New York, 16 February 2021. Cuba participated today in intergovernmental negotiations on the Security Council reform, where items Categories of Membership and the Question of the Veto were discussed.
Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, expressed Cuba´s support for an expansion of the Security Council, both in the permanent and non-permanent categories, with the aim of redressing the underrepresentation of developing countries on this main organ.
For Cuba, the membership of the Security Council should be expanded to no less than 26 members, including an increase of new permanent members: at least two African countries, two developing countries from Asia and two from Latin America and the Caribbean. Regarding the amount of seats to be created in the category of non-permanent members, Cuba favors an expansion of at least 15 members.
Rodríguez Abascal recalled that the Caribbean island has always opposed the existence of the veto power. However, she stated, as long as it is not eliminated, the new seats to be created in the category of permanent members must have the same privileges and rights as the current ones, including the veto power, without establishing selective or discriminatory criteria.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations