SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCLUDES OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO

Press Release
SG/T/2030

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCLUDES OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO

MEXICO CITY, 6 March -- At 11 a.m. today, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali arrived at the United Nations building for a meeting with United Nations staff in Mexico. Upon arrival, the Secretary-General was greeted by the heads of the different agencies and programmes of the United Nations system in Mexico who, together with Bruno Guandalini, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mexico and Coordinator of United Nations activities in that country, and Thelma O'Con-Solorzano, Director, United Nations Information Centre, escorted the Secretary-General to the main hall.

At 11:05 a.m., the Secretary-General addressed the staff. This was followed by a question and answer session. The Secretary-General then toured the United Nations Information Centre's premises and was given a short briefing on the latest communication facilities available at the Centre.

At noon, the Secretary-General received the Chairman of the Revolutionary Democratic Party and former Mexican Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Porfirio Munoz Ledo. During his meeting with Mr. Munoz Ledo, the Secretary-General was accompanied by Assistant Secretary-General Rosario Green, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, and Assistant Secretary-General Fernando Zumbado, Assistant-Administrator and Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP. Their discussion centred on issues of mutual interest to Mexico and the United Nations, the ongoing North and South dialogue and the role of Mexico in international affairs.

At 1:20 p.m., the Secretary-General and Mrs. Boutros-Ghali arrived at a central square in Mexico City where, after a brief ceremony presided by the Secretary-General, the Foreign Minister of Mexico, Jose Angel Gurria Trevino, and the Chief of the Federal District Department, Oscar Espinosa Villareal, a commemorative stone was unveiled declaring the name of the square as "Plaza de Las Naciones Unidas (United Nations Square)". More than 300 children from elementary schools of Mexico City as well as local dignitaries and representatives from United Nations agencies were present during the event.

At 4:30 p.m., the Secretary-General and Mrs. Boutros-Ghali were seen off at the Presidential Hangar of the International Airport of Mexico City, by the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the International

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Organizations department in the Foreign Ministry, Sergio Gonzalez Galvez, by the Chief of Protocol of the Government of Mexico, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio, as well as by senior staff of the United Nations system in Mexico, including Mr. Guandalini.

The Secretary-General is due to arrive in New York tonight

At 10:15 a.m., on Tuesday, 5 March, the Secretary-General and Mrs. Boutros-Ghali arrived at the Independence Monument, "Altar de la Patria", for a wreath-laying ceremony that included military honours and the performance of the Mexican national anthem by a military band. This was followed at 11 a.m. by a session at the City Hall where Mr. Espinosa Villareal, Chief of the Federal District Department presented the keys to Mexico City and a certificate of honourary citizenship to the Secretary-General. Upon arrival, hundreds of children from the city's public school system greeted the Secretary-General and his delegation with "viva la ONU" chants. Following the session, the Secretary-General was the guest of honour during the performance of a Mexican folkloric show.

At 11:45 a.m., the Secretary-General arrived at the Mexican Senate, where he was greeted by a delegation of Senators with whom he met for about 20 minutes. In the course of this meeting, the Secretary-General was given a videotape containing images of alleged human rights violations committed against a group of citizens in the State of Guerrero in June 1995. Relatives of the alleged victims presented the videotape. Afterwards, he delivered a speech before a full session of the Senate and members of the Chamber of Deputies. (See Press Release SG/SM/5911, of 5 March.)

In the afternoon, the Secretary-General was the guest of honour at a luncheon hosted by Foreign Minister Gurria Trevino at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tlatelolco. (See Press Release SG/SM/5914, of 6 March.)

At 6 p.m., the Secretary-General spoke to and answered questions from more than 200 high school students of the American School Foundation-Harvard Model United Nations Seminar.

The Secretary-General spent the evening privately.

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