Geneva, April 17, 2024. - Cuba's First Vice-Minister of Communications, Wilfredo González Vidal, participated in the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development High-Level Panel entitled: "Progress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society at the regional and international levels, and review of WSIS+20".
In his speech, Mr. González Vidal underlined the relevance of the WSIS outcomes, notably the Geneva Declaration of Principles and the Tunis Agenda. He called for the full implementation of these documents and the establishment of mechanisms for access to financing, technology transfer and capacity building for developing countries.
Turning to the way in which the inequitable international economic order extends to the field of science, technology and innovation, Mr. González Vidal referred to the inequality of payments for international Internet connectivity, which favors developed countries, where the main backbones are located. He called for international cooperation mechanisms to be strengthened, and for industrialized countries to respect their commitments and provide new, additional and predictable financial resources for the construction of the global information society, on a non-discriminatory basis.
The First Deputy Minister recalled that the final documents of the World Summit on the Information Society call on States to refrain from adopting unilateral measures that do not comply with international law and the UN Charter, insofar as they hinder the full realization of the economic and social development of the population of the countries concerned and harm the well-being of their citizens. She called for these provisions to be respected.
Permanent Mission of Cuba in Geneva