On Wednesday, representatives from several countries gathered at ECLAC presented their experiences in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called to promote partnerships in order to achieve the fulfillment of these goals.
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Some 1,000 delegates from governments, international institutions and civil society, among other actors, are participating at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Chile in the seventh regional forum to assess the progress and challenges of the 2030 Agenda.
Speaking at the event, the head of the Cuban delegation, Carlos Fidel Martín, expressed his satisfaction at seeing how this space is consolidating as the main regional mechanism for monitoring the 17 SDGs.
The also director of International Economic Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment explained that his country has shown progress from the implementation of the National Plan for Economic and Social Development towards 2030.
The Caribbean nation guarantees free access to a set of basic social services, which has allowed it to achieve high levels of human development, he said.
Cuba, despite being subjected to the US blockade for more than 60 years, reiterated its commitment to the objectives of the UN and also expressed its willingness to continue to support other countries that require it through solidarity cooperation and with its modest resources.
"We want to be categorical, without peace it is not possible to speak of sustainable development, and the 2030 Agenda will not be possible without it, nor without cooperation, solidarity and multilateralism," he said.
In turn, the Brazilian representative explained that since the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the presidency in January 2023, the government had re-established the national commission for sustainable development.
Among the programmed, he cited Bolsa Familia, which will allow progress to be made in reducing poverty and hunger; the ecological transition plan; and the plan to prevent and control deforestation in the Amazon.
However, there is still much to be done, which is why it is important to exchange experiences and cooperate to identify best practices in a region where we share similar problems, said the Brazilian delegation.
In 2015, a total of 193 UN member states pledged to meet 17 goals in 15 years, including zero hunger, ending poverty, quality education, gender equality, water and sanitation, sustainable energy, full employment and combating climate change.
According to the report presented here, ECLAC considers that in the region 22 percent of the SDGs will be achieved, 46 are moving in a favorable direction, but not with the required speed, and the remaining 32 will not be achieved.