Paris, September 15, 2026. The Permanent Delegation of Cuba to UNESCO took the floor at the meeting of the Preparatory Group for the 225th session of the UNESCO Executive Board, held on September 14 and 15 at UNESCO Headquarters.
During the consideration of the item concerning the implementation of the UNESCO80 Roadmap, the Cuban representative, Third Secretary Laura Álvarez Delgado, highlighted the work carried out by the Director-General, the Secretariat and the Chairs of the working groups responsible for its development.
She noted that, for Cuba, a country facing the consequences of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, UNESCO's decisions have a concrete impact on the lives of its people. The blockade affects the country's capacity to address challenges in areas directly linked to the Organization's mandate, including education, culture, science, communication and access to knowledge.
In this context, Cuba underscored the importance of ensuring that UNESCO80 translates into greater capacity for the Organization to act on the ground, effectively support Member States and respond to the real needs of their peoples, particularly in contexts where conditions are more challenging and international cooperation is most needed.
The Cuban representative reaffirmed Cuba's support for the UNESCO80 process and positively assessed its objectives of strengthening the efficiency, transparency, coordination and capacity of the Organization to effectively fulfil its mandate. She also underscored the importance of keeping this process open and dynamic, with the participation of Member States as a central element.
Cuba also stressed the need for the priorities identified during the consultations to be incorporated into the forthcoming programme and budget exercise. In this regard, she noted that the 44 C/5 should ensure coherence between institutional reform, the mandate of the Organization and the resources required to fulfil it, as UNESCO transitions towards its next Medium-Term Strategy.
The representative of the Permanent Delegation of Cuba reiterated the country's readiness to continue contributing to an inclusive and participatory debate, led by Member States, in support of a UNESCO capable of fully fulfilling its mandate and responding to the needs of all its members.
The meeting of the Preparatory Group was held as part of the work leading up to the 225th session of the Executive Board, scheduled to take place from October 5 to 20, 2026. These meetings aim to contribute to the effective preparation of the Executive Board's work and facilitate the prior consideration of specific items on its agenda. The UNESCO80 Roadmap is one of the central elements of the ongoing consultation and institutional reform process.
The full text of the intervention follows:
We would like to begin by joining colleagues in recognizing the Director-General, the Secretariat and the Chairs of the Working Groups under Pillar II for the work carried out and the reports presented.
For Cuba, a country under siege and a victim of a criminal blockade imposed by the world's greatest power, UNESCO's decisions have a concrete impact on the lives of our people. The blockade affects the country's capacity to address challenges in areas directly linked to the Organization's mandate, such as education, culture, science, communication and access to knowledge.
In this context, UNESCO80 must translate into greater capacity for the Organization to act on the ground, effectively support Member States and respond to the real needs of their peoples. A more efficient and effective UNESCO must, above all, be a UNESCO that is increasingly closer to the people and better able to fulfil its mandate, particularly where conditions are most challenging and where international cooperation is most needed.
Cuba has consistently supported the UNESCO80 process and positively values its objectives of strengthening the efficiency, transparency, coordination and capacity of the Organization to effectively fulfil its mandate.
Cuba considers that UNESCO80 should remain a living and open process, ready to incorporate adjustments as determined by Member States, whose participation must remain central.
A realistic implementation of UNESCO80 should start at this stage by incorporating the priorities discussed during these weeks of consultation into the new programme and budget exercise. The 44 C/5 must ensure coherence between institutional reform, the mandate of the Organization and the resources required to fulfil it, in its transition to the next Medium-Term Strategy.
In this regard, you can continue to count on Cuba's support for an inclusive and participatory Member States-led debate.
Thank you very much.