Activities of the Secretary-General in Mexico, 14-15 April

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew from New York to Mexico City on Monday, 14 April, to attend the first High-Level Meeting of Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

Upon arrival in the early afternoon, he met with the UN country team in Mexico.  He then held a bilateral meeting with Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Antonio Meade Kuribreña.

On Tuesday, 15 April, the Secretary-General held a series of bilateral meetings: with Julie Bishop, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia; Miroslav Lajčák, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia; and Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.

The Secretary-General then delivered a statement at the opening session of the High-level Meeting of Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

In his remarks, he reiterated the need to ensure that the financing for development matches the ambition of the international community.  He added that the effectiveness of development aid is just as important as the levels of aid, and that much greater progress was needed to increase country ownership, accountability, predictability and flexibility in how aid is provided.  See Press Release SG/SM/15779.

Following the event, the Secretary-General met with President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico.  He was hosted by President Nieto to a luncheon at the Presidential Residence “Los Pinos” before he flew back to New York in the evening.