YouSaid · the spoken record

Felipe Calderón Hinojosa

lines on the record: 76
first: 2008-09-24
most recent: 2012-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“There are still some who are surprised that there are hurricanes in New York, unprecedented droughts in Texas and never before seen floods in Pakistan or Mexico or Colombia or Guatemala. Even with all this, they still do not accept the fact of global warming. I can proudly state that we have made progress and that Mexico has done its part in moving towards a solution to this problem. We organized the sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Cancún, where important agreements were reached. For example, for the first time, nations agreed within the framework of a binding United Nations instrument to establish a global limit on the rise in temperature of our planet — of no more than 2° centigrade by the end of this century.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Drug-consuming nations have the obligation to find a way to cut that source of endless economic gain, and to seek every possible solution, including alternative markets that would prevent drug trafficking from being the source of violence and death, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean and various African countries. The third challenge to which I would like to refer is climate change. Along with Mexico, my Central American and Caribbean colleagues are experiencing ever more violent hurricanes that destroy the homes of the poor and cut short many lives. Ironically, just a few weeks ago, one of those tropical hurricanes that was headed for our Caribbean coast landed instead on the streets of Manhattan.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It may be argued that this is impossible and that the demand for drugs is continuing to rise, as is the case here in the United States, where nearly 30 per cent of young people use drugs, and in other parts of the world. What is the solution? I can honestly say that even if those countries are unable or unwilling to reduce their demand for drugs, or if they are resigned to the fact that it will continue to rise, they still have a moral obligation to reduce the huge profits that drug traffickers obtain from that black market. It would be best to reduce demand, but failing that, reduce profits.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The United Nations must continue to promote the draft international arms trade treaty and to prevent weapons from being diverted towards activities that are banned by international law. Moreover, organized crime feeds off the astronomical profits produced by the illegal sale of drugs around the world. Unfortunately, the demand for drugs in those markets continues to increase. We must recognize that so long as there are drug consumers prepared to pay tens of billions of dollars to maintain their addictions or preferences, that market will remain the primary financial support for criminal activity. Mexico is doing its part to energetically fight crime in all its manifestations. Today more than ever, however, drug-consuming countries must undertake effective efforts to radically reduce demand.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“With respect to weapons, why do criminals have unrestricted access to AK-47s, R-15s and grenade launchers? In my view, having fiercely fought 11-50692 18 criminals and having seized 120,000 weapons in five years, the answer can be summed up in a single word, profits — the runaway profits of an arms industry that sees in every war, whether a civil war in some distant country or a battle among criminals, an opportunity to sell ever more weapons. It is urgent for us to put in place serious controls in countries that produce and sell high-power weaponry, so as to prevent them from filling the arsenals of organized crime. The United Nations has its work cut out for it in that regard.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“However, we also have to be aware that organized crime today is killing more people — and more young people — than all of the current dictatorial regimes put together. Today, thousands of people — tens of thousands of people in Latin America, in particular between Mexico and the Andes — are dying because of criminals. I greet with affection and respect my colleagues from Central and Latin America who are here today. Today, the world faces the challenge of unscrupulous criminals who have no respect for borders and who do grave harm to the citizens of many nations. The power of crime is stronger than many Governments, although assuredly not ours. This stems from two fundamental factors, namely, the exorbitant profits that flow from drug trafficking and unlimited access to the purchase of powerful weapons.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Trade companies and distributors buy 70 per cent of wheat and corn, but the remaining 30 per cent is bought by financial firms with one specific purpose in mind, namely, speculation. We see how they buy and sell the rights to food with the sole intent of driving up market prices, when thousands of children are dying of hunger across the various continents. I am someone who believes in markets, economic freedom and enterprise. But I also know that the time has come for restrictions to be imposed on unbridled markets, which are also behind world hunger. The second challenge that I would like to refer to is drug trafficking and international organized crime. Everyone is surprised by the dozens, hundreds and even thousands of deaths caused by repressive authoritarian regimes, and of course, we also repudiate these.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“What is left to do is to develop the necessary technology to increase our capacity to produce food. Secondly, drought and climate change have been other contributing factors. We have not truly realized that climate change is a serious threat to humankind as a whole. In particular, climate change is behind the drought that has restricted food production in recent years. Thirdly, there is financial speculation and speculation on the financial markets. Let me point to one bit of data. In 1987, financial agents and companies bought just 7 per cent of food on the world markets. Today, more than 30 per cent of sales of corn and wheat in the world are made by financial companies. Why do they want corn and wheat? Is it to trade them on various markets or to distribute them to certain regions? Of course not.