YouSaid · the spoken record

Vicente Fox

lines on the record: 31
first: 2001-09-24
most recent: 2003-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“Mexico believes that reform should bring the United Nations into line with the requirements of an ever-changing world, in order to help us to overcome the existing gaps and fresh challenges. Today, faithful to the principles, values and ideals of our Organization, we have the obligation to build a new international architecture, which, with a vision for the future, leaves fratricidal conflicts and struggles behind, opens new avenues of understanding and international cooperation and forges new paths towards peace, international security and development.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Let us think of a new type of collective security system that is effective and balanced, which would function under the guidance of our democratic body par excellence — the General Assembly. Inertia has caused each main organ of our Organization to act in a manner that is removed from the main purposes and objectives of the United Nations. The development agenda must be better linked to conflict prevention and peace-building activities must include mechanisms to ensure economic and social development. For that reason, we must also think about how to strengthen the Economic and Social Council and about whether we can and should turn it into an economic and social security council.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We must ensure the right kind of representativeness, limit and regulate the right of veto and call for greater transparency and for creating a more balanced relationship with the other organs of the United Nations system, particularly the General Assembly. We must ensure that the Council does not exceed its competencies or shirk its responsibilities. Let us think democratically. Let us seek a balance between the main organs of the United Nations. Let us dare to achieve a reform of the General Assembly that will include safeguarding its quality as a universal, parliamentary forum, without abandoning its ability for decision-making and acting in a timely manner.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The work of the Security Council demonstrates this need. Without question, debate over its composition involves the need to make it more representative and thus increase its legitimacy. Although the central issue is the functioning of the Security Council and respect for its resolutions, the discussions of the past decade have focused on expanding the membership and selecting new permanent members. There is little worth in considering a Council with a larger membership if the resolutions that it issues are not respected or if they lack a common interpretation of the scope of their provisions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Mexico considers that real reform must be based on five specific guidelines. The first is to strengthen our collective security system to ensure rapid responses to crises and transparent collective decision-making. The second is to guarantee support for economic and social development of States, particularly for the least- developed. The third is to guarantee respect for the sovereignty and independence of States while assuring at the same time the legitimacy and legality of international efforts to combat impunity. The fourth is to promote and protect human rights. The fifth is to increase the effectiveness of decision-making. We must revitalize the commitment that States and nations make to observing universal norms. Reforms must concentrate on the performance of our multilateral system.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“True security and lasting peace among nations is based on mutual understanding and a demonstrated belief in equal treatment for all nations — ideals that have developed over time within this Organization. The relevance of this Organization is undeniable. Mexico reaffirms its confidence in multilateral arrangements. We have associated ourselves with the 22 appeal by the Secretary-General to put forward innovative ideas and approaches geared towards reforming the United Nations. We agree with the Secretary-General’s view that the international system is in crisis and with his appeal for fundamental reform of the United Nations. Members can rest assured that Mexico will make every diplomatic effort to reform and update our Organization, which the international situation necessitates.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Such a perspective can be contributed only by this universal Organization, the only such body with the legitimacy, experience, capacity to convene peoples and the moral force to concert our efforts for the sake of peace and universal well-being. The response to the global challenges facing us requires a robust political effort on the part of all nations — an effort that is possible solely from within these halls. As a nation that has always done its utmost to attain the noble objectives of the United Nations and convinced of the relevance of the principles and values that gave rise to this Organization, Mexico renews its firm commitment to the United Nations and its ideals. Security cannot be built based on barriers or ignorance.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Combating it effectively requires not only better and more intense international cooperation but also new approaches to international legality. The fight against terrorism will not be effective without a new recognition of international law and a United Nations system that has sufficient capacity to ensure compliance with it. We must confront this and other challenges by adopting a holistic view of our responsibility for maintaining and restoring peace in the world today, while tackling the structural causes of conflicts. To meet those challenges will require sustained conflict- prevention capacity, the mobilization of political will and a strategically targeted commitment of resources.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Today, we reaffirm that it is time to give special emphasis to diplomatic action and to work together to meet common challenges. In view of the world’s present potential for destruction, it is time for us to ensure that diplomacy and negotiation get priority attention with regard to international disputes. Reaffirming the principles and values that govern our actions on the international scene, Mexico is appealing for peace and global cooperation so that, together, we can effectively foster international peace, security and development. History teaches us that, unless great economic and social disparities, injustice, discrimination, intolerance and lack of international cooperation are addressed, we will continue to endure current threats such as terrorism. Mexico is unequivocally committed to combating terrorism.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“The agreements reached and reforms achieved will greatly and profoundly determine the future effectiveness of the United Nations and proper functioning of the collective decision-making processes that underpin the multilateral approach. Above and beyond Iraq, the world is closely following many other major challenges. As we have noted today, the unfinished job of peace-making in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Africa and the Balkans implies new threats and challenges to international security. A particular source of concern is the increase in tensions in Asia, in light of the development of weapons of mass destruction. We have always been a nation committed to peace, convinced that dialogue, negotiation and the law are effective conflict-resolution instruments.