Statement by

the Head of the Mexican Delegation Mr. Mario Palma Rojo

Undersecretary for Regional Development

Geneva, June 26 2000

Mr. Chairman,

Your Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan. Secretary General of the United Nations.

Chiefs of State and Heads of Government.

Distinguished Ministers and Representatives of International Organizations.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Today, five years after the countries of the world signed the agreements of the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the Government of Mexico comes to this forum to renew its firm commitment to continue the efforts in favour of the well-being and social development of our peoples.

Copenhagen `95 was the historical forum where, by consensus we established the first goals and policies in reference to social aspects at the global level. Copenhagen is where Social Development was included as a priority on the international agenda.

In the course of the five years, of President Ernesto Zedillo's Administration, significant progress has been made. However, there are still tremendous challenges, and it is evident that a greater effort is required in order to promote more inclusive social development.

The conviction and political will expressed five years ago to focus the ports of the world on the fight against poverty and social exclusion, continue in force and still represent the priority and legitimate expectations of the inhabitants of our countries.

Thus, today Mexico reaffirms the commitments acquired at the Summit, which are consistent with the historical and legitimate struggle of Mexicans for freedom, sovereignty, social justice and democracy; presents the progress made and joins in the invitation to increase the scope of social policy in an effort to face with greater chances of success, the complex problems of poverty, marginalization and social inequality.

Mexico is an open and democratic society. Today we can rely on electoral bodies which are citizen- and we are consolidating the deepest and most transcendental democratic reform in our whole history.

The government of Mexico has made social actions a priority, recognizing that only through the eradication of poverty is it possible to meet the demands for justice of Mexican society. Thus, Mexico has allocated increasing amounts of the budget to meet the requirements of the poorest population, which have not yet been resolved.

In this regard, in the past five veer, the federal budget allocated to social development has shown an annual growth average of T% in real terns and this Year it reached the amount of 50 billion dollars. that is, 61°l0 of the programmable budget and 9.4°.'o of the Gross Domestic Product, an unprecedented amount in Mexico.

Furthermore, all of this has been attained in a context of stability, sound public finances, low inflation and an average economic growth of 5 % per annum, in the past five years.

Nevertheless, we are aware of the fact that although budgetary allocations are indispensable, other factors are required in order for social policy to be effectively translated into concrete actions, into tangible. everyday well-being of the people.

These factors include comprehensive and pertinent actions, converging with the different levels of government the decentralization, of actions, as well as the assessment of policies and transparency in the use of resources and particularly, the participation of civil society.

This combination of factors improves the effectiveness of our Social Policy while achieving its goals. The sum of these efforts and wills contributes to the success of poverty reduction strategies with its multiple dimensions. As poverty not only affects the health and nutrition, but the education and work opportunities for individuals and their families.

In order to overcome poverty, Universal programmes, those that guarantee social rights to all individuals are required. Yet we must have programmes that focus on the most needy, in an effort to break poverty's vicious circle.

In Mexico we have managed to take health-care services to 98°/a of the population, currently approximately 100 million inhabitants, and educational services have increased significantly at all levels, particularly primary education which covers 98% of the children.

In terms of specific poverty reduction actions, in Mexico we are carrying out several programmes which reach the most underprivileged, covering 40 million people, directly or indirectly.

In less than three years, we have developed a Programme for Education, Health and Nutrition called Progresa, targeting families in extreme poverty. This programme provides assistance to 2.6 million families, that is 14 million persons.

Our programme includes monetary assistance in the form of scholarships for boys and girls to attend school, the assistance favours girls, food is supplied to the youngest children and to pregnant and nursing women. Additionally, health-care services are provided for the entire family and monetary assistance is provided for purchasing food products.

This programme, in the brief period it has been in existence, is already making a significant impact on the improvement in nutrition and school attendance of the beneficiaries. In secondary education, for example, there have been significant decreases in malnutrition and there has been an increase in school enrolment of 26°/v in boys and 38% in girls.

Furthermore, the resources are delivered directly to the mothers, thus Progresa provides significant support to the female gender as a part of the comprehensive actions of the Mexican government to make women a priority in all programmes.

Ladies and gentlemen:

Once again, it is the historical responsibility of this forum not only to establish the common goals of humanity in terms of social development, but to lead the efforts which we agree to here.

The Government of Mexico reiterates its commitment to the noble purposes which guide the World Summit for Social Development, with the conviction that it is an historical landmark in the efforts of the peoples to come closer to the day in which we realize our common expectation of seeing poverty disappear from our nations and from the face of the earth.

Thank you very much