New York, 13 January 2017. Cuba spoke today, in its capacity as President of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) during the month of January, at the handover ceremony from the Kingdom of Thailand to the Republic of Ecuador, of the Chairmanship of the G77 and China.
The Deputy Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Ambassador Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, on behalf of GRULAC, members of the G-77, after welcoming the presence of the President of the Republic of Ecuador, Rafael Correa and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand,Don Pramudwinai, as well as the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, referred to the ties between the history of the Group of 77 and that of the United Nations, highlighting the values still with unquestionable validity nowadays, “as unquestionable is the role played by the Group of 77 and China in the United Nations”, she noted while commenting that the G77 and China encompass more than half of the world's population and two-thirds of the Organization's Member States, “thus being one of the major voices of obligatory reference in the current international context.”
While pointing out the different challenges that the current 134 members of the Group of 77 face, the Ambassador recognized the professionalism and proven diplomatic skill of the team of the Permanent Mission of Thailand, jointly with the leadership of its Permanent Representative, Ambassador Virachai Plasai, in defending the Group's interests, and welcomed Ecuador as the incoming chairman, fully ensuring that such a team, under the leadership of Ambassador Horacio Sevilla Borja, will continue to strengthen the Group's role in promoting and defending the interests of the countries of the South.
To conclude, the Cuban diplomat reiterated the commitment with the goals and principles that motivated the creation of the Group of 77 and China and with the building of a more just and supportive world where no one is left behind. (Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations)