Madam President,
Esteemed Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director,
Esteemed members of the Executive Board and other delegations,
We thank the UNFPA Executive Director for her comprehensive remarks. We also seize this opportunity to recognize the efforts undertaken by UNFPA in striving for sexual and reproductive health and for the empowerment of women, adolescents and youth.
In the particular case of Cuba, collaboration with UNFPA has been fundamental not only for the support through inputs but also for access to components that have facilitated progress in maternal and child health care programs, family planning and sexual and reproductive health, with emphasis on adolescents and young people.
Similarly, despite limited financial resources, UNFPA has supported access to new technologies for the production of information and demographic data, which has facilitated the development of population studies.
Population and gender equality remain priority issues for my country. Hence, during the post-pandemic recovery, social protection policies have been prioritized to ensure the well-being of the population and the enjoyment of their rights. They have also been reflected in every program of our Development Plan until 2030.
For UNFPA to be able to sustain its positive and transformative impact in our countries, it is vital that the entity has adequate, predictable and flexible resources. That is why we insist on the need to prioritize and increase contributions to the core resources of the System's entities.
Madam President,
I would like to conclude by reiterating Cuba's commitment to the full implementation of the Cairo Plan of Action, the Montevideo Consensus and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, I reiterate my country's willingness to continue cooperating with UNFPA on the issues under its scope.
Thank you.