New York, 10 January 2017. Cuba considered today that stable and durable peace that allows the prevention of conflicts presupposes, above all, the recognition of and the unrestricted respect for the sovereign equality of States, the peaceful settlement of international disputes, the respect for political independence and for the political, economic, social and cultural system that the nations have freely decided for themselves and the rejection of the threat or use of force against another State.
“Although it is true that sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace and stability, it is equally true that there will be no peace and stability without development.”, stated the Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal at the Security Council Open Debate on conflict prevention and sustaining peace. After reiterating that no peace may be achieved as long as millions of people remain condemned to hunger, poverty, discrimination, exclusion and despair, she affirmed that conflict prevention and peace preservation require solidarity, cooperation and international assistance, as well as joint action to eradicate these scourges and their underlying causes.
Within this framework, the Cuban Ambassador recognized the significant role of the Security Council in maintaining peace and security, enshrined to it in the UN Charter, “and therefore the members of this body must also be the first to promote peaceful solutions and exercise strong, effective and clear resistance against the resource to war and against the violation of the principles and purposes entrusted in the Charter”, she considered.
The Cuban diplomat noted that greater strength of the United Nations Organization in preventing and resolving disputes is more effective than dealing with the costly economic and social consequences and the incalculable human suffering of wars and armed conflicts. Hence, she confirmed that any effort to transform the United Nations into a more effective instrument for preventing conflict and maintaining peace must take into account the need for a balanced, coherent and comprehensive approach, under its Charter and International Law.
As part of her statement, she considered that conflict prevention, the achievement of sustained peace and the maintenance of international security are undoubtedly nowadays, one of the greatest challenges for the international community. At the ame time, she reiterated the commitment with peace of the countries in our region and the current validity of the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. (Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations)