ECLAC Praises Cuba´s Experience in Sustainable Development

HAVANA, Cuba, May 7 (ACN) The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC/CEPAL in Spanish), Alicia Barcena, said on Monday in Havana that we have much to learn from Cuba in sustainable development with equality because the island has constructed alternatives paths.

In its projects on society, Cuban citizens are subject to and not only object in the transformations that improve condition, makes public policy a tool of increased collectivity and equality into a shared objective, said the only woman that has headed the regional entity, based in Chile.

Barcena spoke on Monday at Havana's Convention Center during the inauguration of a seminar on the ECLAC's socio-economic contribution to the region with the presence of the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz in addition to other guests from several countries.

Before the heads of delegations of the 37th period of sessions of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and members of the diplomatic corps, Barcena recalled the first steps of the Revolution in 1959 when the US policy of hostilities began against the Caribbean island. Despite this, Cuba's first plans was a rapid industrialization process of the country together with the quick substitution of imports.

She added that such ideas coincided with that of the ECLAC on the diversification of production, especially to the need of accumulated fixed capital to industrialize and the necessity of diversifying the destinations and Cuban exporting basket.

The ECLAC official mentioned the challenges for the Cuban authorities when the socialist community disappeared, in particular the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics, but added that in the mid 1990's signs of a stabilized economy appears and the recovery of the levels of production and trade in addition to improved social indicators.

She stressed the fact that in 1995 there was a mutual agreement to document the recent economic process, characteristics of the crisis, reforms and the recovery that was to come after an unprecedented fall of the economic activity. Barcena added that the entity began to work in economic projections and mid-term scenarios for the development of Cuba.

She insisted strengthening cooperation has characterized its relations with the island, although she expressed her concern before the world situation in which the tendencies of protectionism and unilateralism has been reinforced.

Barcena said that as never before poverty, immigration, war and inequality are global issues, climate change and the threat that it represents to the future generations is by definition a topic that does not recognize borders.

That is why, said the Executive secretary of ECLAC, humanity faces the need of global cooperation based on multilateralism and mutual respect.

The Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz expressed during the beginning of the event that he is grateful for ECLAC's cooperation, support and understanding that constitutes an economic and social reference.

The37th period of sessions of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean dedicated its Monday activity to Cuban National Day and for this Malmierca characterized the panels entitled Implementation of Agenda 2030: sustainable development with equality and Contribution of ECLAC to the economic and social ideas of Latin America and the Caribbean as singular interest.

In addition, Exchange with South-South Cooperation. Opportunities and lessons learned of Cuban experiences of the UN and especially the Seminar on Foreign Investment. Business and Sustainable Development Opportunities for Cuba.