Paris, 18 June 2025. Cuba reaffirmed its commitment to cultural diversity and international cooperation during the opening of the Tenth Conference of Parties (COP10) to the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, taking place from 10 to 12 July at UNESCO Headquarters, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of this important instrument.
In its statement before the States Parties, the Permanent Delegation of Cuba to UNESCO highlighted the role of culture as a driver of human development and creative diversity, emphasizing the Island’s deeply humanistic and emancipatory vision, even in the face of the impact of the blockade.
“This 10th Conference of Parties, marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention, allows us not only to look back at the work achieved but also to reflect on the global challenges that lie ahead. In this regard, we commend the Secretariat for its report and the activities presented.
In 2007, Cuba ratified this Convention, embracing its vision of culture as a driver of human development and creative diversity. Our country, with more than 350 cultural centers across the island, libraries, museums, and a system of free artistic education — an island of opportunities for children, youth, the elderly and people with disabilities — shows that culture is a right, not a privilege.
We have continued to strengthen the cultural institutional framework with laws such as Law 155 of 2022, which protects cultural and natural heritage, including community participation, and Law 162 on Social Communication, ensuring media ethics, linguistic diversity and editorial independence. Our Cultural Development Programme 2020–2030 also integrates the pillars of sustainability, gender, youth and the fight against racism.
We recognize the enormous potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation and dissemination of culture. AI opens new frontiers, but it also poses ethical challenges and risks of homogenization. In Cuba, we want this new era to be inclusive, transparent and fair, ensuring that the voices of historically underrepresented communities are heard and valued.
I wish to highlight with great emotion the Transcultura programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNESCO and Cuba. We are deeply proud of Cuba’s role — through the Office of the Historian of the City of Havana and our Ministry of Culture — in the results of this programme, which you are invited to discover this week at the exhibition on display in the Hall of Lost Steps, where the Transcultura band, made up of Caribbean artists, will close the celebrations of this 20th anniversary of the Convention.
In today’s challenging global context, culture is a light that unites voices, territories and generations. We reject any political manipulation and defend creative freedom exercised responsibly. Despite the blockade, Cuba sustains its cultural life with dignity and sovereignty, with a deeply humanistic and emancipatory vision. As José Martí once said: ‘Culture is born from the heart and goes to the heart.’ May this Convention continue to illuminate the path towards a fairer and more plural world.”
The COP10 of the 2005 Convention brings together over 120 States Parties and representatives from civil society to review the achievements of these 20 years, strengthen international cooperation and discuss contemporary challenges to ensure the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, in a context marked by digital transformation, persistent inequalities and emerging global risks.