Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Martha Delgado is in Brussels, Belgium from November 13-15 to chair the first Mexico - European Union high-level meeting on multilateral affairs and to hold additional meetings on topics of mutual interest.
During her visit, she met with European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans to discuss the Mexico-European Union strategic partnership, as well as the opportunities for cooperation outlined in the European Green Deal that the new European Commission will promote as one of its highest priorities.
She also met with Eamon Gilmore, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, to discuss the preparations for the Mexico - European Union High-level Dialogue on Human Rights that will take place in the near future. This is one of the dialogues with the strongest institutional backing in the Mexico - European Union relationship and one of the most advanced of the European Union with a third country on human rights. It also fosters an active relationship with civil society.
She also met with Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General for Environment of the European Commission, to follow up on the 8th Mexico - European Union High-level Dialogue on the Environment held in April of this year, emphasizing the possibility of cooperating on issues related to habitats, deforestation, biodiversity, oceans and the circular economy.
Also during her visit, she met with Christian Leffler, Deputy Secretary-General for Economic and Global Issues at the European External Action Service. This meeting addressed a broad range of issues and sent a powerful signal about the shared commitment of Mexico and the EU to multilateralism and a rules-based order, which are especially important given the current international geopolitical situation.
The meeting was held to follow up on the agreements made between Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, during her visit to Mexico last September. It represents a further step in the institutionalization of the Mexico-EU high-level dialogue on multilateral issues.
During the meeting, the undersecretary highlighted the priority that Mexico gives to concerted international action to curb acts of violence committed on the basis of racial discrimination and hate speech. The undersecretary also explained Mexico's feminist foreign policy and the government's commitment to place gender equality and women's empowerment at the center of Mexican foreign policy.
They also talked about the Generation Equality Forum, which will be co-chaired by Mexico and France next year to commemorate Beijing + 25. The forum will look for specific steps to take to achieve gender equality before 2030. Mexico and the EU also applauded their joint work as part of the Spotlight initiative that seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
For its part, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to the Comprehensive Development Plan for Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Southeast Mexico and to safe, orderly and regular migration based on respect for migrants' human rights.
The visit was a great success in helping to strengthen the Mexico-European Union strategic partnership and contributed to the high-level bilateral meetings that will take place next year.
