Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard calls on G20 to combat international arms and fentanyl trafficking

• Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard is representing Mexico at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting being held in India
• He warned about rising food prices due to the war in Ukraine

Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard today called on the G20, composed of the world’s largest economies, to stop the international trafficking of firearms due to the harm it causes to nations such as Mexico.

In his remarks at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which is currently underway in New Delhi, India, the Foreign Secretary warned that the war in Ukraine will cause an oversupply of arms, saying that they must not be trafficked.  

“Mexico has emphasized the need to combat the illegal trafficking and diversion, and unauthorized exportation and illicit trade in small arms and light weapons,” said Foreign Secretary Ebrard. As members of the G20, “we should propose that all of us make a bigger commitment to and are more effective at combating this issue, because with the availability of arms that we have now, and because more will be available due to the ongoing conflicts, […] we are going to have ever more arms, and the more weapons that are available, the greater the possibility of terrorism and violence,” he emphasized.

He continued by saying that the fight against the international supply chains of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, requires a framework for international cooperation to combat everything from their production to their trafficking and illicit profits. 

Concern for food and energy

Foreign Secretary Ebrard noted that the conflict in Ukraine is having an impact on food security, is causing an increase in energy prices and, in particular, is affecting the progress of our development goals. Therefore, he called on the G20 to find formulas to reverse the worsening food insecurity in which we find ourselves that has been aggravated by the effects of armed conflicts and other reasons.

“Mexico reiterates its readiness and commitment to participating in all initiatives aimed at eradicating hunger and improving the food situation in the world as a whole,” he said.