Mr. President,
Twenty-five years after its adoption, the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action remains the cornerstone in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and all related forms of intolerance.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, structural racism and institutionalized racial discrimination persist, particularly in some developed countries.
Cuba reiterates its support for the work of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
We positively note that the draft resolution renews the mandate of this Working Group and reaffirms its role in the elaboration of a United Nations declaration on the human rights of people of African descent.
Such a declaration should establish the obligation of States responsible for and beneficiaries of colonization, slavery, and the transatlantic slave trade to provide moral and economic reparations to people of African descent as victims of these crimes against humanity.
Cuba will contribute in every possible way to the timely completion of a declaration that effectively improves the lives and rights of people and peoples of African descent.
For these reasons, Cuba supports the adoption by consensus of draft resolution L.6/Rev.1.
Thank you.