Ms. President:
We endorse the statement made by Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and wish to add the following comments in our national capacity.
Cuba reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, whose 40th anniversary we commemorate in 2026. We hope that the high-level meeting of the General Assembly, mandated by resolution 79/170, will contribute to a renewed international momentum for the promotion of this human right, which is still inaccessible to the majority of the world’s population.
The current international economic order remains a structural obstacle to its realization and compromises compliance with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Given this reality, there is an urgent need to transform the international financial architecture, ensure effective participation of developing countries in decision-making, and ensure equitable and unconditional access to finance.
A comprehensive and coordinated approach is also needed to address the sovereign-debt crisis, as well as progress toward a more equitable and balanced financial system. International cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, should be encouraged as a path to sustainable and inclusive development.
Likewise, it is urgent to fulfill official development assistance commitments and eliminate unilateral coercive measures, which continue to severely undermine the realization of this right to development.
In this regard, we denounce the aggressive escalation of the US government against Cuba, which causes serious annoyance to our people and blatantly violates the human rights of Cuban women and men, including their right to development.
The illegal blockade, compounded by a criminal siege of fuel supplies, stifles our economy, limits access to finance, technologies, and markets, and directly impacts the well-being of the Cuban people.
Its effects are reflected in daily shortages, sick people hospitalized at risk, pregnant women with lack of diagnostic tests, children unable to properly complete their curricula, almost crippled public transportation, just to name a few examples. The blockade is real and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable segments of our population.
Ms President:
Cuba supports the UN mechanisms dedicated to promoting the right to development and recognizes the value of the work of the Expert Mechanism. We appreciate the decision to devote one meeting to discussing the draft International Covenant on the Right to Development.
I conclude with a clear call: urgent action is needed. Ensuring the right to development requires transforming current international economic relations and eliminating practices that hinder it.
Cuba will continue to uphold this principle, both at the national level and in its capacity as coordinator of the NAM Human Rights Working Group.
Thank you very much.