By María Josefina Arce
The Executive Board of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is made up of 58 nations, and for the period 2023-2027 Cuba will be one of them, following the broad support received in that regard in Paris at the forty-second General Conference of that UN agency.
One hundred and fifty-eight countries voted in favor of Cuba, which has already been a member of the Council on other occasions. This is undoubtedly a recognition of the priority given by the Cuban government to the development of education, science and culture.
UNESCO has highlighted the Caribbean nation's educational policies to guarantee inclusive, quality and lifelong learning.
Cuba's achievements in this field are evidence of the political will of the authorities to ensure education as an essential human right, despite the limitations imposed for more than six decades by the U.S. blockade.
Its election is also a recognition of its solidarity aid to other states. Cuba has contributed to world efforts to eradicate illiteracy. Its "Yo sí puedo" method has changed the lives of numerous people around the world.
More than 10 million citizens from different parts of the world have learned to read and write with the Cuban program, described as effective and economical by UNESCO.
Cuba has also achieved remarkable results in science. Our scientific community has come up with novel and effective medicines that have helped improve the quality of life of Cubans suffering from certain ailments.
Drugs that have also benefited citizens from different latitudes, such as the renowned HEBERPROT-P against diabetic foot ulcers.
The development in this field allowed Cuba to have three highly safe and effective vaccines against COVID 19. The nation became the first in Latin America to have its own immunogens and the first to vaccinate its pediatric population.
Likewise, the cultural policy of the Antilles encourages the participation of all in cultural processes and makes available the best of the various artistic manifestations.
The broad support received by Cuba to become a member of UNESCO's Executive Board is evidence of the prestige it enjoys at the international level for its actions in favor of education, science and culture.
