Paris, 26 March 2026. An open and cordial atmosphere characterized the meeting between the new Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Ms. Mariya Gabriel, and the Ambassador of Cuba to UNESCO, María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, during which both exchanged views on the importance of the Sector and agreed on the need to strengthen it in order to address today’s complex challenges.
During the conversation, the officials expressed concern over the problems affecting the world in the fields of communication and information, such as the spread of hate speech, disinformation, media manipulation, extremism, among others.
Likewise, the Cuban diplomat emphasized the need for the Sector’s actions to take into account the realities and needs of developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable ones. “The global digital transformation is advancing unevenly, deepening historical gaps and generating new forms of exclusion,” she noted, while stressing the importance of preventing broad sectors of the world’s population from being left behind in terms of access to information, knowledge and technologies.
Referring to Cuba’s commitment to the development of the Communication and Information Sector and highlighting important legislative advances at the national level, the representative of the Island denounced the impact of the tightening of the United States blockade against Cuba, particularly the energy siege imposed on the country through the executive order signed by the U.S. President on 29 January, whose effects impact all sectors of national life, severely harming the population.
Ms. Mariya Gabriel was appointed Assistant Director-General for the Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO in January 2026 and assumed her duties in March.