Mr. President,
Twenty-five years after the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the principles agreed in this document remain largely unfulfilled.
Structural racism persists in many parts of the world, especially in developed countries. The historical debt owed to the peoples who were victims of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery also continues to be ignored.
In this context, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related forms of intolerance.
In a few days, our country will present its report before the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This will be an opportunity to continue the constructive dialogue with that body and to take stock of the progress made in implementing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
In our country, institutional and structural racial discrimination has been eradicated. The Cuban Revolution declared racial discrimination a crime and has promoted policies of social, educational and labor inclusion that have made it possible to advance toward a more equitable society. However, we are not satisfied. We will continue to address the remaining manifestations of discrimination in order to guarantee full equality of rights and opportunities for all Cubans.
In Cuba, highly useful and effective instruments have been the National Program against Racism and Racial Discrimination, and the Social Observatory known as “Color Cubano”, in whose implementation civil society plays a leading role. These mechanisms make it possible to address racial discrimination from a comprehensive perspective, ranging from values education to the strengthening of the legal framework and community work.
Although much remains to be done, Cuba has many achievements to demonstrate in the practical implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
For the Cuban State, achieving full social justice and eliminating the remaining vestiges of racism in our society will continue to be a priority.
I Thank you.