Paris - Cuba supported on Tuesday, during the general debate of the UNESCO Executive Board session, a reform of this UN agency that promotes peace to boost education, culture and science.

'Peace is threatened in several regions of the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean, proclaimed as a Zone of Peace, hostile forces, supported by the leading world power (the United States), act to overthrow legitimately elected governments,' Cuban representative Oscar Leon warned.

According to the ambassador, ongoing reform of UNESCO is a new opportunity to strengthen its capacity to foster peace through education, science, culture, information and communications.

In that regard, Leon highlighted the call by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay through the strategic transformation initiative, which should continue the governance process started in 2015.

When addressing the Cuban position in the sectors that concern UNESCO, Leon defended the strengthening of its global leadership in education, with initiatives such as combating illiteracy on the planet.

Regarding culture, he warned that protecting and defending cultural diversity in all its expressions has never been more necessary, in the face of a global reality marked by growing signs of xenophobia and hate.

The speech by the Cuban representative to the UNESCO Executive Board also to ratified Cuba's invitation to take advantage of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as the opportunity to materialize the aspiration to leave no one behind in a scenario of world peace.