Israel and the United States, as if it were child's play, recently attacked Iran and its nuclear reserves, with the justification that the Persian country could manufacture nuclear weapons, when in fact it has declared in all forums that its nuclear arsenal is used for peaceful purposes, such as technology and science.
Today, historical memory does not work for them. The ghosts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and their devastating consequences, seem not to have served as an example, and without hesitation, the world was on the verge of reliving those moments, of witnessing a nuclear war.
In the face of growing geopolitical tensions and the persistent threat of this type of conflict, Cuba assumed a crucial role as Coordinator of the Group of 21 (G-21) at the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. In this regard, the Director General of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Juan Antonio Quintanilla Román, spoke with Granma.
-What does it mean specifically that Cuba has assumed the coordination of the G-21?
"The coordination of the G-21 is a rotating position which is assumed according to the alphabetical order of the names of the countries that comprise it, as is the Presidency of the Conference on Disarmament.
However, the fact that Cuba holds this responsibility always brings with it high expectations on the part of the members of the group, who recognize our country's historic and active role in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation."
The specialist added that the G-21 is the largest of the four consultation groups into which the Conference on Disarmament is divided, comprising 33 developing countries, or more than half of the 65 member states that currently make up that body.
He also explained that, in the current situation, in which the credibility of the United Nations disarmament machinery and the instruments that support it are being challenged by constant violations of international law, holding this position carries a special responsibility.
"Our country has been emphatic that the mandate conferred on the Conference on Disarmament at the first Special Session on Disarmament of the United Nations General Assembly, held in 1978, to negotiate legal instruments in this area, must be fully complied with. This is a persistent debt of this forum.
"Unfortunately, the Conference has experienced chronic stagnation that has prevented progress toward the negotiation of instruments in this area since 1996, even failing to reach consensus on an agenda to guide the debates of this body in more than one of its sessions. This is symptomatic of the lack of political will on the part of a group of countries, which is also reflected in many other bodies," explained Quintanilla Román.
-What challenges does the Group face, and Cuba in particular, in the context of the conflict between Israel and Iran and the possibility of a world war?
"Multilateralism, the United Nations, and the Conference on Disarmament are currently facing a particularly complex scenario, in which the very existence of the human species is at risk due to geopolitical appetites, growing belligerence, and the irrationality of NATO and its allies.
"Hegemonism is in a constant battle to crush humanism, and in that struggle it is the developing countries, those without nuclear weapons, those with the least military equipment and expenditure, that are most at risk. Many of these countries are members of the G-21. For years, this group has repeatedly called for the prevention of nuclear proliferation and respect for the right of states to develop and access nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.
Cuba has advocated for the negotiation and adoption at the Conference, as a matter of priority, of a treaty on the prohibition of the arms race in outer space; another on the prohibition of the production of fissile material for weapons and other nuclear devices; and a third instrument that would provide effective security guarantees to non-nuclear-weapon states that nuclear weapons will never be used against them.
"These norms, if approved, would place developing countries and the world in a better position, strengthen the legal regime in this area, and serve as the basis for bequeathing a safer world to future generations."
Meanwhile, he added that Israel's unjustified attacks on Iran, and the subsequent entry of the United States into the conflict, demonstrate the double standards and impunity that prevail in international relations today.
"By attacking nuclear facilities that are under the safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the US and Israel also violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which has incalculable implications, particularly in the case of the United States given its status as the depositary country for that instrument.
"A third world war would have unimaginable consequences for humanity. In the current situation and with existing nuclear arsenals, it would disappear in a matter of seconds, according to some experts. The dangers of a nuclear conflagration, as has been proven, are latent, and nuclear deterrence is the backbone of the security doctrines of several countries, mainly those in NATO," the specialist explained.
-Is this the first time that the island has been in charge of leading the G-21?
The specialist explained that, since 1984, Cuba has coordinated the G-21 on at least seven occasions. In 2022, our country chaired the Conference on Disarmament, "a task that I had the honor of carrying out in my capacity as Cuba's Permanent Representative in Geneva at the time," he noted.
That period "was widely recognized not only by like-minded countries, but also by other consultation groups, because progress was made and a consensus was reached," said Quintanilla Román.
-How does the Group of 21 differ from other similar consultation groups at the international level?
"The G-21 is essentially composed of NAM members participating in the Conference on Disarmament. As the Conference on Disarmament is the only multilateral forum of the international community with a mandate to negotiate legally binding agreements on disarmament and arms control, the role played by the Group is crucial, as it represents the voices of developing countries and acts as a political counterweight in a forum where the major powers seek to impose their agendas.
"Nevertheless, the achievements and coordination of its members in defending and preserving the interests of the South on issues as diverse as the prevention of an arms race in outer space, the intrinsic danger of new types of weapons of mass destruction, and the need to prevent nuclear war are noteworthy.
"In this context, for the Conference on Disarmament and particularly for the G-21 countries, it is not just a matter of waging discursive battles, but of getting to the heart of specific disarmament issues, building consensus, and issuing early warnings about the consequences of the irrational increase in global military spending and the growing modernization of nuclear arsenals," he stressed.
