The United Nations Cuban Association (ACNU) and its 105 associated civil society organizations support the negotiations within the framework of the United Nations Organization (UNO) of a legally binding international instrument prohibiting nuclear weapons leading towards their total elimination.
Reaching a binding agreement on this matter would demonstrate the political will of States in building a world of peace, consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
The atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States in August 1945 showed the destructive and devastating power of nuclear weapons as well as their terrible consequences for the environment and human health in subsequent years. However, there are still more than 15,000 nuclear weapons, despite the humanitarian, economic, environmental and legal reasons against the use of nuclear energy for military purposes.
The persistence of nuclear weapons, the development of new technologies and the increase of their destructive capacity are one of the major threats to international peace and security and to the welfare of future generations.
We recall that the first United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1946 was seeking that the atomic energy be used only for peaceful purposes. After 71 years of that event, achieving nuclear disarmament remains an urgent need in order to ridding future generations of the threat of the use of these weapons.
Cuban civil society organizations support the right of States to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes and to promote the sustainable development of peoples.
The substantial economic resources used in the manufacturing, modernization, conservation and security of nuclear arsenals would help to solve the problems currently faced by humanity, to promote international cooperation and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
All nuclear arsenals must be destroyed in an irreversible and transparent manner, in compliance with all established safety standards, ensuring the preservation of the environment and human health.
We urge all States to listen to the voice of their peoples, calling for a total ban and elimination of nuclear weapons, through a legally binding instrument and constructively engaging in these negotiations.
Cuban civil society organizations hope that these negotiations will be concluded successfully, with the prompt adoption of a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, with a view to their total elimination.
Havana, 14 June 2017.