Delegation: Mexico
Commission: Special Political and Decolonization
The question of Kashmir
Mexico feels that it is
necessary for a solution to be found to the situation in Kashmir that is
satisfactory to the people of Kashmir, in order for this troubled land
to ever know peace.
When the British withdrew from India in
1946, they divided the territory into India, Pakistan, and Kashmir and
stated that the Kashmiri people could decide for themselves whether they
wanted to be a territory of India, Pakistan, or become and independent
nation in their own right. The Kashmiri people were in somewhat dire
straits so the Prince of Kashmir went to the Indian government
requesting aid. Understanding that the Indian government could only
provide aid to his province if they became part of India, he agreed to
join the Indian nation. The Indian government then stated that they
would hold a plebiscite in Kashmir to determine what nation the people
of that territory desired to belong to, India, Pakistan, or the
independent nation of Kashmir. Before this plebiscite was held however,
Pakistan claimed they owned the region and launched a military invasion.
To this day the plebiscite has not been held. However India has
expressed its willingness to hold the plebiscite, should the Pakistanis
withdraw their forces.
Mexico would like to see an end to this
conflict that would satisfy the Kashmiri people. To this end, Mexico
would like to see the enforcement of Security Council Resolutions 38,
39, 47, and 51 which state that Pakistan must withdraw its forces,
as that they have no right to be there as they were not invited by the
Kashmiri government, so that a plebiscite may be held to determine the
fate of Kashmir. Mexico hopes that this solution will effectively end
the situation in Kashmir and resolve at least one of the problems that
face our ever-changing planet.
Delegation: Mexico
Commission:
Social and Human Rights
Effective measures to eliminate the use of
children as soldiers
Mexico considers the
elimination of the use of children as soldiers to be a pressing issue,
and being necessary to protect the fundamental rights of children, it
must be addressed with the goal of producing effectual, practical and
applicable solutions. Mexico
deplores the use of children in armed conflicts, either directly in
combat or indirectly as servants, reasoning that thousands of such
children are exploited yearly in the name of national, political,
religious or other causes. We feel that the rights of this especially
vulnerable group can be successfully safeguarded through international
cooperation. Mexico congratulates all member States who have acted in
accordance with international treaties that prohibit the recruitment of
children for armed conflict and fully endorse efforts made by
governments that abide by the Optional Protocol to the Convention on
Rights of the Child and the ILO Convention on the Elimination of
the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Mexico hopes that by the universal
adoption and implementation of such treaties, those nations that
continue to use children as soldiers will cease to do so and measures
will be taken to within the international community to eliminate fully
the use of children in armed conflict.
Delegation:
Mexico
Commission:
Environment
Implementation
of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those
countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification
Mexico strongly
supports the fight against desertification, especially in developing
nations. Almost 90% of
Mexico is arid drylands, with an average annual rainfall of 24 in. (600
mL).
In addition, around 25% of Latin and South America is desert or drylands. As the first nation to ratify the Convention to Combat
Desertification, Mexico wishes for it to be implemented around the world
as soon as possible. We see
the implementation of the Convention as vital to the welfare of
developing countries around the world.
We are particularly interested in the reclaiming of dryland
environments, and the cooperative sharing of technologies to facilitate
the protection of at risk areas. We
also want an increase of international cooperation in combating
desertification, as many at risk areas cross national borders.
Cooperation would allow for more comprehensive programs, and
would let several less able countries to pool their resources and carry
out more effective projects.
Even though our interest is mostly
on desertification in the Western Hemisphere, we recognize problems in
other parts of the world, and hope to address them.
We are alarmed by the situation in the Sahel, and how it is
affecting the developing nations of sub-Saharan Africa.
Mexico hopes to work with African nations on this problem, in
particular Botswana, which has done an excellent job at preserving its
wetlands and promoting its development in a nation almost entirely made
up of deserts. It is in our
deepest interest that this problem is addressed and that a solution is
found.
Delegation:
Mexico
Commission:
Environment
Prohibition of the dumping of radioactive and
toxic waste
Mexico is concerned
over the problem of illegal dumping around the world.
American maquiladoras (American-owned factories in Mexico)
illegally dump almost 70% of the waste they produce, and we do not have
the facilities to handle it. In
addition, the United States exports 1,300 metric tons of waste to Mexico
each year, while we only have two facilities in the country that can
safely dispose of hazardous waste.
Mexico sees it as imperative that the United States and all other
nations abide by the Basel Convention and clean up their practices of
exporting waste. We
recognize that there are some flaws to the Basel Convention, and hope to
resolve them at the next Conference of the Parties. Mexico is especially concerned with Annex VII and Decision
III/1, and how they affect the abilities of nations to deal with their
waste. We will bring this
to the attention of the committee at the next session.
It is our belief that a solution to this problem will soon be
found.
Delegation:
Mexico
Commission: Special Conference on
Science and Ethics (SCSE)
The Question of the use of animal tissue and
organs in human beings (xenotransplantation)
Mexico feels that
xenotransplantation is a viable substitute for stem cell research. As we
are a predominately Roman Catholic nation, the controversial stem cell
research and technology is against the national religion. By using
animal organs and tissues in humans instead of embryonic cells the cure
to diseases such as diabetes would be less malignant. Mexico feels that
since everyone is looking for a cure to diseases, xenotransplantation is
a perfect solution.
In Mexico, diabetes is the first cause of
blindness and kidney failure. Implanting cells from the pancreas of a
newborn piglet can cure this debilitating disease. Though this radically
new procedure is banned in a lot of countries, including Great Britain
and the United States of America, Mexico feels that this fundamentally
new medical procedure is worthwhile in that it can save many lives.
The possibilities that
xenotransplantation offers as a substitute for stem cell are
innumerable; they simply haven’t been explored to their fullest
potential yet. Because this is a relatively new treatment method it has
been tried in Mexico with positive results. Two girls, ages 14 and 15
were successfully xenotransplanted with pig cells and recovered fully.
Therefore, Mexico feels that xenotransplantation is a worthwhile
medicinal method to research.
