Cuba advocates for a development model in harmony with nature

Cuba's permanent representative to the United Nations, Pedro Luis Pedroso, called for an alternative development model to guarantee humanity's right to exist in harmony with nature.

Speaking at the General Assembly's interactive dialogue on Harmony with Nature in commemoration of International Mother Earth Day, the Cuban diplomat reiterated his country's commitment to sustainable development.

He also stressed that living in harmony with nature should be an ethical, social, political, and economic imperative for all UN Member States.

At this time, it is essential to transform the existing unjust international economic order and eliminate inequalities and poverty in all its forms and dimensions, said Pedroso.

According to the diplomat, in Cuba, the pillars of sustainable development are integrated into the Constitution of the Republic, and, consequently, they become a constituent part of the National Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030.

In his International Mother Earth Day message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the planet is facing a triple crisis: climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution.

He noted that such global problems threaten the well-being and survival of millions of people worldwide.

The essential components of a happy and healthy life - clean water, fresh air, a stable and predictable climate - are in disarray, jeopardizing the Sustainable Development Goals, Guterres warned.

International Mother Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, recognizes a collective responsibility as called for in the 1992 Rio Declaration to promote harmony with nature and achieve a fair balance between economic, social, and environmental needs.