Mr. President,
We thank Kenya and the African Group for presenting draft resolution L.27.
Cuba supports this draft resolution and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur. As recognized in the text, Target 12.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals — aimed at achieving, by 2020, the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle — was not met.
This regrettable reality comes as no surprise. Most hazardous chemicals and products are manufactured and used in industrialized countries, while the waste ends up primarily in developing countries. North-South transfers of hazardous waste are a form of waste colonialism.
Large transnational corporations in developed countries privatize the benefits of their growing production of plastics, chemicals and electronic products, while socializing the damages. They disperse risks across the lands, waters and people of the entire planet, but primarily in countries of the Global South.
We support the continuation of the mandate in providing detailed information on human rights violations perpetrated by companies.
Our planet is running out of resources, while the population continues to grow. By 2050, there will be 9.8 billion people; the natural resources equivalent to three planets would be needed to maintain current lifestyles.
Changing today’s unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, which are depleting natural resources and damaging ecosystems, is not an option; it is an urgent necessity.
Cuba supports draft resolution L.27 and calls on all States to adopt it by consensus.
Thank you very much.