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“This means that the poorest families, who allocate most of their income to food, have sunk even deeper into poverty. This is why poverty has increased around the world. This is why we once again see famine in the Horn of Africa, in various nations on that continent, in Asia and in Latin America. This is why, in addition to the democratic awakening of certain nations, we have seen many people suffering from hunger who have taken to the streets. Hunger is what has, in many cases, awakened their awareness of democracy. Why the hike in food prices? That is the first question we must ask ourselves. It is partly because developing countries have grown rapidly, and that is a good thing. China, India and many others have reached growth rates that allow their people to have greater access to food.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I would like to refer to just a few of them now, as I am aware that our duty is to strengthen the United Nations, to make it less bureaucratic and to once again turn this into an Organization that is able to tackle the pressing challenges of our time. Faced with this reality, Mexico is shouldering its international responsibilities firmly and with determination. I would now like to refer to the problem that I think today most afflicts the poorest people in the world. More than 1 billion people, on every continent, are living on less than $1.25 a day. This is the problem of poverty. Over the past five years, the price of food has risen by more than 50 per cent. Over the past 12 months, the average increase has been 26 per cent.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It is an honour for me to participate in this session of the General Assembly. We have heard extremely significant speeches, which have, deservedly, captured 17 11-50692 the attention of the Assembly. However, as I speak in this lofty forum of the international community, I would like to lay out Mexico’s views, a country that, as one of the founding States of the United Nations, has actively contributed to ensuring that the Organization once again plays its role in promoting peace, justice, security, equity and sustainable development among nations. The world faces major challenges, about which we have spoken today. We have talked about terrorism, war, peace, climate change and poverty. We know that we are afflicted by other problems, such as the global economic crisis.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We must join forces in order to make it possible for the United Nations to turn into reality the dream of its founders: peace, security and development for all the peoples of the planet.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Our generation has a historic responsibility to act, here and now, to meet the challenges of humankind in the twenty-first century. It is our conviction that the United Nations is the forum that best represents the diversity of human beings, the plurality of nations and our civilization’s collective aspirations to well-being and progress. It is a privileged alliance formed to ensure a world of peace and justice, security and development, with well-being and opportunities for all. Multilateralism is the path of the twenty-first century. It is a comprehensive response to globalization. In the new global era, we also need a strengthened and renewed global Organization.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“If elected, my country will commit itself to acting on the basis of the fundamental values of the international community: the prevention and peaceful settlement of disputes; prohibition of the use or threat of use of force; and compliance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and human rights. We aspire to participate in the Security Council in order to promote Mexico’s democratic ideals, which uphold the rule of law. We would strive to support the Council’s efforts to rebuild societies and institutions torn apart by war and by emerging threats. We would work to ensure the settlement of disputes between States at the earliest possible stage before the International Court of Justice, as well as compliance with its decisions.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The paradox is that all those problems can be dealt with and resolved only through global action, which requires the mediation of the United Nations. We Mexicans do not wish to shirk our global responsibilities, nor will we do so. We want to be actors in — not observers of — the world’s transformations. We have decided to strengthen our activism. Mexico has the eleventh largest population and the twelfth largest economy in the world, and we have a long tradition of contributing to peace and international law. Therefore, we want to occupy a place of responsibility and commitment to the common good of nations. That is why Mexico has submitted its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security 25 08-51749 Council for the period 2009-2010.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Migration cannot be reduced to the issue of security, nor can it be managed as merely an economic phenomenon. That is why Mexico believes that the international community must view it in a comprehensive manner that permits migratory flows to be legal, safe, orderly and respectful of human dignity. The United Nations must fully shoulder its responsibility in the light of that global phenomenon, guided by the principle of shared responsibility among the countries of origin, transit and destination. Terrorism, regardless of its justifications or ideological motivations, has no place in the community of values that we have forged with such great difficulty. Mexico condemns it and reaffirms its readiness to cooperate on the basis of international law to prevent terrorist acts and punish their perpetrators.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“In commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Mexico calls on Member States to defend the universal values that are a precondition for human development and the rule of law. Migratory flows are another global phenomenon of our time. In today’s world, more than 200 million people live outside their countries of origin. The causes of international migration are complex, ranging from the consolidation of integration processes to the demand for labour, the lack of adequate economic conditions and the persistence of internal or inter-State conflicts. Included in that population are millions of Mexicans living here in the United States, who have sought opportunities for a dignified life for their families.