Mexico, 2010

Let me

begin by conveying the warm congratulations of the

delegation of Mexico to Mr. Joseph Deiss on his

election as President of the General Assembly at this

new session. I also wish to express our appreciation to

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his predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for his

work, and our appreciation and support to Secretary-

General Ban Ki-moon for his efforts for peace and

development.

The recent high-level meetings have shown the

magnitude of the challenges that confront the

international community and thus the United Nations.

The obstacles to achieving the Millennium

Development Goals, the economic crisis in all its

manifestations, the disasters associated with climate

change, the continuing threats to peace and security —

in either their traditional or new forms — and the

difficulties in effectively addressing nuclear

disarmament and non-proliferation define the agenda

of multilateral institutions and of the policies of our

Governments.

Nevertheless, the primary responsibility of this

Organization is the maintenance of international peace

and security. Years of war and conflict on every

continent, with enormous loss of lives and significant

economic and social costs, have tested the ability of the

United Nations to prevent, contain and reverse armed

conflicts.

That is the case in Afghanistan and Iraq, where

after years of conflicts and interventions there is still

hope that those countries will be able to fully assume

their own destiny without outside interference. In

Somalia and the Sudan the prospects for peaceful

settlements and reconciliation still seem to be distant,

requiring the will of the parties and careful monitoring

by the international community to prevent the

escalation, the extension, of the crises and to ensure the

protection of the civilian population.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo

impunity prevails, and despite the presence of United

Nations forces, outrageous and unacceptable crimes are

committed against civilians, particularly women and

children. The reconstruction of Haiti after the terrible

earthquake last January, which even affected United

Nations personnel, is taking place under dramatic

conditions.

The list of challenges is endless, and indeed there

is the risk of a backsliding and escalation of violence

in several critical regions of the world.

In the Middle East, despite 60 years of conflict

and scepticism due to past failures, there is renewed

hope for peace, thanks to the resumption of direct talks

between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian

Authority. The creation of a politically and economically

viable Palestinian State, living in peace side by side with

Israel, within secure and internationally recognized

borders, is an essential condition for the establishment

of lasting peace in the Middle East. We particularly

welcome the efforts of the Administration of President

Barack Obama to achieve that goal.

Mexico expresses its strong support for the

ongoing negotiations. Nonetheless, the hope of a

definitive agreement is marred by the threats and

provocations of extremist forces that seek to derail

direct negotiations. The leaders of Israel and the

Palestinian Authority have an appointment with

history. Let us hope that they are up to the challenge.

To that end they can count on the unstinting support of

States genuinely committed to the peace process.

The existence of weapons of mass destruction

remains a threat to humanity and increases global

insecurity. In 2010, significant progress has been made

in the areas of disarmament and non-proliferation, and

the international community has renewed its

commitment to nuclear safety. The signing of the new

strategic arms reduction treaty between the United

States and Russia, the nuclear summit held in

Washington and the outcome of the Review Conference

of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons (NPT) are achievements that must be

commended. We cannot ignore that the credibility and

viability of the disarmament agenda depend on the

universalization of the NPT and the entry into force of

the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The

creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East

would constitute a parallel and decisive step in that

regard.

With regard to the cases of the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea and Iran, it will be

necessary to move forward through dialogue and

negotiation in order to resolve the controversies arising

from their nuclear programmes. The adoption of

sanctions is not incompatible with the recourse to

diplomacy, which is still ongoing.

However, international security does not depend

exclusively on the elimination of weapons of mass

destruction. It is also threatened by the existence of

small arms and light weapons and their illicit

trafficking, which fuel conflicts, claim the lives of

thousands of people and destabilize our societies. It is

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time to tackle that challenge head on, implementing the

Programme of Action on illicit trafficking in small

arms and light weapons and progressing towards the

adoption of an arms trade treaty.

With regard to development, the consequences of

the recent international economic and financial crisis,

caused largely by the failure of the regulatory

mechanisms and the excessive indebtedness of the

world’s major economies, are still being suffered

worldwide.

