Mr. President,
We are living in complex times, with major challenges. Human and financial resources of international organizations, including the ILO, are being reduced. At the same time, global military expenditures are increasing, while international development financing is declining.
The ILO therefore requires a Development Cooperation Strategy that is more effective, innovative, and agile, in line with current needs.
The 2026–2029 Strategy is particularly important, as it is the last cooperation strategy that will contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals agreed in the 2030 Agenda.
The Strategy presented by the Secretariat adequately reflects the ILO’s historic mandate and is aligned with principles consistently defended by Cuba, including those recently reaffirmed in Seville: the need for a fairer international financial architecture, the centrality of human beings over capital, and the urgency of strengthening international development cooperation as a pillar of multilateralism.
We positively value the three essential elements of the Strategy: the reaffirmation of the ILO’s normative mandate, tripartism, and social justice as guiding pillars of cooperation.
In a world where financing modalities increasingly come with conditions or are driven by commercial interests, it is essential that the ILO preserve its identity as a specialized agency that promotes rights, social dialogue, and inclusive public policies.
We welcome the explicit recognition of South-South and triangular cooperation as a strategic modality. Cuba has consistently stressed that the Global South is not only a recipient, but also a generator of solutions, knowledge, and capacities. The Strategy reflects this vision and opens space for middle-income countries, regional institutions, and horizontal partnerships to contribute more decisively to decent work. However, we express our concern regarding the proposed significant reduction—potentially up to 80 per cent—of the account allocated to technical cooperation under the regular budget, as outlined in documents INS/7 and PFA/4.
We support the transition towards a more programmatic, coherent, and results-oriented approach. This approach can improve efficiency, avoid fragmentation, and ensure that increasingly scarce resources are used with greater impact and relevance.
However, we wish to underline several elements that require attention to ensure that the Strategy is truly inclusive.
The growing tendency to require national co-financing may limit access for countries facing severe financial constraints. As Cuba stated in Seville, development cooperation must be based on fresh, additional, and predictable resources, not on mechanisms that reproduce structural inequalities.
On the other hand, the expansion of partnerships with the private sector and philanthropic actors requires clear mechanisms of oversight, transparency, and compliance with standards. Cooperation cannot be subordinated to corporate interests. It is essential to ensure that all partnerships effectively contribute to decent work and respect the Organization’s fundamental principles.
Mr. President,
Cuba supports the overall spirit and content of the Strategy. We trust that its implementation will contribute to development cooperation that is more just, more solidarity-based, and more aligned with the real needs of developing countries, leaving no one behind.
Thank you.