Mr. President,
Latin America and the Caribbean is today the scenario of persisting threats, inconsistent with the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace signed by the Heads of State and Government at the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States in January 2014.
Mr. President, Dear Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic, we are pleased to see you presiding over this Council meeting.
We welcome H.E. Mr. Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, and the delegation that accompanies him.
We also welcome the presence of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, H.E. Ms. Retno Marsudi.
Mr. President,
We endorse the statement made by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Cuban delegation regrets that since the last open debate on this issue no progress has been made in favor of the just cause of the Palestinian people. On the contrary, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, with unilateral actions such as the withdrawal of financial support from the United States to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East.
Mr. Chairman,
We are very pleased to welcome the State of Palestine in its capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 for 2019. I assure you that it can count on Cuba's full support in said endeavor. With this chairmanship, the Group of 77 has once again recognized the activism and outstanding role of the State of Palestine as a full member of our Group as well as the inalienable rights of its people. We are convinced that under its leadership, the Group of 77 will continue to strengthen its role in promoting and defending the interests of the countries of the South.
Madam President,
As the celebration of the 20 years of the adoption of resolution 53/243 approaches, Cuba reiterates the validity of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, as well as its commitment to this agenda and to multilateralism.
Madam President,
We thank the Representative of Malta for the submission of the Report of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
We express to the Palestinian government and people our unwavering solidarity and support for the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations.
Madam Chair,
We support the intervention made by the Bahamas on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Madam President,
The Cuban delegation takes this opportunity to recognize the work done by the ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates and Georgia, who served as co-chairs of the intergovernmental negotiations process for the Security Council reform during the 72nd session.
Madam Chair,
The Cuban delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Algeria on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
We take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Ambassador of Croatia Mr. Vladimir Drobnjak and Ambassador of Colombia Ms. María Emma Mejía, who served as Co-Chairs of the negotiation process on revitalization during the 72nd session.
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba endorses the statement by the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Our delegation welcomes the work done by the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arab of the Occupied Territories.
The report submitted today shows the work done by the Committee, the problems faced during its work and the working goals and objectives towards the future.
