Cuba spoke today at the Second Session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be held from June 30th to July 3rd, 2025, in Seville, Spain.
In his speech, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, highlighted that the outcome document of the Conference must be worthy of the aspirations and needs of developing countries, represent real progress in the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and respond to the call to ensure the mobilization of resources to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
He welcomed the presentation of the core document, which contained some elements for subsequent agreements, and agreed with its initial principle that the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and its seven action areas remained the central programmatic framework that should guide efforts on financing for development.
He stressed the inclusion of the request for the Financing for Development Forum to assess the impact of unilateral economic, financial or trade measures inconsistent with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. However, he emphasized the need to promote concrete actions, such as the commitment of Member States to eliminate these measures, which only harm the affected peoples and constitute an obstacle to achieving their national development goals.
He reiterated the demand that the outcome of the Fourth Conference be translated into immediate action to address the unsustainable external debt that hinders the development of most countries of the South.
Mr. Soberón Guzmán reiterated that Cuba will continue to insist on the need for an urgent and ambitious reform of the international financial architecture, covering both the international financial institutions and their governance structure. This reform must be fair and responsive to the financing needs of developing countries, he stated.
He insisted it is essential to strengthen and reinvigorate international cooperation and multilateralism, facilitate access to long-term financing, and improve technical assistance, technology transfer and capacity-building programs, by offering preferential terms to developing countries and taking into account their special circumstances.
He stated that the Fourth Conference on Financing for Development represented a unique opportunity to transform aspirations into concrete actions that would benefit the peoples of the South. He affirmed that Cuba, committed to this intergovernmental process, joins the international community to ensure that the outcome of this Conference is not just another document, but a true pact that promotes the mobilization of resources and promotes social and economic justice.
He concluded by calling for the construction of a more equitable and sustainable future for all, reaffirming Cuba's willingness to work tirelessly on this path, providing its experience and determination to achieve inclusive development that leaves no one behind, especially those who need it most.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations
