New York, 11 May 2017. As part of the Second resumed session of the Fifth Committee, under item “Improving the financial situation of the United Nations”, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal considered today that the scope and complexity of the United Nations programs and operations, call for the political commitment of Member States and their willingness to finance the functions and activities of the Organization.
The Ambassador expressed concern about the fact that the largest debts in the United Nations budget as a whole continue to be concentrated around the same Member State, the largest beneficiary of United Nations procurement activities;in addition to the benefits of being the country where the Organization has its headquarters.
After referring to the negative effects and financial instability that the accumulation of arrears generates on the Organization's ability to fulfill its mandates, she reaffirmed thecall for the Secretariat to make every effort to minimize the impact of financial pressures and ensure consistent and efficient management of the financial resources made available to it.
Once again, she reiterated the denunciation of the Caribbean island on the persistence of unilateral coercive measures, contrary to International Law and which hamper the fulfillment of Cuba’s and several other developing countries’ payment commitments. “These unilateral coercive measures further violate the UN agreements with the host country”, she added.
The Cuban representative underscored that the nation’s payments to the Organization's budgets remain a challenge for Cuba due to the implementation of the regulations of the blockade the United States has unilaterally imposed on Cuba for more than 50 years. Likewise, she stressed that the blockade is the most unjust, severe, prolonged and comprehensive unilateral system of sanctions ever applied against a country and which also hampers and obstructs the materialization of Cuba's financial commitments to the international bodies, despite the full determination to honor them.
She declared that Cuba hopes that the new US administration will be receptive to the almost unanimous claims of the international community for the end of this criminal policy, and reiterated Cuba’s willingness to engage in dialogue and cooperation on a basis of absolute respect for its sovereignty.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations