Ambassador Iván Ogando Lora, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic,
Ms. Kira Kruglikova, Director of Administration at the United Nations Office at Geneva,
Distinguished members of the deaf community,
Distinguished participants,
It is an honor for Cuba to sponsor, together with our sister nation, the Dominican Republic, and the United Nations Office at Geneva, this important and necessary celebration of the International Day of Sign Languages.
This is a significant commemoration not only for deaf persons, but also for all of us who uphold the values of inclusion, non-discrimination, accessibility, and cultural diversity.
It is a special occasion for all those who advocate for a more just and inclusive world.
Many challenges remain to be overcome in order to ensure equality for all people, including deaf persons.
The right to sign language is fundamental to the full enjoyment by deaf persons of their human rights.
We must not rest until we achieve a world in which all deaf persons can communicate through sign language, anywhere in the world.
States can and must do more to promote and facilitate the learning of sign language and to foster the linguistic identity of the deaf community. This is not only a moral responsibility—it is also a legal obligation under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In the Human Rights Council and other fora, we must continue to highlight the difficulties faced by deaf persons. More and better technical assistance must be provided to States that require support in this area.
We call on all nations, international organizations, and civil society to protect and promote the diversity of sign languages, so that all deaf persons may participate actively in society and reach their full potential.
Distinguished participants,
Of the approximately 70 million deaf persons worldwide, more than 52,000 live in Cuba.
In our country, the National Association of the Deaf carries out tireless work to promote and defend the rights of persons with hearing disabilities.
Since February this year, Cuban Sign Language has been legally recognized in Cuba as an official language and as part of the cultural heritage of deaf persons.
This a new and important step forward in our efforts to ensure widespread and non-discriminatory access to information for deaf persons, to promote bilingual education and their full inclusion in society, as well as the values of deaf cultural identity at the societal level.
We will continue working to expand the training and participation of interpreters in all settings, and to include sign language as a subject within the education system, among other areas.
I conclude by encouraging everyone to take an interest in the knowledge of sign language, and to contribute, to the fullest extent possible, to the defense and protection of the rights of the deaf community.
As the theme of today’s International Day so rightly affirms:
“No Human Rights without sign languages rights.”
Thank you.