this process may be reversible. This of course

makes it advisable to redouble efforts to make progress

on disarmament issues, as well as to devote attention to

a specific programme of mutual confidence-building

measures among States.

The conclusion in 1996 of a treaty of universal

validity proclaiming an absolute ban on nuclear-weapon

tests in all environments is the priority task in the

disarmament field. This treaty, currently being negotiated

in Geneva, should be opened for signature before the

beginning of the next session of the General Assembly.

With a view to speeding up the attainment of that

objective, all the nuclear-weapon States should embrace

the “zero option”, as the United States of America, France

and the United Kingdom have already done.

The Government of Mexico is extremely concerned

at the recent decisions by the People’s Republic of China

and France to conduct nuclear-weapon tests despite

repeated calls by the international community for them to

desist from such action. We condemn those tests and

reiterate our respectful but firm appeal to these countries

to proclaim a moratorium which will remain in force until

the nuclear test-ban treaty is concluded. The States parties

to the Treaty of Tlatelolco and the member States of the

Treaty of Rarotonga will be submitting a draft resolution

to that end for consideration by the Assembly. Moreover,

we share the view of those States that have indicated their

support for the immediate launching of negotiations to

ensure the prohibition of the production of fissionable

materials for nuclear weapons, which was indeed another

of the commitments agreed to by consensus at the Review

and Extension Conference of the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Along with the efforts to bring about nuclear

disarmament, impetus must also be given to the process

of conventional disarmament. Mexico supports and is

encouraging the negotiation of conventional-disarmament

agreements which will ensure transparency and limit the

manufacture and trade in and transfer of certain types of

conventional weapons, both regionally and worldwide.

In the Conference on conventional weapons now

under way in Vienna, Mexico will promote the

prohibition of the use, production, storage and transfer of

land-mines and will submit proposals on the use of

small-calibre weapons, cluster bombs, flechettes and

air-fueled explosives.

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The fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations give us

an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and on

what we need to change. It should be recalled that the past

year has also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the

institutions established at the memorable Bretton Woods

meeting. The agreements that set up the International

Monetary Fund and the World Bank have promoted

economic cooperation over the five decades following their

establishment. The globalization of production, of trade and,

above all, of finance, is undoubtedly a stimulant to

economic development. Yet it could cause crises which

these financial institutions are not at present able to meet

effectively.

Mexico recognizes and is grateful for the support

received from the international community in the financial

crisis it has experienced. The enormous efforts being made

every day by the Mexican people to resolve this situation

would have had to be even greater if we had not been able

to count on the support of the international community,

both from friendly Governments and from multilateral

agencies. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that the

Mexican crisis has afforded evidence of the vulnerability of

the international financial system as a whole.

For the modern State, and especially for developing

countries, the successful conclusion of our structural-change

process requires a stable international financial system, the

timely and effective financial support that the international

financing institutions can extend to us, and the ability of

those institutions to detect and prevent crises facing

member countries in the external sector.

Let me now comment on the economic situation in my

country. Mexico decided to face head-on the problems

which led to the financial crisis head-on and to establish

immediately, with the support of the international

community, a strict economic programme entailing dynamic

but necessary adjustment measures.

We have taken difficult decisions, with a clear

purpose: to recognize the need for adjustment while

mitigating its costs to the fullest possible extent and at the

same time constructing a new platform for the sustained

development of the economy.

As of now, inflation in Mexico is markedly declining,

as are interest rates; productive activity in key sectors of

the economy is beginning to regain its dynamism; and the

Mexican economy is continuing its process of structural

transformation with a view to maintaining and increasing

our competitiveness. The balance of trade, which was in

severe deficit, is now showing a surplus, and we are

continuing to look for other markets in the world, be they

developed or developing, in order to diversify our trade.

We fully recognize the social costs of the crisis, and

steps are being taken to mitigate its effects. To assess the

situation in its true light, however, it is not sufficient to

consider only the cost of the present economic policy.

