New York, 13 June 2017. At the General Debate of the 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, underlined that the protection and attention to the specific needs of persons with disabilities are an essential component of social development and a moral imperative to be resolved by the international community.
Likewise, she highlighted that the ratification of the Convention reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to the rights protected by this instrument, which is consistent with the priority given by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution, to build an inclusive, supportive society based on social justice and the recognition of the full and equal enjoyment and exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The Cuban representative emphasized that the Caribbean nation has paid particular attention to the issue of disability in the context of the hardships resulting from the inhumane economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States government against our country for over 50 years, of its economic and financial constraints as a developing country and of the devastating impact of climate events.
She concluded by reaffirming Cuba’s willingness to maintain and promote the inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations