Mr. President:
We live in an increasingly unequal world, where the promise of promoting a culture of peace is diluted by growing intolerance, interference, wars, plunder, and the negative consequences of an unjust and exclusive international order.
Supremacist ideas, hate speech, xenophobia, and Islamophobia are on the rise, particularly in developed countries under the guise of irresponsible freedom of expression.
Global military spending is increasing, reaching a record $2.7 trillion in 2024, money that could be used to combat hunger and poverty.
In this context, the implementation of the Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace is increasingly necessary and urgent.
It is inconceivable that disrespect for the right of peoples to choose their own path should persist. There can be no true peace as long as the diversity of political, social, cultural, and religious systems in the world is ignored and agendas of subversion against countries in the Global South continue to be implemented.
Dialogue and cooperation are urgently needed instead of imposition and coercion.
The culture of peace will remain a pipe dream as long as unilateral coercive measures continue to be imposed, violating the UN Charter and international law and hindering the exercise of the right to development of the countries against which they are applied.
The blockade against Cuba, its inclusion on the US State Department's fraudulent list of alleged countries sponsors of terrorism, and the untruthful campaign against Cuban medical cooperation are acts of hostility and aggression that are totally alien to and contrary to the notion of a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
We reiterate our unwavering solidarity and support for the Palestinian people, victims of the ruthless genocide committed with impunity by Israel, with the complicity of the United States.
Peace should not be a distant ideal, but a tangible reality and a right for all. Multilateralism and respect for the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law are the only way forward.
Thank you