New York, August 19, 2026.— The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations commemorates the Centenary of the birth of the Historical Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, and pays tribute to his legacy and humanist thinking, which has inspired generations of leaders and citizens around the world.
The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations recalls that his leadership and political vision were characterized by the pursuit of social justice and equality, as well as by the defense of a new international economic order that is more just and equitable.
The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations notes that Fidel Castro was an indefatigable advocate for peace and multilateralism, as well as a staunch defender of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. His strategic thinking, revolutionary action, unwavering support for the right of peoples to self-determination and sovereignty, made him a paradigm of the just causes of the world.
The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations highlights that, throughout his life, Fidel Castro Ruz demonstrated the immeasurable value of solidarity and international cooperation for the common good. Cuban medical cooperation, a direct expression of his vocation and legacy, has been a beacon of hope for millions of people around the world, as evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic and, for decades, in response to emergencies and natural disasters, particularly in countries of the Global South.
The Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms, in the year of the centenary of the birth of the Historical Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, its firm and unwavering commitment to continue working for a fairer and more supportive world—one where peaceful coexistence, the peaceful resolution of international disputes, respect for the sovereign equality of States regardless of their economic, political, or social system, non-interference in the internal affairs of States, cooperation and solidarity prevail, and where human dignity is upheld; a world, as Fidel Castro Ruz expressed it, where 'we want peace, justice, and dignity… in which everyone, without exception, has the right to well-being and life.'
In the year marking the Centenary of the birth of the Historical Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations reaffirms its determination to uphold the values, purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly in the face of the enormous challenges generated by the current unjust and exclusionary international order.