The Honduran president addressed the immigration crisis at the United Nations General Assembly's General Debate on Wednesday. After U.S. President Barack Obama and Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto did not mention immigration, Honduras' Juan Orlando Hernandez Alvarado spoke of the high crime rates and migration of children from his country.

"We have made progress [in Honduras], but we also recognize that a lot remains to be done. We have a major problem. There's been an increase of Hondurans leaving for the outside world. There's even been an unusual migration of children -- young, vulnerable children -- towards the north of the Americas," Hernandez said.

The Honduran president recognized that many of the Honduran children moving towards Mexico and the U.S. are not accompanied by an adult, which has caused violence at the hands of drug traffickers, poverty and lack of opportunities.
"Special attention must be dedicated to this especially in countries which are responsible for this problem either because they produce the drugs or because of the market consuming the drugs. We believe this is a shared responsibility," Hernandez said.

According to Hernandez, other entities have shown "scant interest" in helping ease or solve any of the aforementioned problems. Hernandez was not specific if the entities he's referring to are neighboring countries or elements within Honduras.

"We Hondurans must stress this issue in any forum open to us because we must speak clearly and forcefully about this issue," Hernandez said, noting Honduran territories have become "battlefields" of a war that's "not our own." The battles he referred to are the drug cartels, which involves "drug consuming countries in the north" and "drug producing countries in the south."

The Honduran president has referred to the troubles in the country, notably the drug problems, as a "monster" and as an "multinational criminal octopus" that does not have nationalities or borders and is dedicated to the trafficking and sales of drugs. The "monster" has put lives of women and the youth at risk.

"Let us ask: Who are those truly responsible in this chain of death, pain, loss? It is not us. It is not we Hondurans. I can assure you of that," Hernandez said.

During the afternoon U.N. General Assembly speech, Hernandez iterated that Honduras "practically" does not produce or consume drugs but has become a "transit territory" for the cartels.

"I reiterate, we are not responsible for that war," Hernandez said. "I think the time has come for us to do what we have to do, with respect to human rights, to follow what experts and our common sense tells us."

Hernandez said the problem has to be attacked at its roots, and it must have the cooperation of the entire region by establishing a multinational force. He acknowledged minors migrating north to the U.S. have become victims of violence, transnational crime, rape and human and organ trafficking. Hernandez said many minors migrating north have disappeared or died in the desert.

"This children deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They are innocent victims. We are talking about innocent children just like your own children, your grandchildren, my own children. They are vulnerable human beings," Hernandez said.

Hernandez stated he met with leaders of neighboring El Salvador and Guatemala and announced to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon the Alliance for Prosperity Plan, which offers support, opportunity and solidarity to the countries affected by drug cartels and the migration of children as this cause is "everyone's responsibility." According to Hernandez, work opportunities and improving security for parents and the youth will help Central America.

"We are not holding out for economic assistance. We are not here to beg. No. What we're asking for is a fair trade treatment that's already provided to other countries in the world. We want to work in order to generate these opportunities," Hernandez said.

Hernandez's speech differed from Peña Nieto, as the latter mostly focused on how the U.N. should transform in the 21st century. Obama's speech focused on the threat of the Islamic State militant group, the Ebola virus, Russian-Ukraine relations and progress in Iran's nuclear program.

UNGA - Honduras United Nations Speech in Spanish 2014: