Presentation by the Ambassador and Special Representative for the Cuban Presidency of G-77 and China, H.E. Mr. Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta, at the parallel event to the XIX NAM Summit and the III South Summit "Harnessing the Potential of South-South and Triangular Cooperation for the Decade of Action". Co-organized by Islamic Development Bank, South Centre, UNCTAD and UNOSSC.
Kampala, Uganda, January 20, 2024.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
- South-South Cooperation is an innovative expression of solidarity among developing countries and a way of interpreting political, economic and social relations among peoples of the South, as well as global and regional processes. It complements North-South cooperation.
- Economic and technical cooperation among developing countries has become a component of South-South relations and an important mean of promoting the exchange of initiatives, knowledge, technical advances, skills and experiences in a wide range of sectors.
- Strengthening the support of the United Nations system for this cooperation modality, especially the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and UNCTAD, is critical.
- The G77 and China Summit on Science, Technology and Innovation, which took place on 15 and 16 September 2023 in Havana, aimed precisely at promoting South-South cooperation in an area that is fundamental for the development of our countries and where there is an unexplored potential for cooperation between our countries.
- Scientific and technical progress is key to achieving sustainable development, and in this sense, the Summit pursued to identify priorities and explore mechanisms and initiatives that contribute to complementarity among the countries of the South in the main areas of interest. The materialization of this objective will not only contribute to the solution of important current challenges, but also to greater economic and technological independence of the Global South.
- The process of the South Summits, initiated in Havana in 2000, should serve precisely to update and promote a cooperation platform with the highest level of political support from our leaders.
- South-South Cooperation is one of the fundamental pillars of Cuba's foreign policy, and its strengthening constitutes one of our priorities.
- For Cuba, South-South Cooperation is a mechanism that helps to combat the disparity between developed and developing countries, as well as to reduce the existing structural gaps and the empowerment of the countries of the South within the prevailing unjust international order.
- During 2023 Cuba offered cooperation to 71 countries, despite the intensification of the genocidal blockade by the US government and the campaign against the Cuban cooperation, especially in the field of health.
- To date, more than 1 million Cubans have provided professional and technical services in 168 countries. More than 50% of them are women.
- At present, more than 24 thousand cooperants provide services in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Oceania and Africa. Ninety percent of our cooperation is in the health sector.
- As part of our cooperation, to date more than 82 thousand students from 162 countries have graduated in Cuba and today more than 5 thousand students are studying in our country. Even during the most difficult economic times, our country has maintained this cooperation.
- For the 2024 academic year, Cuba granted 739 scholarships for university studies in the Island.
- During the G77 and China Summit held in September 2023 in Havana, Cuba presented 17 cooperation projects in different sectors and 10 scholarships for university studies were granted.
- We must take advantage of our capabilities and expertise in order to reduce our historical dependence on the North. In this regard, we invite all delegations to study the projects proposed by Cuba during our Presidency of the G77 and China.