Mr. Chairman,
Our delegation endorses the statement delivered by El Salvador on behalf of CELAC and in our national capacity we wish to highlight the following elements.
Crime prevention remains a major task in the current international context. All countries, regardless their social and economic characteristics, are vulnerable to the different manifestations of crime, including its emerging forms.
The fight against transnational trafficking in persons, drug dealing, money laundering operations, arms smuggling or terrorism requires robust international cooperation, on the basis of full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States in accordance with national laws. This is essential to effectively prevent and combat these scourges, as rightly recognized in the Palermo Convention and its protocols.
Cuba recognizes the central role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime as the focus of discussions on these issues within the framework of the United Nations. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Commission on Narcotic Drugs should continue working without prejudice to their functions or duplicity by other forums, to the detriment of their authority.
My delegation supports the establishment of a Review Mechanism for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the protocols thereto with similar characteristics to that established for the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In particular, it should be ensured that its intergovernmental nature does not generate rankings between countries and that it has a cooperative and non-punitive character based on peer evaluation procedures.
We attach great importance to the Congresses for Crime Prevention as these are the frameworks that have facilitated the exchange of information and good practices among States and professionals associated to this area, as well as for their impact on crime prevention and criminal justice at the international level.
Crime confrontation alone does not ensure the eradication of crime. The fight against underdevelopment must go hand in hand with the struggle to establish a more just, democratic and equitable international order to achieve more just and inclusive societies.
Mr. Chairman,
Drug abuse and dependence is not only a serious problem for human health, but also a threat to security and economic and social progress. The cost of this scourge is enormous, as it reproduces the cycles of poverty, violence, various forms of criminal behavior and social exclusion. Consequently, we believe this problem must be addressed in a comprehensive, balanced and multidisciplinary manner, in which international cooperation plays an essential role.
Nowadays, the principle of common and shared responsibility is now more important than ever. It will be very difficult to resolve production and trafficking from the impoverished South without eliminating demand in the developed North. This problem will neither be solved by militarizing countries or sweeping farmers away, nor by legalizing drugs or assuming that these are harmless substances.
We have consistently pointed out at the United Nations that we must be careful and avoid using ambiguous terms, whose definition and scope are not clear for all Member States. Such is the case of the “new approaches”. In this regard, Cuba does not favor the emergence of terms and actions whose implications or backgrounds might affect the current drug supervision and control regime. We support the existing legal framework on this matter and the provisions established in the three international conventions on the issue. Similarly, we highlight the importance of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs as the main organ of the United Nations to address the World Drug Problem.
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba has a zero tolerance policy nationwide on drug production, consumption and trafficking. We comply with all international obligations in terms of international cooperation and fight against organized crime with a notable record in confronting most prevalent crimes, such as international terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundry, piracy, trafficking in persons, among others. All these crimes are regulated and punishable under the current Cuban legislation.
Cuba is a State Party to 16 international instruments on the fight against terrorism and we have a comprehensive law against terrorist acts.
As we have denounced in previous occasions, some 3,478 Cuban citizens have died and other 2,099 have been maimed by terrorist acts against Cuba for more than half a century. Several of the confessed perpetrators of those actions are living with impunity in the United States.
The Cuban territory has never been used nor will ever be used to organize, finance or undertake terrorist actions against any country. We reiterate our readiness to cooperate with any State in preventing and confronting terrorism on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality and the principles and rules of International Law.
Mr. Chairman,
The implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons has been recently assessed at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly. In Cuba there is very low prevalence of this phenomenon. In February this year, Cuba approved the National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Confrontation of Trafficking in Persons and Protection of Victims for 2017-2020, to coordinate the actions of the State and civil society organizations in the effective implementation of the zero tolerance policy on trafficking.
Last April, we received a visit from the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Ms. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, who could learn firsthand the reality of the country on this matter.
Mr. Chairman,
The practice of producing unilateral qualification reports to other States is unacceptable and must be abolished.
Cuba reaffirms its unwavering commitment to continue fighting transnational organized crime in all its manifestations as well as the world drug problem and related crimes.
Thank you very much.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.