At Main Committees

Madam President:

Cuba associates itself with the interventions made by the distinguished delegations of the Republic of Guinea on behalf of the Group of 77 plus China and Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States.

Mr. Chair,

The impact of COVID-19 has been catastrophic. More than 4.5 million lives have been lost, and many more are yet to be lost. The virus kills, as does the lack of solidarity, the unilateral coercive measures and the selfishness imposed by the unjust international order.

Mr. President,

We align ourselves with the statement pronounced by Mexico on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The importance of holding this high-level meeting is reinforced in light of the continuous modernization and expansion of nuclear arsenals, in a context in which the millions of dollars of resources devoted to this field must be redirected to efforts to address the current global crisis, exacerbated by COVID-19 and affecting every sphere of life.

Mr. President,

Esteemed Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director, distinguished members of the Executive Board and other delegations,

We thank the Executive Director for her comprehensive presentation, and the members of the Bureau and the Secretariat for the preparations for this session. I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Ms. Fore for her service over the years at the helm of UNICEF in improving the lives of children around the world. I extend to her our best wishes.