New York, 12 February 2019.In her statement at the G77 High-Level Interactive Dialogue on “Inclusive development and inequality within and among countries”, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Cuba to the UN and Chargé d’affaires a.i., Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, reflected on the enormous challenges that the international community, and in particular the members of the G77 are facing, among them: the persistence and increase of great inequalities between developed and developing countries; the continuous implementation of unilateral coercive measures and other economic measures contrary to international law, mainly against the countries of the South, environmental degradation and climate change, the increase in the number of people living in poverty, among others.
The diplomat reiterated that growing inequality hinders significant and lasting progress in the achievement of development goals; while ensuring that development will not be sustainable until it is truly inclusive. This inclusion begins precisely with the possibility of access, without exceptions, to all levels of education, to high quality health services, she asserted. She also called for giving priority to developing social policies to achieve food security and poverty eradication.
Rodríguez Abascal explained that in the case of Cuba, -despite the six decades of harsh economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America, which has a direct impact on the social development of the island-, remarkable progress in social matters is continued to be made and several of the targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals have already been met.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations