New York, July 7, 2020. Ambassador Humberto Rivero Rosario, representative of Cuba to the United Nations, stated at the General Debate of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was a turning point for our planet and all our nations, in order to promote and achieve more harmonious, inclusive and prosperous societies.
The Cuban diplomat admitted that the current COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the existing vulnerabilities of many countries, aggravated by the persistence of an unjust and unsustainable international economic order. The proliferation of unilateralism; protectionism; the increasing use of unilateral coercive economic measures, the growing inequalities at global level and the weakening of multilateral agreements and the undermining of multilateralism, together create a global environment that hinders the ability of developing countries to eliminate the causes of underdevelopment at the national level and achieve the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of its goals.
He stressed that the 2030 Agenda can only be implemented if there is a real political will, solidarity, multilateral cooperation and equality at global level.
In the case of Cuba, Rivero Rosario emphasized the island´s commitment with the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals; which is coordinated with Cuba´s updating process of the economic and social model, and that the elements that provide legal support to the fulfillment of the SDGs has also been stated in the new Constitution proclaimed in 2019.
The Cuban ambassador stated that the greatest challenge Cuba is facing regarding the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the fulfillment of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals is the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the government of the United States of America for more than 60 years, which is the main obstacle for the economic and social development of the country and has hampered all the efforts and actions of Cuba to guarantee an effective response in the fight against the pandemic and move forward to the full recovery of the country, all of which has been overcome thanks to the unwavering will of the Cuban people and government and the support of international cooperation and the United Nations.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations