New York, 3 April 2017. At the opening session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, reiterated today the call made upon Nuclear States and others protected by the so-called "nuclear umbrella", to show political will and commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons.
The Ambassador expressed Cuba’s dissatisfaction with the failure to celebratethe International Conference on the establishment of the nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Thus, she pointed out that the establishment of this Zone in particular would be an important contribution to the fulfillment of the nuclear disarmament goal and a paramount step forward for the peace process in that region and urged, once again, that it is materialized without further delay.
While reiterating the call to take advantage of all the possible scenarios to advance towards the prohibition and total elimination of such weapons, she reminded the call made by the General Assembly, supported by the majority of the Member States, to celebrate a High-Level International Conference, in 2018 the latest, to identify means and methods to eliminate nuclear weapons in the shortest term possible.
The diplomat emphasized that the adoption of a prohibition treaty is just an intermediate step and that these negotiations shall lead to the adoption of a broad Convention establishing the elimination of nuclear weapons in a given term and under strict international verification. In this regard, she pointed out, “This would be the only way to ensure full, effective, irreversible, transparent and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament”. She also highlighted that Cuba recognizes the contribution to confidence-building measures in disarmament and arms control, at the time it reiterates that these do not constitute an alternative to disarmament.
The Cuban representative called upon respect for the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and demanded the return of the territory illegally occupied by Guantánamo Naval Base, against the will of the Cuban people. At the end, she reiterated Cuba´s willingness to work actively with a view to concluding this cycle of the Disarmament Commission with concrete recommendations on both agenda items.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations