We are firmly convinced that the exercise of sovereignty cannot be used as an excuse to justify any violation of rights which, owing to their fundamental and transcendental nature, take precedence over it. Under no circumstances whatsoever can sovereignty ever be used to inhumane ends, therefore, neither can it be utilised by a State against the fundamental rights of its citizens or of any individual within the boundaries of that sovereignty. As regards constituting universal values, the status of human rights in any nation is a legitimate concern of consequence to the international community as a whole. The task of promoting their enforcement and respect is an undertaking incumbent to all governments and peoples, and one that cannot be contingent upon the will of a single government. We likewise discard the view that human rights reflect western values and, as such, should not be enforced in societies with different traditions and cultures.
Human rights are as much the result of history as they are universal.
Though conceived in the western world, they are nonetheless universal values because they recognise every individual as a full-fledged and rightful member of the human race. As a country of cultures both diverse and ancient, Mexico is no stranger to the complex coexistence of the different ways of life and thinking that exist in any plural society. It is true that at different times, nations have come to promote and defend the full force of these rights, given that this is a process born of history. Some countries place great emphasis on economic and social rights yet relegate others, such as political and civil rights, to a more distant order of importance. While it is indeed important to guarantee the former, this should never be used as an excuse to not ensure the latter.