Mexico’s Practices Vis-à-vis International Law: Considerations on the Drawing Up of a Repertoire

If we consider the contributions Mexico has made to the international community in areas such as peace and international security, disarmament, human rights, development and the environment, with international law as the guiding instrument of its foreign policy, it is only logical to ask ourselves why our country has not kept an ongoing, systematic record of the legal practices on which it has based itself since it became an independent nation. In his essay, Ulises Canchola puts forward a working hypothesis that seeks to establish with greater precision where Mexico stands in the arena of international law and what the position of international law is in our country. According to the author, we need a verifiable repertoire or inventory of legal practices to ensure that the stances we take on specific foreign policy issues are consistent and that the declarations we make are made with conviction, especially in today’s increasingly dynamic and interdependent international context. Furthermore, the systematization of our legal practices would enable society and its representatives to play a more active role, which in turn would promote the development of democracy under our political system. This essay analyzes Mexico’s perception of international law and raises questions as to its utility and effectiveness as one of the principal tools of our foreign policy.