UN chief praises Cuba's efforts in promoting women rights, social development

Cuba has made remarkable efforts in promoting social development and gender equality in the Caribbean nation, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Monday. Ban arrived in Havana earlier in the day to attend the Second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, or CELAC for its initials in Spanish, as a special guest and to meet with Cuban authorities and representatives of civil societies. During a meeting at the National Center for Sex Education (Cenesex), the secretary-general praised the Cuban government's support for "Unite", a UN-backed campaign aimed at ending violence against women. He also lauded the support given by civil societies in defense of women's rights. Ban said he was touched and inspired by each action and initiative carried out in Cuba, noting that eradicating violence against women is not a dream but a possibilit. During the meeting, Mariela Castro Espin, director of Cenesex and a deputy in parliament, presented Ban symbolic certificates from his institution to commend the UN chief's promotion of the Unite campaign. The last UN secretary-general who had visited Cuba was Kofi Annan in 2006 for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement. CELAC, founded in February 2010 grouping 33 member countries, seeks to deepen political, economic, social and cultural integration in Latin America and the Caribbean...