The United Mexican States

Position Paper

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I. General StatementThe United Mexican States is privileged to participate in this year’s General Assembly.

The Delegation of Mexico recognizes the Organization of American States’ (OAS) vital role in promoting human rights, security for all nations, sustainable development, and resolving issues for any crises that may occur in this hemisphere. As an original signatory of the OAS Charter, the delegation of Mexico embraces its responsibilities in leading the conversation to solve issues facing OAS member states. At this year’s summit, The Delegation of Mexico is dedicated to providing stability and extending new opportunities to the youth of the Americas.

Mexico is proud to host an office of the OAS, since in October of 1990 and established in Colonia Polanco. The current representative is the Honduras Ambassador Aníbal Enrique Quiñónez Abarca.1 Additionally, the Mexican state has an OAS office in Washington, DC, in which the permanent representative is H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba Gongora, appointed on May 17, 2016.2

The Delegation of Mexico offers a diverse outlook to its fellow delegates; one shaped by many cultures, including indigenous, Spanish, Amerindian, Afro-Latino, and Asian. With 69 identified languages and hundreds of dialects therein and vast geographical features from deserts and mountains, oceans, and beaches, the nation’s cultural identity spans many worldviews and ecologies. All of which are bridged together in common principles, represented by the colors in the Mexican flag: green for hope and independence, white for peace and religion, and red for the union and the blood of the heroes that formed it. Mexico’s culture is alive and ever growing, enriched by its youth. Most of Mexico’s population is under thirty years old, with men and women being fairly balanced. The Mexican youth has a deep connection to their ancestry, most grow up either speaking or listening in their native language and growing up participating in their country’s many traditional celebrations, such as Navidad and Dia de los Muertos. However, the school children are also taught the modern global changes that are affecting the nation’s livelihood today, environmentally and socially, forming future leaders that will continue to shape the culture and traditions that benefit all of Mexico.3

Mexico is enthusiastic about its newfound potential for economic gains. The delegation has seen steady economic growth in GDP for the past five years, and it has also seen a rise in investment since 2014.4 The Delegation of Mexico has also been making progress in judicial reform in order to increase efficiency within the judicial system through a move to “an oral adversarial system”, which can lead to a potential “increase in foreign direct investment.”5 As the second largest economy in Latin America with a 2.5% increase in GDP in the last year, the Delegation of Mexico looks forward to more growth in the future.6

Bearing in mind that only through collaboration can the Western hemisphere truly benefit, the delegation of Mexico is eager to discuss all problems and seeks to improve them in a way that will truly be beneficial in all aspects, short term as well as long term.   

II. Particular Statements

A. General Committee: Topic One: Reducing the Rate of Violence Against Women

The Delegation of Mexico is dedicated to honoring all human rights, especially those rights possessed by women, such as voting, receiving an education, and having the ability to own property. Mexican women became more distinguished throughout the years, moving from their

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traditional household duties to having a place in the work force. Beginning in the twentieth century, women began advocating for an equal legal and social status. In 1953, the Mexican government granted women the right to vote, and as of 2012, 48% of women were working, compared to the 14% in 1910. However, many advancements need to be created concerning violent crimes against women. Mexican women face discrimination from men exercising machismo against them.7 The Mexican delegation believes more justice needs to be served for those who attack women, either verbally, physically, or sexually.

Topic Two: Achieving Universal Access to Basic Health ServicesThe Nieto administration has prioritized human rights as an issue of urgent importance.

President Nieto strives to achieve this throughout Mexico with his 2014-2018 program. This includes, but is not limited to, health care, youth rights, more protection of women, and less trafficking of drugs and people. The Delegation of Mexico would like to advance human rights in the OAS by proposing a program to assist member states in training medical professionals for young children to combat the under-five mortality rate.

