UN General Assembly
1991

Behind us lie chapters of confrontation, intransigence and inflexibility and times of sterile, senseless controversies, dominated by the terrifying euphemism of nuclear deterrence. The prospects of a less conflictive world should not make us postpone action on, or sidestep the challenges and dilemmas facing us. Some of them are old; others are new, left over from a bipolar world that still moulds historical events in terms of inequality and injustice. The building of peace requires an innovative look, not only at the conflicts still persisting, but also at the pressing economic and social problems experienced by the vast majority of mankind and the growing gap between poverty and prosperity. Let us move now from East-West confrontation to a North-South co-operation that will lead to a single united world. It is time to ask both the United States and Cuba to cease the confrontation which began in the context of the cold war. Let us have confidence that Cuba will open itself to the universal concept of democracy as we would all wish and that the United States will be open to a dialogue that puts an end to sanctions that have lost all justification and validity.