| MONTERREY,
Mexico -- Mexican President Vicente Fox said
a new spirit of world understanding had been generated
in Monterrey this week at the International Conference
on Financing for Development. Fox, who presided
over the conference, summed up the week and today's
retreat of 51 heads of state for reporters. "This
conference generated a new spirit that gave a
clear understanding that each country can blaze
its own
development path," he said.
UN
officials told The Earth Times that the new pledges
from Europe and Washington of more help for the world's
poor after years of decline in development funding
had created a new mood of hope and saved Monterrey
from an embarrassing stalemate.
"Here we have learned that globalization
is not a panacea and that it involves contradictions
and that it is only a mode or form of development," Fox
said. "In globalization lies the potential,
in a sense, to lead to a better world. However,
with globalization we must remember that there
is equality within diversity and we have to respect
each other's differences and avoid the blurring
of identities. My colleagues and I have agreed
that the least developed countries should improve
their institutions and corporate practices-they
should advance with honesty, transparency, and
know that a democracy is a fundamental ingredient
for development." Fox said that leaders
agreed on the need for periodic assessments and
on more clearly defined goals that would make
monitoring and follow-up more effective. The "encouraging" new
process started by the UN had begun with the
Doha trade round which he said had achieved "crystal
clear" commitments.
"But the right global conditions are necessary
because even the best of efforts will fail without
an opening of markets and access to the appropriate
technology," Fox said.
He later received Bush for bilateral talks,
at which they agreed to tighten security along
their joint border. Bush also announced an estimated
$30 million in new aid for regions of Mexico
that have been the origin of illegal emigration
to the US.
"Every day more than $560 million in commerce
between the US and Mexico creates wealth and
opportunities on both sides of the border," said
Bush. "We plan on extending this to all
of our citizens, creating more jobs and more
opportunities more efficiently and with more
security. This border declaration that we have
just signed underlines this goal. It must be
closed to drugs and terrorists, but open to trade."
Officials said they would be unlikely to reach
a breakthrough on contentious issues such as
Mexico's push to legitimize the status of Mexican
workers in the United States. Instead, the two
countries will boost border security while adopting
technologies to help speed the flow of legitimate
trade and immigration.
Bush
has asked Congress for $11 billion for border
security
in his 2003 budget. It includes
$380 million for the Immigration and Naturalization
Service to build a modern "entry-exit" system.
The long-term goal is to give Mexicans from
poorer regions an incentive to seek jobs at home,
easing the bilateral strain caused by illegal
immigration. Mexican workers in the US sent more
than $9 billion in remittances to Mexico last
year. To address such issues, Bush and Fox announced
an expansion of the North American Development
Bank.
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