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We have been actively and constructively involved in negotiating resolutions and are convinced that they will lead to the swift restoration of full sovereignty and independence for the Iraqi people. One of the top priorities of our Organization is to give impetus to the process of restoring sovereignty, resulting in the establishment of a representative Government for Iraqi men and women. The debate over the issue of Iraq requires us to act upon our commitments and change the way we think about when the use of force is legitimate, in accordance with the Charter. It is vitally important that we review States’ commitments to abide by international law and the existing machinery to ensure compliance with Security Council resolutions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Here, therefore, we must focus our efforts on achieving shared peace, security and development. 21 This is the first general debate of our Assembly since the Iraq war. Our Organization is at a critical and crucial juncture. The attacks on the United Nations in Baghdad have harmed our Organization and hurt us all. An attack on the United Nations is an attack on all its Members. The events in Iraq sparked a debate that ranks among the most far-reaching in the life of the United Nations. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council and, above all, assuming its responsibility as a member of the world community, Mexico has been faithful to the principle of seeking the pacific settlement of disputes, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Though Mexican men and women will not be satisfied merely by achieving those goals, we know we are on the right track. Now is the time not for us to shrink from challenges, but rather to be hopeful about our joint labours and our work as a team. We feel the same about the international situation as we do about the national context. Convinced therefore of the validity, usefulness and relevance of our Organization, Mexico appeals from this supreme global forum for shared international responsibility. This Assembly, the most representative body of humankind, is the most appropriate forum in which to call for collective action. Here the major international problems have been discussed, and here dialogue has been made the cornerstone of the effort to find solutions.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Together, we can guarantee every individual the right to live in human dignity and the right of future generations to grow, develop and contribute to the history of human civilization. In our Millennium Declaration, we have an irreplaceable guide on how to meet the challenges of the present and the future. Mexico has made significant progress in terms of democracy, freedoms, gender equity, respect for minority groups, health and education, and particularly in reducing poverty and improving income distribution, as reflected in the resolute and rapid advances we have made towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. We have come one third of the way towards achieving those goals in the past two years alone and we shall have essentially attained them by 2010, well before the target date of 2015.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“We are also confronting a globalization of violence, suffering the threats of terrorism as well as the war against it, and international organized crime that weakens public security and jeopardizes world peace. We share these problems along with the responsibility to find a solution to them. No country, large or small, can overcome alone either the challenges of the present or those that will have to be met successfully in the future. The attitude that will be essential in the face of threats to international peace, security and development is that of responsibility shared among all nations. Mexico knows that we, the peoples of the United Nations, can together ensure that hunger, intolerance, exclusion, crime and illegitimacy are banished once and for all.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Allow me at the outset to express my pleasure at seeing in the presidency of the General Assembly a representative of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States. I would ask you, Sir, to extend my greetings to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, along with our full recognition of his leadership, which has given this institution of ours a new impetus. I would also ask you to convey to him and to the entire staff of the United Nations our condolences over the death of Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello. We live in a world of fragile and perilous balances, the result of our collective inability to achieve genuine peace and shared well-being in the context of international legality. We are confronting today an economic globalization that is triggering imbalances to the detriment of developing countries, particularly the poorest.”
2003-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 58 (2003)
“Our fundamental values and the vitality and viability of the United Nations are being put to the test. The community of nations must show that it can meet this extraordinary challenge. This can be a new founding stage in the history of the Organization, which will yield the mandates and competences that are indispensable in a world that is starkly different from that of 1945 but whose aspirations to peace, respect for human dignity, justice and freedom still remain those of the San Francisco Charter.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Today, our efforts to combat terrorism and to promote development — the two focuses of my statement today — may be the start of a new history of successes for the United Nations. The brutal events of 11 September make it imperative that we, the international community, engage in multilateral negotiations to formulate new rules and standards to guarantee international peace and security. There is no doubt that the way in which our nations face the challenge of terrorism will have an impact on the principles and priorities of international relations in coming years. As a country that is a bridge between regions and cultures, Mexico is determined to play an active and leading role in shaping an international system that can meet the challenges facing us today. This is a defining moment.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“It will be impossible to make the world more just if we permit the exclusion of the most vulnerable groups. That is why my Government has just proposed the establishment of a special committee to draft a broad, comprehensive international convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of disabled persons. The convention’s ultimate goal should be to put in place a binding universal legal instrument for the benefit of the disabled, guaranteeing the fundamental rights of millions of men, women and children worldwide. Mexico hopes that this important endeavour will enjoy the support of the States Members of the United Nations. The history of relations among nations reflects successes, but also sadly missed opportunities.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I invite all heads of State or Government to contribute, through their active participation in the Conference, to strengthening the international community’s efforts to promote world development that is more just and more equitable, thus creatively helping to improve the institutions responsible for development financing. We face the complex task of integrating our societies, without exclusion, in the process of the joint creation and equitable distribution of the opportunities and benefits of globalization. We must ensure that all citizens become stakeholders in that process; to do that, we need an enabling international environment, including sufficient levels of public and private 18 funding, along with the consolidation of an inclusive international economic system that is conducive to more equitable human development.