According to the Foreign Relations Secretariat (SRE,) the participation of the Mexican Armed Forces in the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations will be implemented gradually and it will be under the authorization of the UN Security Council.

The country’s intervention in these missions will be subject to express orders and clear mandates by the UN Security Council, the only body equipped to make decisions for the management of international peace and security, said the SRE.

In a press release, the SRE referred to President Enrique Peña Nieto’s recent announcement to resume Mexico’s participation in the UN Peacekeeping Operations during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. The announcement was well-received by those in attendance.

It was also well-received by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who agreed that Mexico’s aid in conflict resolution and humanitarian assistance will contribute to the work that the UN Peacekeeping Operations does in favor of international peace and security.

Peña Nieto also backed Mexico’s commitment to the objectives dictated in the UN Charter, as well as those in the Peacekeeping Operations charter, saying it is a multilateral instrument that counts on the international community to help different countries overcome conflicts and create conditions for lasting peace.

Currently, 16 peace missions are being carried out across four different continents.

According to the SRE, the Mexican government is working to develop a roadmap to participate in the peacekeeping missions based on foreign policy priorities.

In the past, Mexico has participated in the UN Peacekeeping Operations on three occasions. First, in the UN mission in the Balkans from 1947 to 1950; second, in the conflict between India and Pakistan in Kashmir in 1949: and third, during the peace mission in El Salvador from 1992 to 1993.