December 15, 2022
Madam President,
I thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and CTED Acting Executive Director, Mr. Chen, for their briefings. I particularly appreciate the very courageous testimony of Nurse Anjali Kulthe.We welcome India for convening this meeting as it addresses one of the most urgent and sensitive issues faced by all because, without a doubt, terrorism is a threat to everyone.
Mexico is convinced of the importance of having a preventive approach to address the threat posed by international terrorism, an approach that is more effective than what has been achieved so far, and with an emphasis on sustainable development and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
As we have reiterated on numerous occasions, the real fight against terrorism must be carried out through the development, and creation of opportunities, employment, education, improved living conditions, guaranteeing the fulfillment of human rights, and gender equality. In this regard, Mexico considers it necessary to incorporate the impact of the notions of masculinities in our strategy for the prevention of terrorism, as recognized in Secretary General’s report from 26 July.
Combating terrorism also requires full adherence to the rule of law and unrestricted respect for international law, in particular international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
We are concerned that invocations to legitimate self-defense continue to be made to use force against non-state actors on a third State, under the so-called “unwilling and unable doctrine”. We reiterate that these interpretations go beyond the provisions of Article 51 of the UN Charter.
We also remain concerned about expressions of discrimination and violence emanating from intolerance and xenophobia, which is why we once again stress the urgency of containing the proliferation of hate speech.
It is also necessary to comply with the restrictions on access to small arms and light weapons, as well as the need to strengthen efforts to prevent, combat, and eliminate illicit trafficking. We are well aware that these weapons are very often used in acts of terrorism.
This should be done hand in hand and in coordination with activities to strengthen national judicial systems and law enforcement agencies, to effectively punish perpetrators of criminal acts in full compliance with due processes.
Accordingly, it is the General Assembly the one who should direct efforts to prevent and combat terrorism. If the root causes are not addressed, mere sanctions and the use of force will encourage cycles of violence, limiting their potential benefits.
A serious problem is the absence of an internationally agreed definition of terrorism, which contributes to the blurring of the limits within which actions to combat terrorism are undertaken to the detriment of respect for international law. The negotiation of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that would give legal certainty to this phenomenon and put an end to unilateral designations should be and is a priority.
Finally, we of course welcome the adoption last week of resolution 2664 (2022), which establishes for the first time a humanitarian carve out across all UN Sanctions Regimes. Considering the enormous impact that the Council’s counter-terrorism operations have had on humanitarian organizations, especially in light of the 1267 sanctions regime, Mexico has raised on countless occasions the importance of having these safeguards.
We are confident that resolution 2664 (2022) will contribute to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance where it is most needed, and will protect humanitarian personnel, especially health workers, from being criminalized for carrying out their mandate.
Thank you, Madam President.