Mr. Chairman,
We are very pleased to welcome the State of Palestine in its capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 for 2019. I assure you that it can count on Cuba's full support in said endeavor. With this chairmanship, the Group of 77 has once again recognized the activism and outstanding role of the State of Palestine as a full member of our Group as well as the inalienable rights of its people. We are convinced that under its leadership, the Group of 77 will continue to strengthen its role in promoting and defending the interests of the countries of the South.
Since its inception, the history of the Group of 77 and China has been intertwined with that of the United Nations. With the signing of the "Joint Declaration of the Seventy-seven Developing Countries", on June 15, 1964, at the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Group endorsed values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations: unity, solidarity, better standards of living, cooperation and an end to the "division of the world into areas of affluence and areas of intolerable poverty". These values still have an unquestionable validity nowadays, as the role play by the Group of 77 and China in the United Nations is also unquestionable.
In the Group of 77 and China, more than half of the world population and two-thirds of the UN member states are represented. Taking into account our diversity, we cannot ignore the strength we represent, since we are united by multiple interests and common principles.
The Group is responsible for leading the interests and aspirations of our peoples, being their voice and fundamental action, as a beacon, in pursuit of multilateralism, cooperation and development of our peoples within the framework of the current international context.
In 2019, the Group will face complex processes; including follow-up on the implementation and fulfillment of the commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement; the negotiations on South-South Cooperation, Financing for Development and the High-Level Political Forum; the implementation of the commitments derived from the reform process of the Organization, as well as the growing challenges facing Multilateralism and the United Nations. The Group will also have a key role in monitoring the changes introduced to the Organization's budgeting and programming cycle. For all the above, the joint and united action of the Group of 77 in defense of its principles and interests will be a fundamental stronghold.
Mr. Chairman,
We would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding work done by Egypt in the exercise of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 during 2018. The professionalism, rigor, transparency and proven diplomatic skill of its entire mission in this task, were key elements in the achievements reached by the Group last year. We would like to specially acknowledge its Permanent Representative, our beloved Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees, for his proven leadership in defending the interests of the Group.
I conclude by reiterating Cuba's commitment to the goals and principles that motivated the creation of the Group of 77 and China, and to the building of a fairer and more united world, where no one is left behind.
Thank you very much.