President López-Obrador’s “hugs, not bullets” security philosophy is on its way to the United Nations (UN).

Mexico was elected unopposed on Wednesday as the new representative for Latin America and the Caribbean on the UN Security Council for its 2021-22 sitting period.

López Obrador said Thursday that Mexico will use its seat on the council to promote the peaceful resolution of international problems and to push for a prohibition on the use of force.

“Mexico will always vote in favor of not using violence, guided by [former] president Benito Juárez García’s principle that, ‘among individuals as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace,’” he said.

“We don’t want military cooperation, … we don’t want to confront violence with violence.”

The federal government has favored a non-confrontational approach to combating insecurity in Mexico, betting that greater spending on social programs will help to reduce violence. However, violence has remained stubbornly high, and López Obrador signed a decree last month ordering the armed forces to continue carrying out public security tasks for another four years.

Speaking at a press conference in Hidalgo on Thursday, the president said that Mexico will also use its two-year term on the Security Council to push for greater international cooperation on human rights and development issues.

López Obrador said that Mexico will seek to comply with the four freedoms espoused by United States wartime president Franklin D. Roosevelt: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

Mexico will also be an advocate for sustainable development and environmental protection, he said, adding that it will push for “rich nations” and international financial organizations to provide greater support to combat hunger, epidemics, racism, classism. sexism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination.

From its non-permanent position on the Security Council, the United Nations’ most powerful decision-making body, Mexico will seek additional investment and support for development programs so that “no human on earth” is forced to migrate from their place of origin due to a lack of employment opportunities or violence, López Obrador said.

He claimed that Mexico’s election to the 15-member body amounted to recognition by the United Nations of the country’s historical and cultural grandeur.

“In other words, the recognition is bestowed on the people of Mexico.”

However, Mexico won the seat to represent Latin America and the Caribbean because it was the only candidate. No other country contested it.

Source: El Universal (sp)