Setting hemispheric standards for health care is a tremendous task, and the Delegation of Mexico is dedicated to a plan for the health of the youth for the hemisphere. This program is called Care for Children and it is aimed at orphans. However, it can apply for any group of children being supervised by an adult for a long period of time, such as in a school. Care for Children is for those who do not have the money or resources to travel to clinics or hospitals when they become ill or injured. It would train the adults who are responsible for the children over a series of weeks, or by articles, to perform basic medical needs. After being educated in the certain medical needs, the adult would take a test in order to be certified. This certification shows that they may treat children and receive supplies from the donors, which would include the World Health Organization and Catholic Relief Services.

B. Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI)Topic One: Reducing the Number of Young People Not Studying or Working            The OAS is strongly dedicated to the idea of creating productive members of society. In their furthering of education or climbing of the economic ladder, one’s country and, furthermore, the entire hemisphere, benefits. In keeping with this idea, the Delegation of Mexico moves to put forward plans that will change each member state’s country to influence citizens to further themselves and, consequentially, their country.            Plans to increase overall productivity revolve around the idea of incentive, which the Delegation of Mexico proposes to address in a few ways. Member states can provide a small stipend to those individuals who can prove they are enrolled in an accredited college program, funded by Project Amigo, a nonprofit organization revolving around eliminating poverty through education. Stipends would increase by around 3% based on GPA, capping at 12%. Tax breaks would be given to those who continue to show progress in work or studies, which would be funded by VAMOS!, a non-profit organization based out of Vermont. Lastly, participating states would create a third party organization separate from the government to hold fundraisers and direct money to the creation of new minor colleges and trade schools, called Poner U en la Educacion (Putting U in Education).

Topic Two: Improving Energy Efficiency on a Hemispheric Level

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            The Delegation of Mexico, along with the other members of the OAS, recognizes the importance of addressing and remedying the issue of energy inefficiency in the western side of the hemisphere. In these times when the amount of resources humans have grown comfortable with is steadily decreasing, an extreme effort must be put forward to find alternative sources of sustainable energy that are much more efficient at keeping everyone powered, so that a better future for the youth of the world may be created.

C. Secretariat for Multidimensional Security (SMS)Topic One: Hemispheric Standards for Gun Safety & Regulation

The Delegation of Mexico strongly believes that in order to promote the wellbeing of its citizens, as well as those of its fellow member states, it has a duty to fight illegal trafficking of small arms. This is a top priority for the delegation and has continuously carried out various efforts to extract undocumented and illegal weapons from the hands of criminals and drug cartels.

Topic Two: Multidimensional Approaches to Combating Juvenile DelinquencyThe Delegation of Mexico is committed to the fair and just treatment of juveniles in its

criminal justice system. Having modified Article 18 of the Constitution in 2005 to serve unbiased due-process to juveniles, the delegation further strives to serve its youth by resolving juvenile cases through restorative justice methods.  These methods include restorative justice conferences, which aim to resolve conflicts, promote healing, and prevent human criminality by responding to the needs of both the victim and offender.

As part of the delegation’s commitment to its youth it is expanding and improving current programs to target issues from their foundations. As part of this effort, and promise to the youth of Mexico, the delegation is working on a resolution which targets to promote communication and community involvement in our schools. This program will give school officials and students training for conflict resolutions from a restorative justice perspective. Restorative justice has shown to be an effective method for conflict resolution among young children and adolescents, which they can later use in their communities and everyday lives.

D. Secretariat for Strengthening Democracy (SSD)Topic One: Addressing Racial Discrimination and Violence

Toward a less violent and more democratic society, Mexico has taken strategic and ingenious strides into this objective. One of the few commitments taken in this interest is to move the voting system towards a more inclusive participation. Government collaboration to end the discrimination in the voting process to indigenous populations is vital to reducing bloodshed in the hemisphere. In giving a democratic voice to indigenous communities, they receive the opportunity to elect a government official that will protect their human and land rights, interests, and give them a voice in the government. In this democratic manner, the hemisphere's natives would cease the violence and discrimination directed toward their communities.  

