New York, 10 October 2019.In his statement at the Segment on Macroeconomic Policy Questions, Agenda Item 17 of the Second Committee of the United Nations, First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the UN, Juan Miguel Gonzalez Peña, expressed the aspiration of developing countries for a more just, non-discriminatory and inclusive international order that allows growth and development for all and narrows the gaps with developed countries. He also added that the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda will only be possible through real political will with a view to mobilizing additional, predictable and unconditioned resources so that developing countries can meet their development goals.
The diplomat recalled that very few developed nations meet their commitments to offer 0.7% of their GDP as Official Development Assistance. She stated that in 2017 this only accounted for 0.31% of the GDP of all donor countries, while large amounts of money are used to develop the military industry, as shown by the U.S. military budget record, enough to implement many of the objectives and goals of the 2030 Agenda.
The Caribbean diplomat called for greater representation, equity and participation of developing countries in the mechanisms of global economic governance, as well as for structural changes in the international economic, commercial and financial areas, in order to put an end to underdevelopment. On behalf of Cuba, he also supported the external debt relief, including the cancellation and restructuring of the debt of the nations of the South, particularly the poorest and needy.
Gonzalez Peña stressed the need to defend and strengthen the current rules-based, open, transparent, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, which guarantees and extends its special and differential treatment provisions for all developing countries, while rejecting unilateral, discriminatory and protectionist practices in global trade and within the multilateral framework, in particular by the United States, which hinders our countries’ development efforts and undermines the foundations of multilateralism.
In the specific case of Cuba, he denounced the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, which causes great deprivation to the Cuban people and constitutes the main obstacle for the country’s development, the achievement of its macroeconomic policy goals and, consequently, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations