CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Statement by Ambassador Rodolfo Benítez, Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba, at the General Debate of the First Committee

Tuesday, 6 October 2009.

Mr. Chairman,

We are very pleased our work is led by the representative of a Latin American sister nation. Cuba congratulates you and the rest of the Bureau and wishes you all great success.

I would like to express also our full support to the statement by Indonesia yesterday, on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Mr. Chairman,

It is unjustifiable and unacceptable that ever more money is spent in means to wage wars and less in promoting life and development.

While millions of people worldwide suffer the effects of the worst economic and financial crisis since the Great Depression, world military expenditures, far from decreasing, increase at an accelerated rate.

Last year, such expenditures increased 4 %, reaching 1.464 trillion dollars. In real terms, this figure is higher than those reached during the Cold War, and 15 times higher than the amount allocated to the international assistance for development. One country alone concentrates almost half of the world military expenditures. Paradoxically, war business seems to be one of the most profitable in times of crisis. Top 100 largest arms producing companies have increased their sales in 70%.

While resources are so squandered, it is clear that not even the modest Millennium Development Goals will be achieved. They will not be achieved because over 100 countries in the South do not have, nor will they have, 150 billion dollars necessary to meet them.
With just 10% of the funds currently allocated to the war industry, those development goals could be achieved. With the resources devoted to armaments today, the 1 020 million hungry people of the world could be fed for a year, proper houses could be guaranteed to over 640 million children not having where to live, and 115 million children, who do not have the possibility to attend primary school, could do it.
It is time to leave the empty rhetoric aside. Actions must be taken without further delay. Knowledge and resources presently destined for the war industry must be used in education, health, and culture, as well as in the economic and social welfare of our peoples.
Therefore, Cuba reiterates its proposal of allocating at least half of the current military expenditures to meet the needs of economic and social development, through an UN-managed fund.
Mr. Chairman,
Despite the proclaimed end of the Cold War, there are still over 23 500 nuclear weapons in the world, 8 392 of them are ready for immediate use and are more powerful than those which sowed terror and death in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The nuclear weapons modernization programs have not stopped. The mere existence of nuclear weapons and the doctrines that prescribe their possession and use, pose a grave danger to international peace and security.
Nuclear disarmament remains an unresolved and urgent task. It is, and must continue to be, the top priority in the field of disarmament.

Three sessions of the Preparatory Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference have been already held. It is imperative that concrete results are obtained in the said Conference.
Cuba reiterates its opposition to the selective application of the NPT. Issues relative to nuclear disarmament and the peaceful use of nuclear energy cannot continue to be disregarded, while horizontal non-proliferation is favored. The inalienable right of the States to the peaceful use of nuclear energy must be fully respected.
Cuba welcomes the holding next year of the second Conference of Sates Parties and Signatories to Treaties that establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zones, which will contribute to world efforts aimed at nuclear disarmament.

Mr. Chairman,

While the world listens hopefully to the reiterated message of change, dialogue and cooperation from the White House, time passes and, in many aspects, the speech does not seem to be based on concrete facts.

The renewed and aggressive interest of the United States to stablish new military bases in Latin America and its decision to reestablish the Fourth Fleet in our region arouse great concern. This constitutes a direct and unjustifiable threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the peoples of Our America.

If a true contribution to international peace and security is wished to be made, all foreign military bases in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base, Cuban territory illegally occupied against the will of our people, must be withdrawn without further delay.

We expect the declarations made in the framework of the Security Council Summit on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, held last 24 September, not to have a mere impact on the media but to mark the beginning of concrete actions to achieve the objective of nuclear disarmament. A legal instrument establishing concrete deadlines for the destruction of nuclear arsenals, and ensuring a transparent, irreversible and verifiable process must be adopted, as it has been called for by the vast majority of the States for many years now.

We regret that the resolution adopted by the Council Summit emphasizes almost exclusively non-proliferation issues and disregards concrete courses of action toward nuclear disarmament.

Likewise, we draw the attention again to the interference of the Security Council in duties concerning other bodies of the UN system and other existing instruments on disarmament and weapons control. We stress that the International Atomic Energy Agency is the only competent authority to verify the fulfillment of the obligations of the Member States under their respective safeguard agreements.

Mr. Chairman,

After too many years of inaction, the adoption of the programme of work in the Conference on Disarmament for the present year was positive. We take this step with optimism. For next year, we hope the necessary flexibility, on the basis of their procedural regulations and a constructive dialogue prevail so as to achieve the adoption of a comprehensive and balanced programme of work for the Conference, taking into consideration all the real priorities existing on disarmament and weapons control.

Cuba reaffirms its invariable commitment to the Convention on Chemical Weapons and Biological Weapons Convention, and supports every action aimed at its universality. The complete destruction of the existing chemical arsenals is the most important task of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). OPCW has also a very important role to play in favor of the economic and technological progress of the States Parties, particularly those less developed.

We insist that the only effective way to reinforce and perfect the Biological Weapons Convention is through the negotiation and adoption of a legally binding Protocol breaching the gaps remaining in that instrument.

Mr. Chairman,

As it champions the legitimate right of States to manufacture, import and keep small arms and light weapons to respond their legitimate defense and security needs, Cuba calls for more effective measures to prevent and combat illicit trade in arms, and impede their use by those dedicated to international terrorist and criminal activities.

The Cuban people has fallen victim for almost half a century to the indiscriminate use of weapons by terrorist individuals and organizations. Precisely today, October 6th, marks a new anniversary of the downing of a Cuban civil airliner near the costs of Barbados, which claimed the lives of 73 innocent people. It is our duty to take actions so as to prevent such monstrous events from happening again.

In this year, the first two substantive sessions of the General Assembly Open-Ended Working Group to further consider the feasibility of legally-binding instrument establishing common international parameters for the import, export, and transfer of conventional arms, established under resolution 63/240, took place.

Cuba reiterates the importance of not taking rushed decisions which may wreck the progress being made. The consideration of this complex and sensitive issue must continue to be held in the framework of the United Nations, step by step, and in a balanced, transparent, and open manner, on the basis of consensus.

Allow me to conclude, Mr. Chairman, by reaffirming the full support of the Cuban delegation to your work, so as to carry out successfully the works of this Committee.

Thank you.

 

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