Excellencies, distinguished delegates,
Mr. President,
President, we are pleased to see you presiding over our working sessions, we wish you every success in your work and you can count on the full support of our delegation.
We attend this Ministerial Meeting with high expectations and with the interest of strengthening international cooperation in order to effectively address and counteract the terrible World Drug Problem, which, far from being attenuated, is deepening and intensifying.
The scourge of drugs extends to all geographical regions, generating and reproducing cycles of poverty, violence, various criminal behaviors, social exclusion and delicate health situations.
It will be extremely difficult to solve the problems of mass production and trafficking of drugs from the South without eliminating the majority demand in the North. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to recognize and apply the principle of common and shared responsibility.
This scourge will not be solved in all its facets, neither if the World Drug Problem continues to be politicized, nor if countries continue to be militarized, peasants razed to the ground, national sovereignties disrespected, and the specific characteristics of each region ignored.
Nonetheless, the situation would not be solved through legalization, or by assuming drugs as harmless substances. To understand this as a solution implies accepting that States cannot or will not fulfill their obligations to address and combat crime and protect the health of their citizens.
That is why, Cuba does not favor this approach, which opens up spaces of greater danger for the stability of our nations and may have an impact on other equally complex transnational crimes.
It is unfair to generalize and affirm that the rigorous confrontation with the World Drug Problem is responsible for the current magnitude of this scourge. A further analysis is needed, including the way in which anti-drug policies have been interpreted and applied in some countries and regions.
It is also necessary to go to the root causes and not to forget, in this context, the incidence of an unjust, selfish and inequitable international order, and of a universally imposed political, economic and social model, where the corrupting power of those who seek profit at all costs prevails. These factors constitute the basic breeding ground for the World Drug Problem and other related scourges.
Mr. President,
There are experiences which demonstrate that an effective approach to drugs is possible when comprehensive, preventive and educational policies, led by the State, are developed and implemented. Besides, when there is social inclusion, popular community participation, accessible, universal health treatment and rehabilitation, without discrimination of any kind, complemented by a firm confrontation with crime and broad international cooperation.
Based on these precepts and with great effort, our country has ensured that the production, trafficking or consumption of illicit substances are not a significant social problem, and has prevented its territory from constituting a platform of criminals for drug trafficking and related crimes.
The Cuban Revolution, lacking of abundant resources and under a tight economic, commercial and financial blockade, has succeeded in confronting drugs because of the firm political will of its government and the support of the people.
Mr. President,
This is the moment to reaffirm the political commitment of States and other actors to the International Legal Framework for Drug Control, and the three concerned United Nations Conventions constitute the cornerstone for tackling this scourge.
We reiterate our profound conviction that the 2009 Political Declaration, the 2014 Ministerial Declaration and the final document resulting from UNGASS 2016, which reflected a dignified global consensus, should have the same hierarchy.
We also reaffirm our commitment to the drug declarations of the leaders of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC, by its Spanish initials).
I also conclude by reiterating Cuba´s commitment and the legitimate aspiration to achieve societies free from the use of illicit drugs, a vital element in achieving sustainable development and the well-being of our peoples.
I thank you very much.
(Embacuba Austria)