Mr. Chairman,
Cuba supports and strictly complies with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
Our country does not possess and does not intend to possess any kind of weapons of mass destruction and strongly supports the complete prohibition and the total elimination, in a transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner, of such weapons.
Cuba firmly rejects the use of any weapon of mass destruction by any actor and under any circumstances.
In this regard, we reiterate that the only absolute guarantee to prevent the acquisition and use of weapons of mass destruction, including by terrorists, is their total prohibition and elimination.
Mr. Chairman,
We highlight the work done by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on its 20th anniversary, and stress the importance of ensuring a balance among its pillars.
The destruction of all categories of chemical weapons in the shortest possible time and under international verification would constitute the greatest contribution to preventing the use of these weapons of mass destruction. In this regard, we welcome the complete and verified destruction of the declared chemical weapons of the Russian Federation.
We also reaffirm that the promotion of the economic and technological development of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, particularly the less developed ones, remains one of the pending issues and should be a priority of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
It is imperative to adopt a Plan of Action to ensure the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of Article XI of said Convention, referring to International Cooperation and Assistance.
Mr. Chairman,
We encourage States Parties to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to make every effort to reach consensus on the intersessional process at the next annual Meeting of States Parties, in accordance with the special mandate given by the Eighth Review Conference of the Convention.
At the same time, we reiterate that the only truly effective and sustainable way to strengthen the Convention in an integrated and balanced manner and to ensure its strict implementation is through the adoption of a legally binding Protocol, including a verification mechanism.
We emphasize that for Cuba, the full, effective and non-discriminatory application of Article X of the Biological Weapons Convention, regarding international cooperation for peaceful purposes, remains a pending, urgent and priority task.
Cuba demands the immediate elimination of the limitations and restrictions that impede the broader exchange, particularly for developing countries, of materials, equipment and technology for chemical and biological activities, consistent with the provisions of the relevant international conventions on the matter. A clear example of this is the economic, commercial and financial blockade that has been imposed against Cuba for nearly 60 years.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that the UN General Assembly and existing multilateral treaties on weapons of mass destruction play a central role in disarmament and non-proliferation issues. No action taken by the Security Council, or any selective and discriminatory initiative promoted by groups of countries outside the multilateral framework, could undermine that role.
Thank you very much