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“However, that requires shared international responsibility. Mexico reiterates its appeal to all nations to seek new forms of cooperation against those threats. The eradication of those scourges is a guiding principle of Mexico’s national security policy and of the international agenda that we are promoting. In addition to those problems, there is an increasing questioning of the principles and values defended by the United Nations — principles and values that were once believed to have taken root in the community of States. Some have called into question the fundamental principles of democracy and human rights, citing security requirements or the pre-eminence of economic and social rights.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Everyone knows that, in a globalized world, the consequences of our actions transcend the territories of our countries and affect the entire planet. The security threats faced by Mexico and Latin America are a good example of shared challenges; the illicit trade in drugs, weapons and human persons knows no borders. Today, Latin America is one of the regions with the highest numbers of violent deaths in the world, and that has become one of the major limitations to our development. In Mexico, we are decisively addressing the delinquency and organized crime that threaten our society and our democratic institutions. Mexican families have decided to live in a Mexico of peace and laws — a Mexico in which neither impunity nor crime is tolerated. That is why we have begun to tackle crime head on.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“A conditional direct transfer programme known as Opportunities, which enables families belonging to the most vulnerable groups of the population to send their children to school or to make regular visits to the doctor, has made it possible to reduce the country’s rate of extreme poverty. Over the past 10 years, the number of persons living in extreme poverty has fallen from 38 million to fewer than 15 million. We have also achieved universal coverage in basic education. In addition, we have set a very clear goal of achieving, by 2011, every country’s ideal in the area of health: universal coverage, including medical care, medicine and treatment, for all Mexican women and men. We are living in an era of shared responsibility.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Indeed, many countries not only will be unable to meet the targets set at the 2000 World Summit, but have already experienced setbacks in the fight against poverty because of the phenomenon of high food prices. Despite that unfavourable environment, Mexico is achieving practically all of the Millennium Development Goals. In fact, we have set additional objectives that are reflected in our national development plan. To meet that challenge, Mexico has promoted a significant increase in its social spending, 08-51749 24 including in education, health and human development. Next year, we shall allocate $125 billion, or 60 per cent of our budget, to social spending. Let me cite some examples.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“To defend nature is to defend humankind.” We have no time or margin of error to avoid our responsibility with regard to another global challenge that particularly affects the poor: the international rise of food prices. We must act decisively to prevent that situation from annulling the efforts we have made to overcome poverty. In order to guarantee food security, the Government of Mexico has developed an action plan that aims to facilitate access to the supply of food and includes a sharp reduction of taxes on commodity imports, the enhancement of production, irrigation infrastructure and productivity in the countryside, the establishment of a national strategic reserve of commodities and an increase in direct and conditional financial grants to the 6 million poorest families in the country as compensation for the rise in food prices.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“And so today, before this Assembly, I reaffirm on behalf of my country the proposal of Mexico to set up such a Green Fund to which each State can all contribute according to its economic capacity and that all of us could use in order to finance programmes to cut emissions, increase energy efficiency or establish measures for adapting to climate change. I respectfully call upon all nations, especially the most developed, to contribute to the establishment of this Green Fund for the creation of financial instruments to protect the world’s environment. As the Mexican Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz said: “Whatever the form of political and social organization adopted by nations, the most immediate and pressing issue is the survival of the natural environment.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is a task that requires moving from words to action substantiated in concrete proposals that are based on the principles of common, but differentiated responsibilities. Mexico has accordingly proposed the establishment, within the United Nations of a Green Fund that will provide incentives for States to redouble their efforts in this area. It is a great satisfaction for us to see that organizations like the World Bank have already taken the initiative to broaden the availability of resources for the benefit of the countries that need them.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Threats to global security are not only the result of conflicts between States, but of the challenges posed by the activities of non-State actors such as international organized crime groups dealing in terrorism and drug trafficking. Those threats also include the degradation of the environment, pandemics, extreme poverty and massive violations of human rights. I would like to start with a first challenge for our generation and our civilization. Few challenges are as urgent as reversing the effects of climate change. This phenomenon affects indiscriminately rich countries as well as poor, and paradoxically those that have contributed the least to it are often those that are the most vulnerable. Climate change is not a problem to be faced by nations according to their degree of development.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Allow me first of all to congratulate you, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, on your election to the presidency of this Assembly. It is truly an honour for Latin America to have you leading our work. I have come to the United Nations to reaffirm Mexico’s permanent commitment to strengthen our multilateral system and to build a world order that is more human, more just, more prosperous, cleaner and more secure. The problems and challenges that are faced today by humankind demand a renewed and strengthened United Nations. Mexico is convinced that the United Nations is at a definitive historical moment. Global challenges of the twenty-first century are testing the leadership and the vitality of the Organization.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)