During the Security Council open debate on poverty, underdevelopment, and conflict, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío reaffirmed Cuba's commitment to peace, social justice, and sustainable development.
He strongly condemned the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people and the recent attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran. He described these attacks as serious violations of international law and the United Nations Charter, with the complicity of the United States government.
De Cossío recalled our Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz’s call at the Millennium Summit in 2000 for urgent action to address the causes of underdevelopment. He warned that 25 years later, the world is still far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He noted that 47% of the goals are not progressing at the necessary pace, and 18% have receded.
In contrast, he denounced the fact that global military spending, which reached 2.7 trillion dollars in 2024, is growing, while extreme poverty and hunger are on the rise. He said that more than 670 million people live in extreme poverty and 295 million face acute food insecurity.
The Cuban diplomat urged implementing the Declaration on the Right to Development, redirecting resources toward the SDGs, and reforming the international financial architecture. He stressed that the structural causes of conflict, including centuries of colonialism, slavery, and plunder, must be urgently addressed.
The Deputy Minister concluded by reaffirming Cuba's commitment to state sovereignty, self-determination, and the establishment of a just, democratic, and equitable international order.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations