Paris, Aug 29, 2020.- Cuba and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are celebrating 73 years of relations on Saturday, which have been strengthened by the 1959 Revolution, Cuban Ambassador Yahima Esquivel stressed.
In a statement on the occasion of the anniversary, the Cuban permanent representative at the multilateral organization pointed out that months later, in November 1947, the historic ties were complemented by the establishment of the Cuban National Commission for UNESCO.
Another important event in this initial stage of joint work was in 1948, during 3rd UNESCO General Conference, when the organization decided to establish an office outside Paris, the ambassador stated.
Havana hosted a UNESCO Regional Center for the Western Hemisphere, which opened in 1950 and became the Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean decades later.
Esquivel recalled the speech by Cuban leader Fidel Castro at a meeting of the UNESCO Executive Council in March 1995, when he ratified the full identification of Cuba's social project with the foundational ideals of the specialized UN agency.
Since then, UNESCO has been a space to publicize Cuba's achievements and progress in education, culture, science and communication, the diplomat added.
A project of special symbolism for Cuba and UNESCO that is worth highlighting was the international campaign launched in 1982 to rescue Old Havana, she added.
Esquivel underlined that UNESCO has been the platform over the last decades to denounce the unjust world order of information and communication, Internet governance and security in cyberspace.
(Cubaminrex-PL)