In the official statement to the forum organized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Cuban delegation stressed that plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, is a problem inherited by the nations in the South, both technologically and environmentally.

The level of ambition and requirements of the new instrument will depend on the ability of the developing countries to obtain adequate means of implementation with robust, secure, additional, and predictable financial flows, so stated the Cuban delegation in the context of the event UNESCO is hosting at its headquarters this week. It also cited the importance of project funding, technology transfer, technical assistance, and capacity building.

The 5th UN Environment Assembly agreed in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2022, a mandate to draw up a treaty to enable the international community to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution, which affects human health, biodiversity, and the planet.

In the document, which could not be presented in a plenary session due to time, Cuba denounced the effects of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than six decades, on Cuba´s efforts to protect its ecosystems from plastic waste.

Concerning the objective of creating a legally binding and ambitious instrument, Cuba reiterated its commitment, insisting on the gradual nature of its implementation and the need to take into account the circumstances and capacities of countries.

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