Mr. Chairman,
Cuba endorses the statement delivered by Ecuador on behalf of the Group of 77 and China; El Salvador on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC); and Maldives on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States.
The current international economic order, which is profoundly unjust and unsustainable, has an increasing impact on the marginalization of a considerable number of nations of the South. Hunger, extreme poverty, illiteracy, lack of sanitation and premature death remain a constant in a considerable number of countries. More alarmingly is that the countries most affected are the least responsible for the crisis.
How can we speak about progress in eradicating poverty, when more than 80% of the word population survives on less than one dollar a day, nearly 1 billion people are living in extreme poverty and there are almost 800 million illiterate people? Speaking about progress in the eradication of poverty is a chimera, when the number of people suffering from chronic hunger increased by 38 million last year, reaching the sad figure of 815 million people.
This stands in contrast with the opulence of the developed world, whose historical responsibility gravitates over the serious environmental crisis that we are experiencing today and which is aggravated every day by a model of global production and consumption that is not sustainable for present or future generations.
How to reach a commitment to leave no one behind and definitively eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions, as intended by the 2030 Agenda, if multi-million dollar resources are allocated for military expenditures that could be devoted to the development of our peoples; protectionist practices in commerce are increasing; official development assistance has contracted in real terms and the external debt, which has been paid several times, continues to grow?
Mr. Chairman,
Cuba, despite the unjust and criminal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for 55 years, as well as the adverse effects of powerful hurricanes, droughts and the recent global crisis, shows remarkable achievements in social matters and has already fulfilled several of the goals outlined in the SDGs.
The infant mortality rate in Cuba is 4.3 per thousand live births, among the lowest worldwide, and life expectancy at birth is 78 years. In Cuba, there is no illiterate, and we have universal, accessible and free education and health care systems for the entire population. We have a rate of 1 doctor to every 125 inhabitants and a vaccination program that encompasses thirteen diseases with coverage of 100% of Cuban children, among other achievements. All this is a result of the political will of our government to prioritize resources in areas of high social impact. Each year, more than two-thirds of the country's budget is allocated to improving levels of education, health, social security and welfare, culture, sports, as well as for scientific and technical research.
Cuba firmly believes in South-South cooperation and international solidarity. We share our modest resources with needy sister nations through international cooperation. At present, over 40 000 health collaborators are working in 64 countries. Through the “Yes, I can” Cuban literacy program, recognized by UNESCO, millions of adults from 28 countries have been able to learn how to read and write. The “Operation Miracle”, jointly developed with the ALBA countries, has enabled hundreds of thousands of people from other nations to undergo surgery and have their sight restored; all of this free of charge.
Mr. Chairman,
In order to eradicate poverty, it is necessary to promote solidarity. For the human species to survive, social justice, equality and respect for the rights of peoples and of every human being must prevail.
We reiterate our decision to continue sharing with other peoples, to the extent of our country´s ability, our main resource: the human capital created by the Cuban Revolution, as well as our best experiences.
Thank you very much