Mr. Chair,
We thank you for the proposed calendar of the Working Group for the 2026–2027 period.
Allow me to offer a few preliminary observations on the proposal:
Delegations, including the smallest ones, should be given sufficient time to review the documents produced by the Working Group and to consult with their capitals.
The deadlines for the submission of inputs should be specified in greater detail. For example, the period from December 2026 to April 2027 coincides, first, with the end-of-year holiday season, when many of our colleagues are away from Geneva, and second, with the sixty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, including its High-Level Segment, which requires considerable attention from our delegations.
We propose that the elements paper be circulated no later than May 2027, for presentation at the July 2027 session, thereby allowing capitals a reasonable period to review it.
The appointment of facilitators should be preceded by transparent consultations with the regional groups.
The five thematic clusters identified should be expanded. It is necessary to explicitly include cooperation and technical assistance, general principles, the scope of application, and the obligations of States.
The simultaneous work of several facilitators on the different thematic clusters places a considerable burden on small delegations, which must follow multiple parallel processes involving different interlocutors. Reducing the number of facilitators by grouping several thematic clusters under the same facilitator would help ease this burden and avoid unnecessary fragmentation of the process.
The Cuban delegation stands ready to contribute actively and constructively, including through specific drafting proposals, towards the adoption of a calendar that duly takes into account the legitimate concerns of all delegations.
Thank you.