New York, 20 March 2018.During her statement at the thematic meeting on the working methods of the General Assembly, held within the framework of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Revitalization of the Work of the General Assembly, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodriguez Abascal, reiterated the importance of respect and strict compliance by Member States with the rules of procedure of the General Assembly and its respective committees. She also called on Member States to hold substantive discussions to exchange and propose ideas relating to the review of the working methods both of the General Assembly and its six Main Committees.
The island's diplomat welcomed the meetings held between the Chairmen of the Committees, which she described as a useful feedback exercise on good practices, for which it is necessary to maintain transparency and accountability to Member States on the main issues addressed.
Rodríguez Abascal upheld the sovereign right of Member States to introduce new issues or resolutions as deemed relevant without strings attached and called for respect for the mandates and functions of the General Assembly and its Main Committees. Revitalizing or rationalizing work should not lead to a reinterpretation of such mandates, she said.
She also stressed that under the premise of avoiding duplication, what works properly and has produced results should not be artificially restructured. She further called for work to mainstream approaches of the 2030 Agenda, without altering and questioning the mandates of UN principal bodies.
She concluded by reiterating the importance of the process of revitalization of the General Assembly, as well as Cuba's support for the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group and its Co-Chairs.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.