Mr. Chairman,
My delegation associates itself with the statement delivered by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
We share the objective of the general and complete disarmament, in particular nuclear disarmament, as the top priority in this area. We must continue to call for the implementation of other international disarmament and security measures.
It is time to demand from the largest weapon-manufacturing countries that they put the safety and welfare of their citizens before the petty interests of the military industrial complexes and the war machinery. Global military expenditures which have reached a record amount of $1.82 trillion dollars, must be cut down and redirected, along with the scientific and technological advances used in weapons, to activities that generate economic and social development.
We reiterate the call for the establishment of a United Nations international fund, to which half of the current annual military expenditures would be allocated, in order to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Let us move forward on legally binding, multilaterally agreed initiatives to prohibit the militarization of outer space, cyberspace and autonomous lethal weapons; as well as to regulate military attack drones. This would slow down the arms race.
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba reiterates that it is imperative that international forums and negotiations on disarmament and arms limitation take relevant environmental norms fully into account and that, in the implementation of the agreements reached, international regulations on climate change be respected.
We regret that the United States, one of the main polluting countries and one of the largest arms manufacturers, not only fails to take into account the observance of environmental standards, but also withdraws from the Paris Agreement and threatens the fragile balance of the climate negotiations.
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba reiterates the validity of multilateralism as the basic principle of the disarmament negotiations.
It is for this reason that we support the establishment of the First Open-ended Working Group of the General Assembly on Developments in the Field of Information and Telecommunications in the Context of International Security.
The United Nations should assume a central role and establish itself as a permanent forum for dialogue, consultation and cooperation among Member States, in the face of the proliferation of the illicit uses of information and communication technologies and the growing militarization of cyberspace through the development of cyber-offensive capabilities and operations.
It is extremely serious that in the U.S. Department of Defense's Cyber Strategy in 2018 the use of offensive cyber weapons and cyber offensive operations was authorized, including the possibility of preventive cyber-attacks to deter adversaries.
We reject these aggressive, warmongering and threatening doctrines, which consider the use of force as a legitimate response to a cyber-attack. It is unacceptable that a State, without any evidence whatsoever, identifies a potential source of threats derived from the use of ICTs and launches a punitive attack.
We express concern and condemn the covert and illegal use of other nations' computer systems, by individuals, organizations and States, to attack third countries.
We reiterate that the hostile use of telecommunications, with the declared or covert purpose of subverting the legal and political order of States, such as the creation of the Cuba Internet Task Force, is a violation of the internationally agreed norms in this area.
We reject the aggression of the Cuban radioelectric space from outside, through illegal radio and television transmissions. During 2019, 1865 weekly hours were illegally broadcast against Cuba, on 21 frequencies, from the territory of the United States, in contravention of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, International Law and the provisions of the International Telecommunication Union.
We call once again for an immediate end to these policies that are aggressive and harmful to its sovereignty, which are, in addition, inconsistent with peace, security, development and cooperation among States.
We demand the immediate lifting of unilateral coercive measures that limit the access to, the use and enjoyment of information and communications technologies, as well as the materials and equipment that countries need for their development, such as the economic, commercial and financial blockade and the Helms Burton Act imposed by the United States against Cuba.
Thank you