Cuban FM warned of the existence of over 12,000 nuclear weapons

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 26 (ACN) There are still more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world, more than enough to destroy the planet, warned today Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuban Foreign Minister, at the commemoration of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, in New York.

Due to its importance, the Cuban News Agency transmits below, in its entirety, the Cuban Foreign Minister's speech, published on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cubaminrex.
Mr. President:

Ten years ago today, at Cuba's proposal, we held the first High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on Nuclear Disarmament.

One year later, we agreed to celebrate every September 26 the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Unfortunately, we are a long way from achieving that goal. There are still more than 12,000 nuclear weapons in the world, more than enough to destroy the planet.

During the past year, the possessors of these weapons continued to modernize their arsenals and several of them deployed new nuclear weapon systems for potential use.

This worrisome scenario is compounded by outrageous global military spending, which grew last year for the eighth consecutive year to reach an all-time high of $2.24 trillion.

While exorbitant resources are squandered on sophisticated killing devices, official development aid commitments are not being fulfilled and millions of people in the world continue to suffer from hunger and poverty.
The billions spent on nuclear weapons should be spent on ensuring a life of dignity for all human beings.

Mr. Chairman:

A positive result achieved in recent years has been the adoption and entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), in the drafting and negotiation of which Cuba played an active role.

This Treaty is the first international legal norm that categorically prohibits nuclear weapons in all circumstances and provides for their total elimination.

Furthermore, this important instrument explicitly qualifies the use of nuclear weapons as an act contrary to International Law and International Humanitarian Law.

We will continue supporting efforts aimed at the universalization of the NPT, convinced that each new State that joins it represents a new step towards the delegitimization of nuclear weapons.

Moving towards nuclear disarmament in a transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner is, and must continue to be, a very high priority.

The threat posed by nuclear weapons to humanity can only disappear with the total elimination of these arsenals, as the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, warned on so many occasions.

Achieving nuclear disarmament is a matter of survival. The time for action is now, for the sake of future generations.
Thank you very much.