Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has met with Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena, Senate President Ana Lilia Rivera and other key personalities during an official visit to Mexico, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the country’s observer status with the Council of Europe.
Taking stock of the Joint Declaration on “the Council of Europe-Mexico Strategic Partnership”, discussions highlighted the increasing co-operation on gender equality, artificial intelligence (AI), data protection, children’s rights, drug policies and Intercultural Cities Programme. Priorities such as the follow-up to the Reykjavik Summit (in particular through the reinforcement of the Council of Europe’s external dimension) and Mexico’s interest to join the Register of Damage for Ukraine were also underlined.
An exchange of views with Government agencies and civil society representatives was on the agenda. Mexico’s possible accession to some Council of Europe treaties, such as the Lanzarote and Istanbul conventions was discussed. These also include the Sport conventions given their relevance in the context of Mexico’s co-organisation of the FIFA Men’s Football World Cup in 2026. The excellent co-operation in the context of the Pompidou Group was also underscored, as was the opening for signature of the AI Convention on 5 September 2024 in Vilnius.
Marija Pejčinović Burić also addressed the closing ceremony of the 3rd Ministerial Conference of Feminist Foreign Policies, where she stated: “Our Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence aims to prevent violence, protect its victims, and help prosecute the perpetrators. In force for ten years now, the Istanbul Treaty recognises that violence scars, intimidates, and inhibits its victims, undermining their freedom, security and potential. Until this is stopped, and it must be stopped, true gender equality cannot be achieved”.
