Speaking at the Conference of the Oceans promoted by the UN, with the participation of Portugal and Kenya, the first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) of Cuba, Jose Fidel Santana, stressed the weight that these issues represent for development and survival of small island states.
Starting with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he stressed that the Lisbon conference “unites us in a common goal: to protect and conserve our seas and oceans”.
Santana said that the protection of the environment at a global level must be aligned with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, as well as the imperative regional and international cooperation, especially in the Caribbean countries, vulnerable and dependent on sectors such as tourism.
Santana said that Cuba favors the implementation of sustainable development models based on scientific knowledge and technology, ethics, environmental policy aimed at the sustainability of development and that reflect national circumstances, in addition to the strengthening of the means of implementation, such as financial resources from multilateral sources, capacity building and technology transfer, among others.
“We defend the promotion of the oceans as sources of clean and sustainable energy, as well as the need for financing the development of a circular economy that promotes the management of rights,” he stated.
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