Mexico urges the United Nations to prioritize the issue of international firearms trafficking

The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico, Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez, participated in the 4th United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UN COPS), held in New York. She was accompanied by Ambassador Héctor Vasconcelos, Mexico's Permanent Representative to the UN.

During her intervention, she emphasized the need for United Nations member states to address the illicit trafficking of weapons to criminal groups in Mexico as a preventive measure against violence.

"Therefore, as a violence prevention measure, we ask the United Nations to pay attention to the international trafficking of firearms so that manufacturers cease their actions of strengthening criminal groups."

She highlighted that the United Nations reports on security do not correspond to reality, as they fail to consider factors such as the destruction of synthetic drugs and the apprehension of criminals by the Mexican armed forces, without accounting for the influence of factors such as the use of firearms within Mexican territory.

"Life, lives are above the arms market. And Mexico, our Mexico, is not condemned to war; Mexico is destined for peace," emphasized the federal official.

She added that Mexico possesses the political capacity, operational intelligence, and security presence to act against criminals. However, she cautioned that the economic interests of firearm manufacturers should not override national security.

"Mexico stands for peace and non-violence. Like the United Nations, we are committed to pacification, aiming to cease attacks between criminal groups," she stated.

She also emphasized the efforts made in Mexico to prevent violence by addressing underlying causes such as inequality and marginalization, under the premise that social peace cannot be achieved without well-being and justice, with a particular emphasis on young people.

"In my country, we address the causes of violence through universal social services such as pensions for 12 million elderly adults, pensions for over a million people with disabilities (...), programs like 'Young People Building the Future' and scholarships for students in secondary and higher education, which prevent young people from being recruited by organized crime or becoming victims of drugs."

She highlighted prevention efforts implemented, such as voluntary disarmament programs, special attention to gender-based violence, and intelligence operations to apprehend criminals contributing to insecurity in certain areas of the country.

She underscored that these actions, coupled with a policy of zero corruption, zero impunity, and zero complicity led by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who chairs the Security Cabinet daily at 6 a.m., have resulted in reductions in the most impactful crimes on Mexican society.

"Kidnappings have decreased by 70%, robberies have decreased by 30%, vehicle theft has dropped by 47%, fuel theft has decreased by 94%, and homicides have decreased by 19%," highlighted Rodríguez Velázquez.

The 4th United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UN COPS 2024) serves as a mechanism for sharing experiences, bringing together ministers, police chiefs, senior representatives of regional police organizations, and specialists in New York from June 26 to 27, to strengthen international peace, security, and development. The summit was chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres."