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September 20, 2006

Mexican President Vicente Fox at the UN


Presidency of the Republic


September 19, 2006, New York – Addressing the leaders of countries represented at the United Nations 61st General Assembly, President Vicente Fox declared that Mexico is a democratic country, with solid institutions, that is experiencing a period of unprecedented freedom and that it is committed to the UN reform to make it stronger and capable of achieving the objectives for which it was created.

He stressed Mexico’s solidarity with those that have personally experienced the violence and cruelty of terrorism, an act he forcefully condemned, together with all acts of aggression.

The president went on to say that in six decades, United Nations member countries have realized that force not only fails to solve problems but often exacerbates them, which is why peace and development are the result of reciprocal respect and cooperation, which arise and increase.

He also declared that the gaps in peace and security are due to a lack of international dialog and cooperation, while retrogression, of the kind that has occurred in disarmament and which translates into aggression against people and nature, has its origin in the loss of respect.

In this respect, President Fox made it clear that this is a time of challenges, because countries are now forced to cope with problems such as the persistence of longstanding international conflicts, or the emergence of new tensions and threats to global peace, and must combat serious problems such as poverty, disease, illiteracy and unequal opportunities.

He stressed that respect, commitment and cooperation between nations is what humanity urgently requires, since there will be no peace, development or cooperation without respect.

President Fox underlined Mexico’s message of hope and faith in what all nations together will be able to achieve; and of trust, as borne out in 2000, when the country achieved democracy and through it, the hope of a new future of prosperity and justice.

He pointed out that Mexico is growing and developing in peace and stability, because it has solid institutions that guide the nation, which is experiencing unprecedented freedom. “My country is growing and developing in peace and stability, and is looking towards new horizons of welfare and justice.”

In the plenary hall, on behalf of all the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the world, the Mexican president urged all UN member countries to adopt the Project for the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and provide the necessary force to promote respect for the rights of indigenous communities.

In order to achieve a fairer, more humane and decent world for everyone, President Fox also encouraged the leaders of all nations to sign and ratify Mexico’s proposal, backed by various nations, to draw up a UN Convention to Promote and Protect the Rights and Dignity of All Handicapped Persons.

During his intervention, the Mexican president stated that he is convinced of the present and future of the UN, because it has always worked constructively, seeking the creation of consensus and harmony and submitting initiatives to deal with major challenges.

He stated that Mexico’s commitment to the UN reform will translate into a stronger organization, capable of achieving the objectives for which it was created.

That is why he said he was convinced of the need to promote a reform of the Security Council to guarantee its representativeness, effectiveness, and transparency and ensure accountability.

In this respect, he said that this objective will not be achieved through the creation of new permanent seats, since the UN is an organization based on the principle of the legal equality of states, and therefore the reform of this Council must ensure that all member states participate in it more frequently.

He added that the Mexican government has proposed the expansion of the category of non-permanent seats with the possibility of immediate reelection.

On behalf of Mexico and from the platform of the United Nations Organization, President Fox called for respect and peace between nations and urged the UN to promote an effective peace process in the Middle East.

Prior to his participation in the UN’s 61st General Assembly, President Fox held bilateral meetings with the President of El Salvador, Elías Antonio Saca; Romano Prodi, Primer Minister of Italy; Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili, Prime Minister of Lesotho; Martín Torrijos, President of Panama; and Romano Somavia, Director General of the International Labor Organization.

After these meetings, President Fox attended the luncheon hosted by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, together with heads of state and government participating in the General Assembly of this international organization.

There he talked to his US counterpart, George W. Bush, with whom he discussed the migratory issue; the two leaders agreed that the reform of this issue should be integral.

President Fox added that in this matter, responsibility should be shared, and that it is essential to work together, because both leaders are responsible for establishing safety conditions on the border, “He understands this, I understand this, and we should both work together in this respect.”

During the conversation, both leaders agreed to bring all the strength of the two nations to bear on security issues. It is clear, he said, that drug production in Mexico exists and that there is an extremely large drug market in the United States, and that this should be a shared responsibility so that the two countries will be able to work on this issue.

During this meeting, President Vicente Fox asked the US president to support Julio Frenk’s candidacy to lead the World Health Organization (WHO), adding that this reinforced the Mexican proposal.