New York, October 8, 2018."The blockade against Cuba continues to be imposed with full rigor. Even in the midst of such adverse circumstances, the Cuban people continue to be involved in the updating of its Economic and Social Model and the achievement of its Development Plan until 2030, which has been chosen in a sovereign manner, in order to build an independent, sovereign, prosperous, democratic and sustainable socialist nation,” said the Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, in her statement at the General Debate of the Second Committee of the United Nations.
The Cuban diplomat also pointed out that the island, together with the international community, in an overwhelming majority, rejects the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that hinder the full achievement of the economic and social development of the peoples, particularly the developing countries. In that context, she urged States to refrain from unilaterally enacting and implementing economic, financial or commercial measures contrary to international law and to the Charter of the United Nations.
Rodríguez Camejo expressed the will of the island to participate in the work of the Second Committee in order to help eliminate the obstacles, gaps and challenges faced by the world community in terms of development, which particularly affects the developing countries, specifically the most vulnerable ones. She added that the working premises of the Committee should be based on constructive debate, mutual respect, national equality of each of its members and respect for the different realities, capacities and levels of development of each country.
The ambassador reflected on how the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement, among other framework agreements, will only be possible if all the Member States show true commitment, political will and spirit of cooperation. She stressed that the political will and the true commitment of the most powerful states to fulfill their international commitments have failed, which are still far from meeting the objective of mobilizing 0.7 percent of their Gross Domestic Product.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations