We have learned to fly like birds, to swim like fish, but we have not learned the art of living together, as brothers.
Martin Luther King Jr.
The absence of President López Obrador in meetings of the greatest international weight attended by heads of state and government, such as those recently held in Rome of the G20 and in Glasgow the COP26, is not understood, instead it led to his participation in a session of the Council Security Council held on Tuesday 9, to speak to representatives of the members of that body on issues over which such an important body is not competent.
The Charter of the United Nations stipulates that the functions and powers of the Security Council are to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations; investigate any controversy or situation that may create international friction; recommend methods of adjustment of such controversies, or conditions of settlement; prepare plans for the establishment of a system that regulates armaments; determine whether there is a threat to the peace or an act of aggression and recommend what measures should be taken; urge members to apply economic sanctions and other measures that do not involve the use of force, in order to prevent or stop aggression and to take military action against an aggressor, mainly.
The President demonstrated ignorance of the nature, functions and powers of the Security Council, by using it as a platform to present his vision of the world and of international relations in an innocent and surely well-intentioned message that, to a great extent, demonstrated blind faith in the programs undertaken. for his government such as Sembrando Vida and Jóvenes Construjando el Futuro, which are far from demonstrating their effectiveness and are contaminated by corruption. Issue, that of corruption, which he described from his perspective without taking into account that Mexico has fallen in the current administration in the list of countries with the least corruption, going from 117 to 121 of 135 countries.
Another issue that he addressed is the one related to the distribution of vaccines against Covid-19, particularly regarding the Covax mechanism, created by the UN, which he dared to affirm that it has been a painful and resounding failure. This without taking into account what his government is promoting in Mexico, which is to litigate against the application of anti-Covid-19 vaccines to children under 18 years of age.
Around the criterion that, for the good of all, the poor first, preferred to omit the hard data of our country, which reveal that poverty increased in 2020 by 3.8 million people compared to 2018. Situation that, taking into account The assumption that he described in his speech puts us at risk of unfeasibility if marginalization and misery persist and increase.
The President stated something very true: “the basic solution to live free from fear, risk and violence is to end unemployment.” However, during his tenure, thousands of sources of employment have been lost in Mexico, only in 2020 one million small and medium-sized companies disappeared and, so far this year, 750 thousand more.
Another topic that he presented in his speech was related to social decomposition and the loss of cultural and moral values. This is undoubtedly very worrying, sadly in Mexico the recovery of cordiality and the culture of peace is a challenge that remains pending in our society and that requires urgent attention. The role of the President is, in this matter, of the greatest importance for this, since since his campaign he has fostered the polarization of society, which has increased during his tenure. A change in behavior is important and desirable.
This situation deserves priority attention in Mexico, since degradation, disqualification, insult, aggression and threat, which are already part of our normality, shake up social peace. It should not be overlooked that this is a high risk for society as a whole and for our social fabric.
Regarding violence, the President explained that in Mexico we could take time to pacify the country, but the safest formula – he said – is to attend to the fund, as we are doing. The other data, the hard data, reveal an overwhelming growth of violence in Mexico, especially that generated by organized crime, which is one of the most violent and destructive aspects of the social fabric and which is expressed in threats, charges of rights of floor, dispossession, kidnappings, assassinations, massacres, human trafficking and forced displacement. Quite the opposite of a pacification process.
In another part of his speech, the President made a statement consistent with his style of speaking that rests on disqualification, revulsion and offense by declaring that “it is necessary for the most relevant body of the international community to wake up from its lethargy and come out. routine, … “he added that” Never in the history of this organization has anything really substantial been done to benefit the poor, … ”
It is evident the ignorance of our President regarding the actions carried out by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Agency for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF ) and the World Food Program (WFP), which play key roles in providing humanitarian assistance to the world’s poorest.
Another idea that the Mexican President mentioned and that he will propose to the UN General Assembly is to establish the world state of fraternity and well-being that would require the creation of an international multimillion-dollar fund to give direct money transfers to 750 million poor people. It is curious that the creation of this fund is proposed when in Mexico it ordered the cancellation of 109 trusts, to the detriment of support to science, technology, innovation, culture, the environment, the field, sports and to overcome disasters natural, among others.
Undoubtedly, the ideas presented are well intentioned but lacking in the vision of a statesman, in such a way that the representatives of China and Russia to the UN expressed that the Security Council is not the UN body for the ideas raised by the tenant of the National Palace.
It is possible that the President has decided to speak from that important rostrum to address, not the members of the Security Council, but the public of his morning conferences to give the impression that he has international leadership, particularly now that he is promoting the popular consultation for revocation of mandate.
* The author is a lawyer and professional mediator
Twitter: @Phmergoldd
Professional lawyer and mediator
Guest column
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx