New York, October 19, 2018. The Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, discussed Agenda Item 16 entitled, "Information and communication technologies for development”. In her statement Rosalia Cue Delgado, Second Secretary at Permanent Mission of Cuba to the UN, highlighted the deep gaps between developed and developing countries, regarding a group of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things , blockchains, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
The official acknowledged that at a global level, there are necessary resources to eliminate the digital divide and to promote a broad, fair and equal access and development of these technologies for all. This, she said, requires sufficient political will and commitment from developed countries in terms of financing, investment, training, creation of infrastructure, knowledge dissemination as well as of intellectual property and technology transfer.
She called for the use of ICTs to increase the capacities of the peoples in order to achieve economic and social development, promote peace, knowledge, and eradicate poverty, illiteracy and social exclusion, based on strict respect for the Charter of the UN and International Law and not to promote war, interventionism, destabilization, subversion, unilateralism or terrorist actions.
Regarding Cuba, she explained how to work on the basis of a national economic and social development plan including priority areas to be applied until 2030 for the development of an information and knowledge society focused on the person, and oriented towards sustainable development. She denounced the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba and its negative impact on the communications and information sector, stressing that, from May 2017 to May 2018, telecommunications have been the most affected by the impact of the blockade reporting damages amounting to over 60 million 143 thousand dollars.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations