Mexico carries out locally focused international development cooperation: Alicia Bárcena

Mexico carries out locally focused international development cooperation: Alicia Bárcena

• At the 21st session of the Amexcid Advisory Council, Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena says that international cooperation is a key part of Mexico's foreign policy.
• In 2023, Mexico provided $208 million in international cooperation, up from $166 million in 2018.

Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena and Gloria Sandoval, Executive Director of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid), chaired the 21st session of the Amexcid Advisory Council at the Foreign Ministry yesterday. The meeting aimed to analyze the current state and future prospects of Mexico's international development cooperation.

As chair of the Advisory Council, Secretary Bárcena said, "Amexcid has truly been fundamental for development and cooperation…The international cooperation carried out by the Agency isn't just the work of the Foreign Ministry, but of Mexico as a whole. We've achieved significant progress in Central America with projects like Sembrando Vida (Sowing Life) and Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro (Youths Building the Future). We've taken the experience of the Ministry of Wellbeing to countries like El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala."

"Mexico has become a cooperating partner, and cooperation has become a key part of Mexican foreign policy," she remarked. "In 2023, Mexico provided cooperation totaling $208 million. This growth is significant, with funding rising from $166 million in 2018 to $208 million last year."

Secretary Bárcena also emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of migration, as instructed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, saying that it is "one of the serious problems facing all of humanity, not just Mexico."

The Foreign Secretary discussed the principles on which Mexico bases its international cooperation, including self-determination of peoples, non-intervention, peaceful resolution of disputes, prohibition of the threat or use of force in international relations, and international peace and security.

Amexcid Executive Director Sandoval said, "The Agency has taken a leading role in spearheading projects abroad that provide direct, on-the-ground support without intermediaries, focusing on people's most pressing needs."

"The results of the Sembrando Vida and Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro programs, primarily targeting northern Central American countries, have successfully boosted local sustainable development. These efforts contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and they address the root causes of forced human mobility," she noted.

Undersecretary Sandoval presented Amexcid's catalog of international development cooperation projects, an information tool that showcases the international cooperation projects and programs executed or coordinated by the Agency during the current administration.

The meeting was attended by representatives from various government ministries and agencies, including Defense; Navy; Interior; Finance; Health; Labor; Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development; Wellbeing; Energy; Environment and Natural Resources; Infrastructure; Communications and Transport; Economy; Public Education; Public Administration; Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies; Tourism; Agriculture and Rural Development; Culture; and the National Institute for the Development of Indigenous Peoples.

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amexcid reaffirms its commitment to strengthening international cooperation to address global challenges and benefit societies.