Mr. Kamal Kishore, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction;
Distinguished Representatives of intergovernmental organizations and the United Nations, Heads of delegations, and guests:
Despite its geographic location and status as a Small Island Developing State, and in spite of being subjected to a tight economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States Government for over six decades, Cuba has implemented a National Platform for disaster risk reduction management that is managed from the highest government level and implemented across various sectors of society with a forward-looking, corrective, and compensatory approach.
The results of the “Life Task” (Tarea Vida) as a State Plan to address Climate Change serve as a key tool for this Platform. It is a priority within Cuba’s environmental policy, grounded in a multidisciplinary scientific foundation, with strategic actions financed by the State and Government in 135 vulnerable coastal settlements affected by climate change.
Since 2017, the Cuban State has promoted a set of programs and actions for effective disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, serving as the basis for improving the Civil Defense System through the National Economic and Social Development Plan through 2030.
In 2021, Macro-programs were formulated to contribute to the National Platform, leading to updates in hazard, vulnerability, and risk study methodologies with exposure levels, the creation of operational procedures for Early Warning, the improvement of 138 risk reduction management centers, and more than 380 early warning points. This initiative has been shared with several sister Caribbean countries.
These actions represent current challenges in complex scenarios that must be overcome through regional initiatives starting with early warning and anticipatory actions, which help increase disaster resilience, facilitate rapid damage assessments using technology, and align investments with territorial development and environmental sustainability—forming the foundation to control future risk and guarantee a sustainable environment for new generations.
I would like to conclude my remarks with a quote from our national Apostle, José Martí: “In foreseeing lies the art of saving."