Mr. President,
We thank the panellists for their presentations.
Humanity is at a historic crossroads, where a culture of peace is more necessary than ever. Our future is at stake.
The foundations of the multilateral system and its institutions are being undermined. The Charter of the United Nations and international law are being openly challenged.
The United States proclaims an exceptional and supreme right to conquest and the use of force as a legitimate way of acting. Beyond ideologies, all States are at risk.
That country declares collective punishment against the Cuban people and seeks to create a humanitarian catastrophe by tightening the economic blockade and imposing an energy siege on our island in the Caribbean.
Can a culture of peace be invoked when a great power is allowed to destroy a small nation and subject a noble and solidary people to genocide, under the crude pretext of national security?
The historic Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace was signed in Havana in 2014 by all countries of our region, as a commitment never to accept war and instead always defend dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect.
That regional position is now being disregarded with the return of the Monroe Doctrine, openly advocated by the Government of the United States.
Faced with the challenges and threats before us, let us defend the right to peace. Cuba’s voice will always stand in support of a culture of peace.
Thank you very much.