G77 and China's voice to be always heard at UN, Guterres asserts

 HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 15 (ACN) The voice of the Group of 77 and China will always be heard at the United Nations (UN), and I count on this group, which has long been a defender of multilateralism, to stand up, use its power and fight, said António Guterres, UN Secretary General, today in Havana.

Guterres was speaking at the opening of the Summit of that negotiating mechanism, which is taking place at the Havana Convention Center, and in the presence of Army General Raul Castro, leader of the Revolution, heads of state and government and other personalities, Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the Republic, spoke because Cuba occupies the pro tempore presidency.

The senior UN official called on the 134 member states of the G77 and China to defend a system based on equality, willing to reverse the injustice and neglect of centuries and benefit all humanity.

He stressed that the world is failing developing countries, which is why they must fight to achieve the goals of sustainable development, and this requires that this group use its strong voice to fight for common objectives.

He also stressed the urgency for science, innovation and technology, the theme of the Havana meeting, to be geared to the needs of such nations, and to reduce existing inequalities in a world where many of them do not have access to such resources with a view to confronting and preventing climate change.

We are moving towards a multipolar world, which creates a new opportunity for global leadership, UN Secretary General expressed.

We have to create a future for developing countries and each one has the duty to support and fulfill the promise to contribute to mitigate the effects of climate change and natural disasters, the speaker noted.

Guterres pointed out that many nations of the South have not been able to pay off their economic debts and some do not even have the conditions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, and insisted on a better distribution of wealth in order to solve these problems.
It is necessary to reformulate international organizations and agencies so that they reflect the reality of the world we live in, he affirmed.

The UN Secretary General congratulated Cuba for the successful development of its vaccines, which have not only served its people, but which, thanks to the generosity of the State and Government of the Island, are allowed to be used throughout the world.

Almost 60 years ago, a group of nations met to sign the founding document of the G77: the Joint Declaration of the 77 Developing Countries; the founders declared themselves united in their determination to remedy centuries of injustice and neglect, he recalled.
In today's troubled world, this role remains as important as it was then, Guterres concluded.