The failures that led to this crisis must be

addressed, and the United Nations must be able to play

a significant role in that undertaking. The crisis

demonstrated the need to promote international

cooperation schemes that would allow us to act

effectively and efficiently to meet the challenges

arising from it. In particular, it is worth highlighting

the positive work of the Group of 20 in this regard.

However, we also believe that the United Nations

should play a more relevant role in the discussions on

necessary international economic governance reform.

In this sense, we share the objectives set by the

President of the General Assembly.

In this context, the prospects for achieving the

Millennium Development Goals have been severely

hampered by the crisis. Thus, the commitments in

official development assistance made at the Monterrey

International Conference on Financing for

Development and endorsed at the 2008 Doha Follow-

up Conference have been jeopardized. These

commitments must be honoured. The Millennium

Development Goals can be attained in all countries if

we take appropriate individual and collective action, as

indicated in resolution 65/1, adopted at the High-level

Plenary Meeting held here at Headquarters last week. It

is also indispensable that we progress towards the

successful conclusion of the Doha Round of trade

negotiations, fully respecting its linkage with the

development agenda.

In addition to the traditional challenges, our

Organization faces new challenges that test its ability

to react and adapt. Terrorism, on the one hand, and the

globalization of transnational organized crime on the

other, including drug trafficking, pose new threats to

peace and security that destabilize entire countries and

regions, modifying the traditional notion of

international security. The fight against these

phenomena is not the exclusive responsibility of one

particular country or region; these are global

phenomena that must be addressed and resolved by the

international community based on the fundamental

principle of shared responsibility. We cannot ignore the

fact that the permissive social behaviour in some

countries stimulates illicit activities in others.

The Government of Mexico has assumed full

responsibility for meeting the challenges posed by drug

trafficking and activities related to organized crime,

restoring State authority in areas where impunity had

prevailed. This fight requires an increased investment

of resources and has unfortunately also led to the loss

of lives. The cost is high, but would be even higher for

our society if the authority of the State remained

impassive in the face of violence, corruption and the

accompanying impunity. Compliance with international

commitments in the area of drug trafficking is

indispensable in order to meet this challenge.

Migration is a reality of our contemporary world

that cannot be ignored by our Organization. Its

multidimensional nature obliges us to consider its

causes and effects from an international perspective.

The migratory phenomenon should be addressed

through a holistic approach that recognizes the

contribution of migrants to the countries of origin and

of destination alike, among other factors. In November,

Mexico will host the fourth meeting of the Global

Forum on Migration and Development, the outcome of

which will be duly reported to this Assembly.

The Government of Mexico is committed to the

promotion of human rights of all migrants, irrespective

of their migratory status. We call on all Member States

to ratify the International Convention on the Protection

of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of

Their Families. Unfortunately, the tendency to criminalize

international migration has prevailed. Legislative

initiatives and actions singling out minorities in various

countries unacceptably codify racism and xenophobia,

establishing new barriers between communities and

nations. This is unacceptable.

Mexico, a country of origin, transit and

destination for migrants, has experienced within its

borders the consequences of the exploitation and

violence perpetrated by organized criminal gangs that

not only smuggle people from different countries, but

have not hesitated to cruelly threaten their lives, as was

the very regrettable case in our country in August. The

competent authorities, in coordination with the

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Governments of which the individuals concerned were

nationals, are investigating this case and establishing

the necessary coordination mechanisms to prevent

similar events in the future and to attend more

effectively to the protection of migrants, regardless of

their origin and legal status.

Nature also poses new challenges. We cannot

afford to remain idle in the face of the adverse effects

of climate change. The economic and human costs of

not addressing this problem are enormous and

negatively affect the welfare and well-being of present

and future generations. As host of the sixteenth

Conference of the Parties to the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change and of the

sixth Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol,

to be held later this year in Cancún, Mexico is making

every possible effort in a transparent, inclusive and

responsible manner to achieve concrete and operational

results. In Cancún, we will be able to adopt a broad and

balanced set of decisions for immediate

implementation. One single action or agreement is not

enough to address such a complex phenomenon. The

international regime on this matter should evolve

constantly in response to technological and socio-

economic developments and on the basis of common

but differentiated responsibility.