Mexico will engage in an innovative solution to stop indigenous discrimination, and thus reducing brutality in the Americas. According to Minority Rights Groups, indigenous communities have been brutally attacked by paramilitary groups in their lands, as well as prevented them from electing their corresponding government officials. Leaders who advocate for political change are persecuted by powerful landowners, who have control over the local police and judicial system. Incarceration, expulsion, disappearance, torture, murder and

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massacres are some of the brutalities that indigenous people face. Therefore, the delegation of Mexico proposes the use of an auditory function in all voting machines, in which indigenous people can voice their vote in their respective languages. The delegation also recommends the increase and access to voting machines for indigenous communities. Creating an inclusive voting process gives future generation of indigenous populations more participation in their government.

Topic Two: Promoting Civil Registration & the Right to Identity

The American Convention on Human Rights affirms the right to a lawful identity under the state, which is recognized through the obtaining of civil documents. This official recognition gives citizens access to education and healthcare, among other government services. When children are not registered with the state at birth, they become vulnerable to forced child labor and human trafficking. The Inter-Parliamentary Union and UNICEF identified that, “in the Americas, 1.3 million births go unregistered each year and 6.5 million children do not have a birth certificate”, and that “under-registration is most prevalent in areas where births do not take place in hospitals.” Out-of-hospital birth is a common practice for indigenous peoples in the hemisphere. The Delegation of Mexico recognizes the need to concentrate efforts on increasing registration of children at birth in order to provide the youth with a more accessible future, and urges the other members of the OAS to do the same.8

             Amnesty International revealed that many indigenous women often underutilize hospitals for births due to the fact that most are operated in Spanish and these women only speak Spanish as a second language, if at all. Many women have also reported that they do not go to the clinics or hospitals because they are frightened by the unknown techniques used and prefer to give birth in their known, comfortable, and traditional environment. The Delegation of Mexico hopes to strive with the other member states, improve registration of children at birth for these rural, indigenous women by working with our Ministries of Health and hospitals to create culturally appropriate birthing rooms where they can speak their native language and practice their traditional birthing methods, thus improving hospital birth attendance and giving an immediate opportunity for registration after birth.9

E. Secretariat for Administration & Finance (SAF)Budgetary Priorities for the OAS

The United Mexican States has great hopes when looking towards the future. The Delegation of Mexico understands that the OAS seeks the betterment of all member states, and that it also seeks to do so while staying as efficient as possible and saving resources. In order to achieve this goal, member states are encouraged to utilize other sources of income in order to operate programs borne out of OAS resolutions.

The United Mexican States believes that the top priority for all member states is advocating for youth. When young citizens of the hemisphere are advocated for, this helps to increase their sense of autonomy. They are taught to see the inherent value in themselves when the member states begin this advocacy. This higher sense of self leads to greater likelihood that young people will take the necessary steps to begin advocating for themselves. When this happens, the entire hemisphere benefits. The concepts of autonomy and self-advocacy can

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manifest in many different areas. The concept of autonomy is also fulfilled through the Delegation of Mexico’s economic efficiency through its resolutions. The OAS will be helping all member states become economically self-sufficient by passing the Delegation of Mexico’s resolutions, which are funded by pertinent NGOs.

1 OAS Office in Mexico. Retrieved October 20, 2016, from http://www.oas.org/es/acerca/offices_detail.asp?sCode=MEX. 2 OAS: Member State: Mexico. Retrieved October 20, 2016, from http://www.oas.org/en/member_states/member_state.asp?sCode=MEX. 3 Mexican cultural institute of Washington DC. Mexico for You. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.instituteofmexicodc.org/meetmexicotoday.php.4 Focus Economics. Mexico Economic Outlook. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from http://www.focus-economics.com/countries/mexico.5 The Heritage Foundation. 2016 Index of Economic Freedom: Mexico. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from http://www.heritage.org/index/country/mexico.6 The World Bank. Mexico. Retrieved October 19, 2016 from http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/mexico.7 International View Point. Mexican Women: Then and Now. Retrieved October 19, 2016 from http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1922. 8 Inter -Parliamentary Union, & United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2013, June). Parliamentary Workshop on the Right to Identity: Promoting Universal Birth Registration in Latin America and the Caribbean. Retrieved October 17, 2016.9 Amnesty International. (2009). Fatal Flaws: Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru. London: Peter Benenson House. Retrieved October 17, 2016.