The still greater cost that would have been incurred if

decisive action had not been taken in this serious situation

must also be taken into account.

Mexico will continue to insist not only on the

application of existing treaties in force, the universally

recognized principles of law and the decisions of

international tribunals, but also on the major contribution

made by some United Nations resolutions to the

development of international law.

Therefore, we denounce in this forum, mankind’s

highest, any attempt to apply, on an extraterritorial basis

the laws of a State to citizens of third countries, as the

misnamed “Freedom and Democratic Solidarity with Cuba

Act” would do. We appeal to the sense of justice, equity

and international solidarity of the United States Congress

to stop what would be, if passed, a clear violation of

international law and an unacceptable political precedent

for the rest of the world.

As a further clear demonstration of our commitment

to the rule of law as a standard of conduct, and in

response to the appeal made by the Secretary-General in

his document entitled “An Agenda for Peace”, Mexico

would be prepared to withdraw the reservation made in its

statement of acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction of

the International Court of Justice if other countries did the

same.

Mexico supports the principle of shared

responsibility among nations for the major issues of the

new world agenda: the maintenance of a just peace in the

world, the fight against poverty, moves to ensure

international financial stability, free trade, the battle

against drug trafficking, the regulation of migratory

movements, with strict respect for the human rights of

migrants, the strengthening of democracy, and the

protection of human rights. Furthermore, on a selective

basis, we think it is appropriate to formulate action

programmes through world conferences, such as the

International Conference on Population and Development,

in Cairo, and the World Summit on Social Development,

in Copenhagen; and the incorporation of women in our

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society on equal terms on the basis of the recent Beijing

Declaration and Platform for Action.

Drug consumption and trafficking have become one of

the principal threats to the health and welfare of societies,

endangering their economic, political and social structures.

Drug trafficking and related illicit activities, such as the

illegal traffic in arms, money laundering, terrorism,

corruption and other criminal activities, constitute the most

important challenge to the administration of justice in many

countries.

It is essential for the international community to

redouble its efforts to eliminate the demand, production,

supply, trafficking and illegal distribution of drugs. It is

vital to forge new consensus around an international

strategy against drug trafficking. For this reason, the

President of Mexico, Mr. Ernesto Zedillo, has proposed the

holding of an international conference to work out propose

new solutions to this problem. The tenth anniversary of the

United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances seems a

particularly appropriate time for such a gathering.

We trust that the General Assembly at this session will

see merit in and find full justification for our proposal,

which has already been endorsed by a significant number

of countries, and we reaffirm, of course, our readiness to

engage in broad dialogue on the scope and content of this

initiative.

New forms of intolerance, racism and xenophobia

threaten world peace. The United Nations must carry out an

urgent analysis of the growing significance of international

migratory flows in all geographical regions which are today

affected by such destructive attitudes. We call on the

international community to initiate a dialogue which will

make it possible to find constructive solutions to this

phenomenon, in a context of full respect for the human

rights of migrants and their families, including workers’

rights.

Starting with this general debate, the United Nations

is entering upon a period as full as of uncertainty as of

opportunity. The twenty-first century will differ from all the

preceding centuries in that, for the first time, we shall have

the opportunity of building a truly world-wide civilization,

and, by the same token, a set of universal values to guide

and modulate the activity of all States. The emergence of

a collective awareness, the inexhaustible talent of human

beings and the desire that negotiation and understanding

should prevail over any idea of force or imposition are the

cornerstones of a new world order in which there will be

room for the richest and most noble contributions of all

peoples.

In the phase the United Nations is now entering,

Mexico will maintain its unswerving support for the

greatest causes of mankind. As part of this commitment,

we shall bring the moral qualities, the pacifist vocation

and the spirit of solidarity of the Mexican people to bear

on the building of an international system capable of

improving the human condition and ensuring the dignity

and survival of mankind and of the planet that we share

with one another.