New York, December 17, 2025. — The Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, spoke today in the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the overall review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20).
In its speech, he emphasized that two decades after the WSIS, the fundamental role of information and communication technologies in development has been confirmed. However, he warned that the positive impact of these technologies remains considerably lower in developing countries, reflecting persistent structural inequalities in the international economic order.
Ambassador Soberón denounced these gaps as not accidental, but rather the result of an unjust international system and the implementation of unilateral coercive measures that are contrary to international law and the Charter of the United Nations. He pointed out that the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba for over six decades is the main obstacle to the country's technological, economic, and social development because it limits access to technologies, financing, and the global knowledge economy.
Cuba emphasized the urgency of removing structural barriers that prevent emerging digital technologies from contributing to the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The country affirmed that developing countries' efforts must be backed by concrete actions, such as access to markets, fair and preferential financing, unconditional technology transfers, and genuine North-South cooperation.
He also highlighted the opportunity presented by aligning the WSIS with the 2030 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, and the Global Digital Compact in order to strengthen international cooperation. He emphasized the need for an inclusive monitoring and evaluation framework that reinforces intergovernmental spaces and ensures the active participation of Southern countries in global digital governance.
To conclude, the Permanent Representative of Cuba reiterated that the vision of a people-centered, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society, envisaged 20 years ago, remains an aspiration for millions of people. He called for this vision to become a reality and a right for all peoples.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations