Mr. president:
The Cuban delegation congratulates you on your election as President of this session of the 64th IAEA General Conference, which we extend to the rest of the members of this table. We reaffirm our willingness to contribute to the success of this Conference.
Cuba would like to acknowledge the extraordinary support of the Agency in the fight against COVID-19, which allowed 125 nations to receive direct assistance, including my country, for which we deeply appreciate. The agency's contribution has made a notable contribution to increasing our national capacities for the application of control and confrontation measures against this pandemic.
We support the ZODIAC initiative, presented by the DG at the recent Board of Governors, as we see it as a continuity of support against COVID 19. ZODIAC will contribute to improving the preparedness and capacities of States in the detection and control of emerging zoonotic diseases and reemerging, through the use of nuclear methods and derivatives of molecular biology.
Cooperation between Cuba and the Agency dates back 40 years. We have achieved relevant results in important areas, despite the limitations imposed by the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States. In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic and, as a result of the blockade regulations, Cuba cannot access various digital platforms used to hold meetings and virtual events of the Agency, limiting its capacity and participation under equal conditions. to other Member States. This has particularly affected exchanges of experience and knowledge in the field of nuclear applications.
Despite this, Cuba has made significant progress through the implementation of the Technical Cooperation Program. The introduction in the country of radioguided surgery applications and their generalization, has had a positive impact on the treatment of cancer patients; as well as the pilot study of the sterile insect technique, which is part of the national strategy to combat the Aedes Aegyptis mosquito.
Currently the country participates in 6 national projects, 3 interregional and 28 regional. The effectiveness in planning and managing resources has allowed the budget execution rate granted by the Agency to technical cooperation in Cuba in 2019 to reach 98.1%, an impressive figure in terms of implementation.
We contribute with the Agency in the improvement and technical training of experts from Latin America and the Caribbean. Currently, we hold the Pro-tempore Presidency of the Regional Cooperation Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (ARCAL), a platform for the development of joint projects in the region.
As a State Party to the international conventions on security, Cuba ratifies its commitment to the security of its facilities and activities that use sources of ionizing radiation and complies with the global security regime.
The national reports presented for the 6th Review Meeting of the Parties to the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, as well as for the 8th Review Meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, reflect the scope of the legislative and regulatory framework on safety and the high level of safety achieved in the performance of the practices. In addition, Cuba upholds the highest standards of commitment with respect to the non-binding agreements that the international community has implemented in matters of Technological and Physical Security, such as the Code of Conduct on the Technological and Physical Security of radioactive sources, the supplementary Guides on the import and export of radioactive sources, and the Safe Management of disused sources.
We support the work of the Ibero-American Forum of Radiological and Nuclear Regulatory Bodies, whose projects, carried out in conjunction with the IAEA, have achieved a great impact in Latin America and the world, contributing to raising the levels of nuclear, radiological and physical safety. The Forum has demonstrated its ability to contribute new ideas in current times, as is the case of the new project on the resilience of nuclear facilities and relevant radioactive facilities in crisis situations.
We acknowledge the recent renewal of the FORO-IAEA Practical Provisions, a sign of mature and coordinated cooperation. We appeal for a better synergy between both institutions that allows the dissemination of the FORO's contributions in all regions of the world. We are assuming the pro tempore Presidency of the association until July 2021, which commits us more to this body.
Cuba reiterates its recognition of the right of every State to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, while ratifying its commitment to nuclear disarmament. The satisfactory results achieved by Cuba in the IAEA inspections have allowed it to receive double certification that there is no undeclared nuclear material and that all nuclear material declared by the country is for peaceful uses.
Cuba has supported the establishment of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones in different countries or regions of the world, as part of efforts to reinforce nuclear non-proliferation and achieve the objective of nuclear disarmament. Latin America and the Caribbean was the first densely populated area in the world to be declared a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, through the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco).
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my country's support for the work of the Agency and its Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, whose professionalism and dedication have allowed him to play a decisive role in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, through its technical cooperation program and with the use of nuclear techniques and those derived from nuclear energy. We are confident that, with the support of the international community, the Agency will be able to maintain this important role.
Thank you very much.