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Mexico therefore calls on the international community to give priority to the fight against poverty and social exclusion. My country reaffirms its interest in taking a lead in promoting the Agenda for Development, providing it with renewed impetus and a more effective approach, so that the United Nations and the multilateral institutions can fulfil the commitments contained in the Millennium Declaration. It is because of the importance we attach to this issue that Mexico offered to host the International Conference on Financing for Development, to be held next year in Monterrey.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We thank the international community for its support and express our determination to work actively and responsibly in favour of the maintenance of international peace and security. Our intention is that Mexico’s participation in the Security Council will amplify the voices of countries that are not usually heard on the international scene. In the search for lasting solutions to the new threats now facing the international system, we must not fail to address situations that have contributed to their emergence, such as the lack of economic development in many nations, the deepening of poverty and exclusion. The challenges of development not only remain with us, but have gradually increased with the growing economic and social inequalities.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“We believe that the international community should meet these challenges on the basis of three principles: first, the supremacy of the United Nations; secondly, the strengthening of international cooperation in resolving global problems; and thirdly, the shaping of an international order based on universally observed rules and standards that meet the needs and aspirations of the community of nations. The Government of Mexico is determined to assist in this effort. For that reason, Mexico feels deeply honoured to have been elected, after a 20-year absence, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2002-2003. It wishes to express its deep commitment in this respect.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Nothing — not the justness of a cause, the inequality of forces with respect to an antagonist, poverty, or any other grounds — can justify resorting to violence for political ends. Mexico reiterates its commitment to the fight against terrorism and its decision to fully implement resolution 1373 (2001) of the Security Council, which establishes a series of measures for fighting international terrorism and cutting its ties to practices such as money laundering and organized crime. We are firmly committed to the fight against new threats to international peace and security.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“There is no doubt that the magnitude and the cruelty of the 11 September attacks have underscored the vulnerability of States and the fragility of world peace. It is a matter of concern to us that terrorist groups can gain access to weapons of mass destruction and that they also benefit from the traffic in arms, organized crime, money laundering and drug trafficking. International terrorism not only flouts international law, but it also endangers the stability of the community of nations and economic development processes, increasing unemployment and preventing headway from being made in the alleviation of poverty. For this reason, Mexico categorically rejects any argument that seeks to justify terrorist activities.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“17 The establishment of the United Nations more than 50 years ago was the triumph of hope and freedom over the suffering inflicted by the two world wars on humanity, Today, however, threats to peace and security do not emerge only from acts of aggression among States. The new threats also arise from internal conflicts that have cross-border effects, such as the massive movement of displaced peoples, humanitarian tragedies, grave violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the exacerbation of nationalism and religious fanaticism. These threats also derive from worldwide phenomena such as transnational organized crime, environmental degradation, AIDS, and, of course, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“This new commitment on the part of Mexico to the defence of human rights was also reflected in the recent release, for humanitarian reasons, of Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera, two environmental activists in Mexico. This effort in the field of human rights was also reflected in the broad disclosure of State security agencies files, which will contribute to increasing transparency regarding both present and past events, thus making it a central element of my administration. Mexico is taking concrete steps to demonstrate that its commitment to the norms of the international community is profound, sincere and resolute.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“That is why my Government has initiated formal talks with the various political parties in Mexico in order to create favourable conditions for the promotion of a constitutional reform that will allow Mexico to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which our country signed last year. My Government has also started a necessary updating of Mexico’s international obligations in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law. I have submitted for consideration by the Mexican Senate the ratification, accession or acceptance of 11 other legal instruments in areas such as the forcible disappearance of persons, the rights of the child, the elimination of discrimination against women and the protection of victims of international armed conflicts.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“This is a Mexico that today renews its full commitment to the United Nations — which not only demands full respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, but that is also committed to the development of new, universally observed rules and standards for the regulation of international relations. This is a Mexico that acts firmly in the defence and protection of human rights and of democracy, at all times and in all places, beginning, of course, within our own territory, promoting full respect for fundamental freedoms on the basis of tolerance, plurality and equity.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“I am addressing the General Assembly on behalf of the women and men of my country, Mexico — a country that is in the process of a profound transformation, determined to strengthen democracy and development, as well as to take on greater responsibilities in shaping the new international system with a view to fostering the prosperity, peace and security that every inhabitant of the world deserves. Mexican society is firmly committed to making Mexico a country that contributes positively to the worthiest objectives of human well-being. Aware that there is a diversity of views on ways to achieve this end, Mexico favours dialogue and agreement as benchmarks to guide our endeavours. For Mexico the United Nations is the best example of a global forum where the voices of all men and women can merge into a veritable concert of nations.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)
“Allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly. I should also like to extend my congratulations to all the other members of the Bureau. I am sure that your prestige and acknowledged diplomatic skills will contribute to the successful work of the General Assembly at this session. I should also like to extend sincere congratulations to this Organization and to the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. Mexico welcomes the fact that they were awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. That is a well-deserved recognition of the dedication and clarity of vision that have marked the work of the Secretary-General. It fills us with hope regarding the efforts that this Organization will have to make in order to meet the international challenges of the twenty-first century.”
2001-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 56 (2001)