H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, President of the 69th session of the General Assembly,
Dear Ms. Celinda Sosa Lunda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Plurinational State of Bolivia,
Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs,
Excellencies, distinguished delegates and guests:
Cuba associates itself with the statements made by the delegations of Iraq, on behalf of the Group of 77, and China and Palau, on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States.
Living in harmony with nature should be an ethical, social, political and economic imperative for all Member States of the United Nations.
The environmental crisis that the planet has been facing for decades has seriously undermined the functioning of our ecosystems and their capacity to regenerate, depleting our planet's resources and endangering all forms of life.
Every year, the world loses 10 million hectares of forest. Nearly a million species are in danger of extinction. The oceans are filling up with plastic and becoming more acidic. Extreme heat, floods, and other weather events are becoming more severe. Mother Earth is clearly asking us to act.
Mr. President,
Achieving sustainable development in harmony with nature and a fair balance between the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations requires addressing the root causes of this crisis, which are the result of unsustainable patterns of production and consumption created and perpetuated by developed countries.
The solution cannot be to deny development to those who need it most. Anything that contributes to underdevelopment and poverty today is also a flagrant violation of ecology.
It is imperative to transform the existing unjust international economic order and eliminate inequality and poverty in all its forms and dimensions.
For developing countries to achieve these goals, real political will is needed from developed countries in terms of technology transfer, ODA, capacity building, and climate finance to adapt to and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and to compensate for their losses and damages.
It is also essential that they meet their emission reduction commitments and assume their responsibilities and historical ecological debt to humanity, in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Mr. President,
In Cuba, the pillars of sustainable development are enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic. We will continue our efforts to implement a coherent environmental policy that guarantees the realization of our legitimate right to development, and we will continue to defend the right of our species to exist in harmony with nature.
Today, more than ever, the call made by the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, when he said, and I quote “Let human life be more rational. Let a just international economic order be implemented. Let science work toward a sustainable development without contamination. Let the ecologic debt be paid and not the foreign debt. Let hunger disappear and not man.”
Thank you