Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena promotes Mexican Humanism at UN General Assembly

Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena promotes Mexican Humanism at UN General Assembly

• Secretary Bárcena reaffirmed Mexico's commitment to building a just, egalitarian and fraternal society, ensuring shared prosperity and environmental protection
• She called on UN countries to reform the Security Council and eliminate the veto entirely, or to at least limit it in cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity
• She urged the international community to strengthen multilateralism and its institutions

Representing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena Ibarra participated in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, where she reaffirmed Mexico's commitment to building a just, egalitarian and fraternal society.

Addressing heads of state and government, Foreign Secretary Bárcena said, "We stand at the cusp of a new era. The neoliberal hegemony has demonstrated its glaring failure by promoting an extractivist development model that socializes losses, privatizes profits, impoverishes people and devastates our planet."

The Foreign Secretary emphasized that Mexico is striving to build emancipatory alternatives. Therefore, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has introduced a Model of Mexican Humanism, which guides our national transformation project: "The construction of a just, egalitarian and fraternal society; a moral economy that ensures an equitable income distribution and respect for the environment." She added, "This represents a revolution of consciousness that has reversed the degradation and precariousness of our population's living conditions."

In the last five years, over 9.5 million Mexicans have escaped poverty, wages have increased by 135%, tax privileges have been eliminated, and corruption and tax evasion have been curbed. At the constitutional level, the rights of indigenous peoples and the equality and political participation of women have been recognized.

Secretary Bárcena noted that this new development model was also reflected in a humanist foreign policy designed to be accessible and responsive to citizens' needs, and in the establishment of the Mexican Model of Human Mobility to address the root causes of migration. Mexico believes that "migration is not a problem, it's a phenomenon. Nor is it a crime; migrants are not criminals," she emphasized.

She stressed that "development and stability will not be the norm in the international system unless we guarantee the rights and inclusion of women." Convinced of this, Mexico was the first country in the Global South to adopt a feminist foreign policy, and last July hosted the Third Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy. "The world cannot move forward if half its population is excluded; the future will be feminist or it will not be at all."

She announced that, after 214 years of independence, Mexico had elected its first female president, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum. "Under her leadership, the humanist government will deepen efforts to combat poverty and inequality, emphasizing wellbeing, shared prosperity, protection of our natural heritage, and respect for the environment. As she has said: she isn't arriving alone, we are all arriving together."

The Foreign Secretary also emphasized that the United Nations Security Council needs urgent reform. "Mexico proposes the complete elimination of the veto and, until that is achieved, at least its limitation in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," she stressed. "We need to restore faith in multilateralism and its institutions, and in agreement and cooperation. On this path towards building a just world, you will always find in Mexico a loyal companion, a committed partner, a fraternal ally."

Regarding global security, Foreign Secretary Bárcena noted that the world is experiencing increasing and diverse threats to international peace and security, violations of the principles of the UN Charter, and growing risks of nuclear war.

In this scenario, she said that firearms are also a source of violence and insecurity around the world. "The gun industry must be held accountable for its negligence. Mexico has taken this matter to court, as we suffer from an influx of over half a million illegal guns into our territory each year."

Regarding climate change, Foreign Secretary Bárcena said, "It is the greatest global challenge, and the only way to mitigate it is through collective and synchronized actions. These efforts need financing, and the fulfillment of shared but differentiated responsibilities by the countries of the North." Mexico reiterated its commitment to the Paris Agreement and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Finally, Secretary Bárcena thanked the international community for the widespread condemnation of the current Ecuadorian government's illegal and violent assault on the Mexican Embassy in Quito, which violated the principles of the UN Charter. "We must neither forget nor normalize it," she stated.

Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena's address marked the end of her involvement in the high-level week of the 79th UN General Assembly. During this week, Mexico participated in various events, including the Summit of the Future, the Summit of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, MIKTA, and the Feminist Foreign Policy Plus Group. Mexico also contributed to the high-level event "In Defense of Democracy: Fighting Against Extremism," and presented the Mexican Model of Human Mobility.