• In his remarks at the 56th Special Session of the OAS General Assembly, Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente said that the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust, reciprocal collaboration, and unwavering respect for the sovereignty of peoples have become international references and a standard for harmonious coexistence
  • Secretary de la Fuente urged member countries to make the legal equality of States a reality, to respect the principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs, to promote dialogue, and seek consensus in the face of inevitable disputes
  • Suriname's Foreign Secretary, Albert Ramdin, was elected today as the new OAS Secretary General

Mexico today called on the member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) to work together to address the region’s major challenges under the four principles outlined by President Claudia Sheinbaum, which have gradually become international references and are rooted in international standards of harmonious coexistence. These are shared responsibility, mutual trust, reciprocal collaboration, and unwavering respect for the sovereignty of peoples.

In his remarks at the 56th Special Session of the OAS General Assembly in Washington, D.C., where Suriname's Foreign Secretary Albert Ramdin was elected as the new Secretary General, Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente expressed his confidence that this new leadership would strengthen the OAS's institutional framework, ensure its impartiality, and transform it into an authentic forum for hemispheric cooperation.

In his remarks, the Mexican Foreign Secretary urged the member states to make the legal equality of States a reality, to respect the principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs, promote dialogue, and seek consensus when facing inevitable disputes.

“Experience has shown us, time and again, that purported solutions based on force, imposed from outside, are neither acceptable nor functional, and only weaken relations between States and undermine multilateralism,” he said.

Secretary de la Fuente said that the OAS faces great challenges in a context of global geopolitical tensions and enormous regional challenges such as climate change, growing and unacceptable inequalities, interference by some countries, food insecurity, migration, water scarcity, transnational organized crime, and the violence triggered by drug trafficking that fuels illegal arms trafficking. Therefore, the election of new leadership represents an opportunity to strengthen the relevance and legitimacy of the OAS.

"The Organization must prioritize, above all, its commitment to the wellbeing of all people in the hemisphere, without exclusions. Humanism, as the essence of collective work, must be at the center of OAS actions. It is up to the member States to ensure that its actions are guided by this objective," he emphasized.

He reiterated that in this context and in every situation, the voice of the OAS must reflect the plurality and diversity of its member States. "Never unilateral positions. We must act with strict adherence to international law and the Organization's regulations, avoiding, at all costs, practices that erode its credibility and legitimacy," he added.

Secretary de la Fuente congratulated Ambassador Albert Ramdin and Suriname for the outcome of the election, and acknowledged Paraguay's candidacy. "We applaud that, for the first time in history, the OAS will have a Secretary General from the Caribbean. This unprecedented event reflects the commitment of all member States to inclusion, the equitable representation of all the hemisphere’s subregions, and the legal equality of States."

He highlighted that Mexico's decision to support this candidacy is due to several factors, among which are the importance our country gives to the Caribbean nations, a region with which we have built bonds of cooperation and friendship over decades that we wish to deepen.