SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISITS TO GUATEMALA AND MEXICO, 20-23 JULY
Press Release
SG/T/2147
SECRETARY-GENERAL'S VISITS TO GUATEMALA AND MEXICO, 20-23 JULY
19980810 (Received from the Spokesman travelling with the Secretary-General.)The Secretary-General arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala, in the afternoon of Monday, 20 July. That evening he met with President Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen of Guatemala at the Presidential Palace. Among other things, they reviewed the process of implementation of the Guatemala peace accords.
After the meeting with the President of Guatemala the Secretary-General attended a ceremony during which he was awarded the "Orden del Quetzal". Upon receiving this highest award bestowed upon a dignitary, the Secretary-General made a statement in which he praised Guatemala's efforts to reform the Constitution and adopt important measures regarding fiscal, land and justice issues (Press Release SG/SM/6648). The ceremony was followed by a reception hosted by the Guatemalan Foreign Minister, Eduardo Stein Barillas.
On Tuesday, 21 July, the Secretary-General attended a meeting of the Executive Cabinet chaired by Guatemalan Vice-President Luis Alberto Flores Asturias at the Presidential Palace. He then met with the Archbishop of Guatemala at the Episcopal Building. Later he addressed the staff of United Nations organizations in Guatemala at the headquarters of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA). In the afternoon the Secretary- General met with the members of the Clarification Commission and the Leadership of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca (URNG).
Later in the afternoon the Secretary-General gave a press conference during which he spoke about the situation in Guatemala since the signing of the Peace Accord in 1996, as well as United Nations programmes in Guatemala and the Organization's financial crisis. The Secretary-General left Guatemala for Mexico City, Mexico, the last country on his tour, on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, 22 July, the Secretary-General was received by President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico at Los Pinos Presidential House. During the meeting they discussed the United Nations financial crisis and reform, fluctuation in global financial markets, the International Criminal Court and the role of Mexico in the recently concluded drug summit. They also talked about Chiapas and the issue of child labour in the context of the International Labour Organization (ILO) convention on child labour.
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In a briefing to the press following the meeting with the President, the Secretary-General answered questions about Security Council reform and the increasing role of Latin American countries in the world, as well as the situation in Chiapas.
Following the talks with President Zedillo, the Secretary-General laid a wreath at the monument to Children Heroes in Chapultepec. Later he met with the Mayor of Mexico City at the old city Government House. The Mayor presented the Secretary-General with the keys to the city and declared him an honorary guest of Mexico City. During the ceremony the Secretary-General made a statement (Press Release SG/SM/6651).
In the afternoon the Secretary-General attended a luncheon with 20 entrepreneurs and academics. They discussed Latin America's emergence as a legitimate trading partner in the global markets, as well as the situation in Chiapas and the Iraq sanctions regime.
Later the Secretary-General met with heads and staff of United Nations agencies in Mexico at the United Nations House. He noted that it was necessary to change the perception of the United Nations as an organization that was distant and removed from the people. In the evening the Secretary- General and Mrs. Annan were the guests of honour at a state dinner hosted by the President of Mexico and Mrs. Zedillo at the National Palace.
On Thursday, 23 July, the Secretary-General met with the Chair of Permanent Parliamentary Committee, coordinators of parliamentary factions and Chairs of Foreign Relations committees of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies at the Mexican Congress. Later he met with Rosario Green, Foreign Minister of Mexico at the Tlatelolco, the Foreign Ministry headquarters. After the meeting with the Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General gave a magisterial lecture at the Foreign Ministry Auditorium (Press Release SG/SM/6652).
The Secretary-General and the Mexican Foreign Minister then gave a joint press conference where, among other things, they spoke about the situation in Iraq, Security Council and United Nations reform, as well as Chiapas.
Following the press conference, the Secretary-General attended a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Minister and met with a network of human rights organizations. He also met with non-governmental organizations dealing with issues of women, fiftieth anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the elderly and the disabled. The Secretary-General left Mexico City in the evening of 23 July.
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