Mr. President,
First of all, allow me to congratulate you on your election and thank you for your leadership at the head of the Commission, during which term you can count on Cuba's support.
Thirty years later, the mandates and commitments made in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action remain relevant and fully in force. However, their implementation has not progressed as expected.
The current unjust and unsustainable international economic order, far from contributing to the implementation of the Copenhagen commitments, multiplies hunger, poverty, inequality and exclusion, and perpetuates the gap between developed and developing countries.
Achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals is seen as an almost impossible task.
Humanity is now three decades behind in reducing extreme poverty, with famine levels not seen since 2005, to which we must add the problems of the post-pandemic world and the genocide being committed in Gaza, without an effective response from the international community.
The international reality is becoming more complex, while the apology for war is being promoted in the name of peace, attacks on international organizations are increasing and multilateralism is being ruthlessly undermined. The imperialist counter-offensive led by the new US administration poses a real threat to international peace and security.
At the same time, the obsolete and arbitrary practice of imposing unilateral coercive measures as a means of political and economic coercion against countries of the South continues, severely hampering their efforts to achieve sustainable development. These measures must cease immediately.
Mr. President:
The new government of the United States, displaying boundless arrogance and revealing its profound disregard for the standards and principles of international law, has once again declared its interest in economically strangling Cuba, harming our people and pretending that we should renounce the social conquests of our Revolution.
Its recent decisions to strengthen the criminal blockade against Cuba, including the unfounded reinstatement of our country on the false list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism, constitute a new hostile act that exposes the corrupt nature with which this government operates in general and specifically in its policy of maximum pressure against Cuba.
Sixty-seven years of resistance and creativity of the courageous Cuban people in the face of imperialist aggression should be a more than sufficient demonstration to the United States that it is not in our rebellious nature to be intimidated, much less to give up.
We will continue to promote universal access to quality education, universal health care, equal opportunities, social protection, the transfer of resources, technologies and knowledge, and the strengthening of international cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, as essential ways to achieve poverty eradication, full employment and social inclusion.
We will continue to resist, create and overcome despite adversities. We will continue to move forward in the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda and in the implementation of inclusive policies for the benefit of all Cubans.
Mr. President,
In the face of the challenges imposed by an adverse international context, particularly for developing nations, the Commission for Social Development must continue to play its irreplaceable role in promoting the commitments made at the Copenhagen Summit.
The Second World Summit for Social Development, to be held in Qatar, is a valuable opportunity to renew our collective commitment to the Copenhagen postulates.
We hope that the Political Declaration will contribute to strengthening the 3 pillars of social development, to fostering the reform of the international financial architecture, and to promoting solidarity and cooperation in its different modalities in order to move towards fair and equitable social development.
I reiterate Cuba's unwavering commitment to participate in this process in a transparent, constructive and proactive manner, as we did 30 years ago.
Thank you