Mexican President calls on UN help to fight drug war

[News_Editor]

Mexican President calls on UN help to fight drug war

2011-09-22 11:23:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- The Government of Mexico on Wednesday called on the United Nations (UN) to help the country fight against organized crime and drug cartels which have killed tens of thousands of lives in recent years.

Tens of thousands of people have been murdered and mutilated in drug wars over the past five years in Mexico, and on the opening day of the UN General Assembly's annual general debate, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said it is unjust and inhuman that the profits of the arms industry fuel the deaths of thousands of people.

Calderon also noted that the huge profits of drug trafficking and easy access to high-powered weapons form two sides of the same coin against which the world must forge a common front, pushing the UN to help establish strict controls in producer and supplier countries on such weapons which feed the arsenals of traffickers.

"At the United Nations we must continue to drive forward negotiations for the International Convention on Trade in Arms so as to avoid their diversion to activities that are forbidden under international rules," Calderon said, citing a proposed treaty that has been under discussion in various UN forums for several years.

In addition, Calderon called for action by consumer countries to curb the massive profits of drug trafficking, which are fueled by an ever growing demand. The UN, meanwhile, has listed drug trafficking and transnational organized crime among its three major challenges, the other two being climate change and health.

The Mexican President went on to call on the countries with the highest levels of drug consumption to take urgent and effective action to reduce demand. "And if that is not possible, or they are disposed or resigned to seeing consumption continue to grow, these consumer countries must in any case find ways of reducing the enormous profits which criminals make on their black market," Calderon said.

"They are morally obliged to find solutions that cut off this source of financing and explore other options and alternatives that stop drug trafficking money from being the source of violence and death, particularly in Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of Africa," he added.

Regarding climate change, Calderon called on the international community to turn into action decisions taken during last December's UN talks in Cancun, Mexico, which formalized mitigation pledges for developing nations and protected the world's forests.

Calderon expressed concerned that the lack of necessary political leadership could be the cause of losing what has already been achieved so far, "hence I appeal to the United Nations and its leaders to take serious responsibility for the results of Durban 2011," referring to the upcoming climate change talks in the South African city.

On public health he cited Mexico's own system of universal coverage, calling it the basis for confronting the challenge of chronic and infectious diseases at the international level.

Calderon also referred to the Middle East crisis, the unrest shaking the Arab world, and the need for reform of the 15-member Security Council, which has remained unchanged for decades although overall UN membership has increased to 193.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-22

[Pedzie]

The US should give more help to Mexico in it's war on drugs, it is afterall the demand for cocaine from America that fuels this war

[mccw]

And the guns from America that do most of the killing

[mccw]

Legalising the drugs trade would largely fix the problem.

Or at least Criminalising the sale of weapons would help stem the violence; but USA won't accept either so the same horrors will continue and worsen

[Pedzie]

And the guns from America that do most of the killing

Forgot to mention that also :-)