Cuba Reiterates Commitment to Fight Drug Trafficking

Cuba Reiterates Commitment to Fight Drug Trafficking Geneva, Jul 28 (Prensa Latina) Cuba reiterated its "steadfast commitment" to fight drug trafficking and strengthen international cooperation, speaking in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Cuban government carries out systematic crime prevention through extensive development programs, said Cuban delegate Yumirka Fernandez in a remarks on agenda item No. 14.

Cuban legislation prevents and punishes money laundering, the trafficking of illegal weapons and drugs, and other forms of organized crime, Fernandez said.

According to Fernandez, the cornerstone of crime prevention is to improve and deepen the comprehensive education of children, young people, and the population in general.

International cooperation, on the basis of full respect for sovereignty and the principle of shared but differentiated responsibilities, is essential to efficiently preventing and fighting these crimes, she said.

Cuba has demonstrated extensively its pledge to international cooperation in fighting transnational organized crime, including its active attendance at forums, and also bilateral and multilateral mechanisms in the sector, Fernandez added.

Fernandez also referred to Cuba's backing of Bolivia's demand to end the international penalizatin of the coca leaf, based on its cultural and traditional importance for the Bolivian people.