Mr. President:
We appreciate the introduction by UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cuba is pleased to present the Country Programme with UNICEF for 2026-2030, a cooperation framework that reflects our commitment to the protection and well-being of children and adolescents. It is the result of joint work between UNICEF and Cuba.
The document is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Cuba 2026–2030. It is also in line with the National Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030, as well as with sectoral and territorial strategies that promote integral, equitable and sustainable development, human potential and the reduction of vulnerabilities.
It is also consistent with the country’s determination to guarantee the full enjoyment of children’s rights, in line with our Constitution, the Family Code, the Comprehensive Policy on Childhood, Adolescence and Youth, and the Code on Childhood, Adolescence and Youth. The country programme will contribute to preserving and expanding social achievements, ensuring access to essential inputs, and mobilizing national and international partnerships that promote economic recovery and ensure the well-being of children and adolescents.
These efforts are daily constrained by the criminal blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, which undermines all aspects of life in the country. We condemn in the strongest terms the new extreme measures taken by the United States to impose an absolute siege on the entry of fuel into the country. The absence of fuel reaching Cuba constitutes a direct and malicious blow to the economy, public transport, the operation of hospitals, schools and other institutions, and tourism.
Today children and adolescents in Cuba cannot attend their schools full-time, while enormous efforts are being made to ensure vital services in hospitals, particularly those dedicated to this sector of the population.
In this context, we kindly request the support of the members of the Executive Board for the successful adoption of this important document for children and adolescents in Cuba.
Thank you very much.