Pubdate: Tue, 09 Oct 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Section: International
Author: Ginger Thompson

MEXICO WINS U.N. COUNCIL SEAT, STRENGTHENING FOX'S WORLD ROLE

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 8 — Mexico won a seat on the United Nations Security 
Council today, strengthening President Vicente Fox's efforts to move his 
country away from its traditional isolation toward an active role in world 
affairs.

The victory marks the first time in two decades that Mexico will serve on 
the Council and comes after considerable effort by Mr. Fox. He spent much 
of the first nine months of his presidency traveling across Europe, Asia 
and Latin America seeking votes from world leaders.

"Mexico recognizes that in an increasingly globalized world, international 
matters can no longer be detached from our national interests," said 
Mexico's foreign minister, Jorge G. Casteneda. "That commits us to make 
Mexico a major contributor to world debates, particularly in the face of 
circumstances that constitute threats to peace and international security."

Foreign policy experts said the two-year term on the Security Council would 
give Mexico — the world's 10th-largest nation with about 100 million people 
— a platform from which to press for new strategies to deal with 
immigration, drug trafficking, organized crime and trade disputes.

The victory also gives Mr. Fox an opportunity to improve his image at home, 
where political leaders have raised questions about his leadership 
abilities during world crises.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States, President Fox 
was criticized for not calling Mexicans to national demonstrations of 
solidarity and condolence, like those that were organized across Europe. 
Members of the president's own cabinet also made contradictory statements 
about how far Mexico would go to support the United States response to the 
attacks.

But Mr. Fox eventually came out with "unconditional support" for the United 
States and reiterated that support in a televised address on Sunday, after 
the United States mounted an attack on Afghanistan.

Debate in Mexico about Mr. Fox's campaign for a seat on the Security 
Council has been equally intense, with opponents worried that Mexico would 
be called to send help to police settlements of violent conflicts.

President Fox has said he would be willing to send Mexican peacekeepers for 
United Nations missions. But foreign policy experts said they expected 
Mexico's contributions to focus more on diplomacy.

"The Security Council's work has changed dramatically since the end of the 
cold war," said Jorge Montano, a former Mexican ambassador to the United 
Nations and to Washington. "Its work is more creative. It involves much 
more than peacekeeping missions. It involves preventive diplomacy. And that 
is where I think Mexico can play its most significant role."

In addition to approving a seat for Mexico, the United Nations also voted 
on Monday to give two-year seats on the Council to Syria, Bulgaria, 
Cameroon and Guinea.
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