The Chargé d'Affaires, a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Yuri Ariel Gala López, spoke at the virtual working meeting of the Standing Committee of the Movement “For the Freedom of Nations,” an informal international socio-political forum of supporters of the struggle against modern practices of neocolonialism.
In this context, Ambassador Gala López reaffirmed Cuba's historic commitment to the eradication of colonialism in all its forms and manifestations.
He underscored the importance of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization in the implementation of UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV). He noted that each year the Committee debates the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, listens to statements from representatives of these territories, and holds annual regional seminars on decolonization, whose venues alternate between the Caribbean and the Pacific regions. Timor-Leste hosted the most recent edition of the Regional Seminar from May 21 to 23 of this year.
The Cuban diplomat recalled that, despite efforts to achieve a world free of colonialism, there are still 17 non-self-governing territories and others that, although not registered as such, suffer from colonialism, as is the case with the sister island of Puerto Rico.
Gala López pointed out that since 1983, Cuba has held one of the vice-chairmanships of the Committee and, in this context, has tirelessly advocated for the end of colonialism.
He reiterated Cuba's deep solidarity with the countries and peoples that still suffer from this scourge. In particular, he reaffirmed our unwavering solidarity with the independence of the Puerto Rican people, with whom we share a history of struggles against colonial domination. He specified that every year, Cuba presents a draft resolution to the Committee on Decolonization that defends the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence from the colonial domination imposed by the United States.
He noted that as we move through the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, Cuba will continue to show its firm commitment to the implementation of the current Plan of Action by carrying out numerous actions at the national, regional, and international levels.
He also highlighted the role of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, which also promotes actions to quickly and unconditionally eradicate colonialism in all its forms and manifestations. He recalled that in 2024, the aforementioned Group promoted Resolution 79/115, which reaffirms that the existence of colonialism is incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations.
Finally, the Cuban ambassador said that the adoption of General Assembly resolution 1514 was a momentous milestone and that the best way to commemorate its 65th anniversary in December will be to increase our collective efforts and reflect on how much more we can do for the just cause of decolonization.
He concluded by stating that colonialism has no place in the 21st century and that any action we take now and in the future to eliminate this scourge will contribute to preserving multilateralism and promoting the well-being of all. He urged us to redouble our efforts to achieve the common dream of living in a world free of colonialism.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations