Mr. President,
My delegation wishes to reiterate Cuba's continued support for the efforts of the international community to promote sport as a means for advancing development, peace and social inclusion.
The massive practice of sport on the basis of its enjoyment as a right of the entire people is one of the major achievements of the Cuban Revolution in terms of human rights.
Sporting, physical education and recreational activities related to sports reach out to every corner of the country, and universal access is ensured from early to oldest ages, including programs for special education and disabled centers.
Cuba has trained a significant number of specialized physical education teachers responsible for implementing the Physical Culture and Health Development Strategy in all communities of the country. This Strategy has benefitted all children, adolescents, youth, women -including pregnant women- and the elderly.
In Cuba, there is also a network of sport facilities providing services in all municipalities, in order to favor and encourage practicing sports. In every province of the country, there is a Faculty of Physical Culture, from which middle and higher-level professionals in this field graduate every year.
The achievements in this sector are further complemented by centers specialized in training athletes and a robust sports medicine system, which includes a modern anti-doping laboratory, recognized by the International Olympic Committee and reaffirms Cuba´s commitment in fighting that scourge.
Mr. President,
Although Cuba is a small developing country, it has had sustained achievements in sports over the last 58 years at the regional and global level. We are the 106th largest country in the world by area and the 82nd by population. However, our sport is first in Central America and the Caribbean, second in the American continent and is, on average, number 18 at the Olympic level, among more than 200 nations.
Cuba´s solidarity worldwide, with coaches and physical education teachers, also support the prestige of Cuban sports. True to its internationalist vocation, Cuba has offered cooperation to develop sports in many countries and will continue to do so to the best of its ability.
All these achievements have been possible thanks to the political will of the Government and the active participation of the people, despite the obstacles imposed by the criminal blockade against my country, which has seriously constrained the development of sport.
To conclude, Mr. President, Cuba reiterates its strong commitment to the promotion of sport as a vehicle to promoting peace and building more just and solidarity-based societies and a better world for present and future generations.
Thank you very much.