Paris, France.- Facing the many challenges of today’s world, UNESCO’s contribution to peace and security can be significant, Cuban representative to the Executive Council of the agency, Oscar Leon, said on Tuesday.

After addressing the 205th session of that governing body -of which Havana is a member-, Leon, who is also the president of the Cuban National Commission for UNESCO, also recalled the dangers facing humanity, such as the threat and use of force, or the imposition of unilateral coercive measures in order to bend hunger and needs to entire peoples, among others.

‘Nuclear weapons and the effects of climate change haunt humanity as the sword of Damocles, and many scientists and world leaders warn about the proximity of the point of no return, to reverse the effects of climate change,’ he said.

Faced with such threats, the noble purposes and principles of UNESCO, referring to contributing to peace and security by strengthening collaboration among nations through education, science and culture, take on renewed value, he said.

The diplomat particularly evoked the leadership of the agency in executing the sustainable development goal number four, focused on education.

UNESCO is ‘at the center of the aspirations of millions of people in the world who still struggle to overcome illiteracy or demand universal access to a quality education throughout their lives,’ he said.

However, in order to materialize its noble purposes in the 21st century, ‘strengthening the agency and providing it with the necessary capacity and resources is essential’.

According to Leon, Cuba shares the idea of reforming UNESCO and has assumed an active commitment.

‘The initiative conducted by its Director General (Audrey Azoulay) on strategic transformation deepens, in Cuba’s opinion, the ongoing reform process,’ he said.

The diplomat assured that Cuba will continue fulfilling its financial obligations, despite the cruel economic blockade imposed by the United States with extraterritorial effects, of great impact in the fields of UNESCO’s competence.

This ‘policy has caused universal repudiation and the General Assembly of the United Nations will condemn, for 26th time, on October 31’, he said.

Leon stated that the words delivered by the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, 23 years ago at UNESCO, remain fully valid in the current context.