The main advantage of our Organization among

the multilateral institutions is its universal character.

Its Charter enshrines the commitments that States have

made in all these aspects. Thus, United Nations actions

are fully legitimate, in accordance with international

law. However, we cannot ignore the difficulties that the

Organization faces without running the risk of its

becoming increasingly less capable of addressing the

enormous challenges facing the international

community. Its decisions, including those that are

legally binding, are difficult to implement and its

resources fall short of meeting the many needs that

arise in the maintenance of peace and in addressing

natural and humanitarian disasters. The Organization’s

budget and scale of assessments do not reflect the

realities of our countries.

As a result, the comprehensive reform of the

Organization can be put off no longer; if it is, alternative

forums or more selective groups will fill the vacuum

created by our Organization’s lack of effectiveness. Our

Organization requires comprehensive reform, ranging

from the adaptation and representativeness of the Security

Council to greater coherence in activities for sustainable

development. In 2011, the General Assembly will

consider the status of the Human Rights Council, while

the Council itself will review its own working methods.

We must ensure that the outcome of both processes

results in the increased effectiveness of its work.

With respect to peacekeeping, difficulties on the

ground and the need to adapt operation mandates

require the Security Council and the Organization as a

whole to elaborate pragmatic actions and strategies that

will produce results in the short term. Security Council

reform may be the most urgent. Mexico has

participated in the process of intergovernmental

negotiations, convinced of the need for comprehensive

reform to improve the Council’s representativeness,

transparency, democracy and accountability. This

process is relevant to all States, and Security Council

reform can be neither determined nor addressed in

alternative forums that have an eminently financial

purview. This much-needed and urgent reform will not

be achieved by imposing the aspirations of a few on

the collective will.

As an elected member of the Security Council for

the biennium 2009-2010, Mexico has been able to

appreciate the constructive role that non-permanent

members can play through their contributions to the

work of the Council and its subsidiary bodies.

Nevertheless, we are also aware of their limitations.

The short duration of their mandates impedes the

consolidation of achievements and affects the

continuity of the work of the Council itself. We are

therefore convinced that the principle of immediate

re-election or of longer-term seats for non-permanent

members are the best options for pragmatic and viable

Security Council reform in the short term.

Mexico’s participation in the Security Council

has been guided by its conviction of the importance of

the contribution that elected members can make to the

maintenance of international peace and security, in the

understanding that this is a shared responsibility in

accordance with obligations under the United Nations

Charter and not the monopoly of a few. In this sense,

we have been able to encourage mediation and the

peaceful settlement of disputes; promote disarmament

and non-proliferation; preserve respect for

international humanitarian law; ensure the protection

of the civilian population in armed conflicts, with

special emphasis on children; strengthen the rule of

law; and foster activities to promote stability and

reconstruction in States emerging from conflict.

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This year, Mexico celebrates its bicentennial as

an independent nation and the centenary of its

revolution, the first of the great social revolutions of

the twentieth century. From our own experience, we

are well aware of the difficulties and obstacles facing

the construction of any nation-State in a complex and

changing world. Throughout its history, our country’s

interaction with the world at large has been fraught.

Our country has experienced external interventions,

occupations and even losses of its territory during

periods of political instability. We have been able

nonetheless to forge a national identity and unique

profile in contemporary international relations.

Today, Mexico is a constructive and open

country, peaceful and fully committed to forging

agreements for a better world. As a founding Member

of our Organization, we have been loyal to its

purposes, consistent with the principles of foreign

policy enshrined in our Constitution. Our adherence to

international law and the contributions of Mexican

foreign policy to various fields are well known. We

have also learned to appreciate the importance of

international cooperation inasmuch as there is no

challenge on the United Nations agenda that can be

tackled in isolation. The survival of humankind, given

the dangers of nuclear war, combating the effects of

climate change, overcoming social regression, and the

relentless fight against new threats to international

security and to our own societies require our greatest

individual efforts as well as coordination among States.

Mexico will therefore remain deeply committed to

multilateralism, of which this universal forum is the

first and foremost expression.