United Nations, September 24 (RHC)-- Mexico's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alicia Bárcena, stated this Saturday that the great challenge in the 2030 agenda is inequality and it is not enough to reduce poverty, but a change in the development paradigm that redistributes power and wealth is required.

Foreign Minister Bárcena participated this day, on behalf of Mexico and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly.  Mexico's top diplomat made several proposals to consolidate a multilateralism close to the people, among them the urgent fight against inequality.

She warned that hundreds of millions of people live in poverty, in food insecurity for children and in an environment in crisis, and warned that the future of people and the planet does not depend on chance, but on the political decisions and actions taken by governments, guided by the 2030 agenda.

"It is not enough to reduce poverty; a change in the development paradigm is required to redistribute power and wealth, and to close the unacceptable gaps and asymmetries between rich and poor and between countries," Bárcena stressed to world leaders.

"There is no doubt that our international action loses legitimacy when it is not for the benefit of people," she said, adding that inequality in the world "is a great challenge".   She called for strengthening multilateralism, which "cannot lose its way in polarization and geopolitical rivalries."

 "We are committed to a multilateralism that is close to the people, timely and effective, committed to the provision of global public goods, we are committed to the collective, to everyone."