STATEMENT DELIVERED IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON POVERTY, UNDERDEVELOPMENT AND CONFLICT.

Mr. President:

We welcome this meeting promoted by Guyana under the leadership of its President.

Above all, Cuba condemns, in the strongest terms, the genocide perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian people, as well as the recent unjustified attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

These crimes are supported and enabled by the United States government.

They both flagrantly violate the United Nations Charter and international law and constitute a new and dangerous escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.

At the Millennium Summit in 2000, Fidel Castro Ruz, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, stated: “Anyone understands that the United Nations basic role in the pressing new century is to save the world not only from war but also from underdevelopment, hunger, diseases, poverty and the destruction of the natural resources indispensable to human life. And it should do so promptly before it is too late!” End of quote.

A quarter of a century later, and with the 80th anniversary of the Organization approaching, we are still far from saving the planet.

A recent report by the Secretary-General[1] indicates that 47% of the Sustainable Development Goals are not progressing at a sufficient pace and 18% are regressing. This means there is a risk that more than two thirds of the 2030 Agenda Goals will not be met, just five years after the 2015 agreement.

More than ever, International peace and security are threatened by growing conflicts, acts of aggression, unconventional wars, blockades, attempts at regime change, and frequent violations of the UN Charter and international law.

A substantial amount of resources is squandered on the arms race, with an alarming increase of the global military spending, for the tenth consecutive year, reaching 2.718 trillion dollars[2] in 2024, 9.4% more than in 2023, an increase that is encouraged by the United States' warmongering approach and trajectory.

Meanwhile, global poverty has not been reduced and levels of hunger on the planet have increased dramatically. Conservative estimates suggest that 670 million people were living in extreme poverty in 2024, with more than 295 million people in 53 countries and territories experiencing acute hunger. Furthermore, the number of individuals facing catastrophic hunger reached an all-time high.

The Declaration on the Right to Development must be implemented urgently. The substantial resources currently allocated to military spending must be redirected towards reducing hunger and poverty, in order to alleviate the annual investment deficit of $4 trillion required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries.[3]

Underdevelopment and poverty resulting from the unequal distribution of wealth remain among the root causes of most conflicts.

Lasting peace requires the eradication of the root causes of conflict, particularly the economic and social problems resulting from centuries of colonization, slavery, plunder, and wars fought over the division of the world. It is urgent that we change the irrational and unsustainable production and consumption model of present-day capitalism. Developed countries must fulfil their historical responsibilities to developing countries and honor their commitments in terms of official development aid.

In a world dominated by the “philosophy of dispossession”, it seems almost impossible to eradicate poverty and advance towards development.

The construction of a new, just, democratic and equitable international order, as well as an urgent reform of the international financial architecture, cannot be postponed. The General Assembly must lead these efforts and the States must strengthen international solidarity and cooperation to eradicate poverty and advance development.

In the face of the danger that today loom over humanity, we will never abandon our aspiration to bequeath a peaceful world to future generations, one in which the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs are respected, and the right of peoples to self-determination, so necessary for sustainable development, is guaranteed.

Thank you.