New York, 6 August 2020. Today, Cuba endorsed its position at the virtual Open Debate of the Security Council on “Threats to International Peace and Security: Linkage between International Terrorism and Organized Crime”.
In the statement submitted to the UN body, the island ratified its firm commitment to prevent and fight against terrorism, as well as to combat various manifestations of transnational organized crime that may contribute to its financing. Thus, it pointed out that in Cuba these phenomena have been prevented from proliferating. However, it noted that although transnational organized crime can be a source of funding or logistical support to terrorism, the linkage between them is not automatic and it varies according to the scenario.
The Caribbean nation; which has reiterated in all platforms its strong condemnation of all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all its forms and manifestations, whatever their motivations; is a State party to 18 of the 19 international conventions on terrorism and its finalizing the legal internal requirements to ratify the last of them. As a result, legislative, institutional, administrative and other measures have been implemented in the country, aimed at the effective fight against this scourge, including a specific legislation on this matter.
The document expresses that the Cuban commitment to the fight against terrorism was elevated to constitutional status in the National Constitution, adopted by referendum on 24 February 2019, following a process of constitutional reform and broad popular consultation. The new Constitution of the Republic, in Chapter II dedicated to international relations (Article 16, paragraph I), reaffirms the longstanding position defended by Cuba and establishes the “rejection and condemnation to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in particular State terrorism” as one of the principles of its foreign policy.
Said commitment and the institutional capacity of Cuba to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism, have been recognized on several occasions by the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT), a regional structure of the Financial Action Task Force (GAFI).
In order to combat transnational organized crime, Cuba has implemented a total of 11 extradition treaties and 25 legal assistance agreements, 16 of which also include extradition.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations