U.N. commemorates first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called on the United Nations to issue a complete ban on nuclear arms to prevent the impact of these lethal weapons that represent a serious risk to the human race. The statement was made during the first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons this Friday.
"There is no excuse that humanity still continues to be confronted with the existence of more than 16,000 nuclear arms, 4,000 of which are positioned for immediate deployment, years after the supposed end of the Cold War,” he warned.
Rodriguez took part in a U.N. General Assembly meeting to commemorate the initiative, which was adopted last year by the Movement of Non-Aligned States. He stressed that the international occasion represents perfect timing for planning international convention for total disarmament in 20 years, starting with multilateral negotiations next year.
The minister also stressed that the U.N. should consider threatening to use these weapons of mass extermination a crime against humanity.
Rodríguez also reminded the Assembly about the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone committed to nuclear disarmament during the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Havana January 29, 2014.
Global nuclear disarmament is one of the oldest objectives of the United Nations. It was the subject of the General Assembly’s first resolution in 1946 and has been on the its agenda since 1959.
The Cuban diplomat is looking forward to participating in the high-level conference on Nuclear Disarmament called by the assembly in 2018.
