Speaking at the High-Level Event on Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition, Cuba’s Permanent Representative at UN, Ambassador Ernesto Soberon, reaffirmed his country’s right to and commitment toward a just, inclusive, and sustainable energy transition.

The Cubaminrex portal highlights that, in his address, the diplomat emphasized that the energy transition must represent an opportunity to drive sustainable development rather than becoming a new source of inequality.

The ambassador stressed that respect for states’ sovereign rights over their natural resources is an essential principle for ensuring an equitable energy transition.

He stated that it is up to each country to decide—in accordance with its national priorities and international law—how to manage and utilize its critical minerals so that they contribute to the sovereign and sustainable development of its people.

Cuba’s Permanent Representative explained that the country is currently facing a fuel blockade as a result of the unprecedented intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the US government for over six decades. He noted that this policy seeks to hinder access to fuel, prevent the acquisition of technologies for energy generation and storage, intimidate international suppliers, and even obstruct projects aimed at expanding renewable energy generation—all of which directly impacts the operation of hospitals, schools, water supply systems, and other essential services.

Soberin reiterated Cuba’s commitment to an inclusive energy transition, asserting that access to energy, technologies, and resources necessary for sustainable development must not be conditioned by economic coercion or political considerations, but rather grounded in the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and international cooperation.

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