Mexico urges 'peace built with social justice'

Mexico's foreign minister said on Friday that lasting peace depends on social justice rather than force, as he outlined his country's foreign policy priorities on the world stage.

Roberto Alvarez, addressing the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, said Mexico "is experiencing a profound transformation that is a continuation of the journey that was started with the independence movement, the reform, and then the revolution, the three defining moments when my country expanded the rights of its people."

He said Mexico's security gains have helped it stand out internationally, telling the General Assembly that "peace cannot be decreed or imposed; it's built with social justice."

Alvarez highlighted the historic significance of Mexico's current leadership, noting that "for the first time in two centuries of independent life, Mexico is being governed by a woman," and that "she's not governing alone either," pointing to "a Cabinet with gender parity, a congress with gender parity, and a reform that made substantive equality a constitutional mandate."

He said Mexico's approach to foreign policy principles is "rooted in the normative principles of our Constitution that transcend any particular administration or international circumstance," citing self-determination and non-interference as "the best guarantee of peace and stability between nations."

Alvarez said Mexico maintains "that international law must prevail over force, that civilian populations must be protected, that the territorial integrity of nations must be respected, and that all disputes must be settled by way of dialogue, negotiations, and peace."

He reaffirmed Mexico's support for a two-state solution and recognition of "the state of Palestine, as well as the right of its people to live in peace within safe and recognized borders."

He also reiterated Mexico's decades-long "solidarity with the people of Cuba," rejecting the American embargo "and any unilateral measure that is against the UN Charter," and pledged continued humanitarian aid to the island.