Havana Tribune

In the midst of a context characterized by the crisis generated by the epidemic, the conflicts of international wars, and the shortage of raw materials, Cuba will host for the first time the summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Group of 77 and China on the 15th of this month. And the 16th of this month.

She invited the Caribbean country to participate in the topic “Current development challenges: the role of science, technology and innovation”, in its capacity as interim chair of the negotiating bloc of developing countries.

In this regard, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Secretary of the Party’s Central Committee and President of the Republic of Cuba, said that the meeting scheduled to be held in Havana would be appropriate to talk about limited access to VIPs. Quality science and technology are part of humanity, which reinforces an unjust system and exacerbates the social, economic, scientific and technical marginalization of and within many countries, with serious consequences for the countries of the South.

The President believes that this occasion should work to strengthen the unity of member states and take collective and practical measures to effectively confront contemporary challenges.

But what is the G77 and China?

This bloc was created in 1964 within the Non-Aligned Movement at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and initially consisted of 77 countries.

Although the name still exists to this day, there are 134 countries that make up the mechanism, and its members represent two-thirds of the countries that make up the United Nations system and represent 80 percent of the world’s population.

According to the website of the Presidency and Government of Cuba, the Group of 77 and China currently includes 134 countries, after South Sudan entered in March 2015.

The group works to promote South-South cooperation, a fundamental pillar of international exchange within the bloc; Strengthening and developing this relationship is essential, because it contributes to the well-being of developing peoples and their collective independence.

According to the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the group provides the means for countries of the South to articulate and advance their collective economic interests and improve their ability to jointly negotiate key international economic issues.

The G77 and China elect a president every year, who is responsible for ensuring the interests of all members and coordinating meetings. The intention is that each year it belongs to a different region and decisions are taken at the Ministers’ Meeting which is also held annually.

What is Cuba’s role in the group?

The largest of the Antilles islands has been part of the bloc since 1971 with active participation. Havana even hosted the First South Summit from 10 to 14 April 2000, which, according to the statute, is the supreme decision-making body of the mechanism.

Last May, ministers and senior officials in the culture sector from the G77 member states and China met at the Palace of Congresses in the Cuban capital, where the role of culture as a global public good was analyzed, as well as: mechanisms for South-South cooperation and alternatives for sustainable development, in addition to Creative economies and cultural industries in developing countries.

Within the framework of the Group’s meetings, tourism ministers also met in Havana to analyze the challenges faced by the sector as a driving force for the economic, inclusive and sustainable development of the countries of the South.

During the 46th Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77 and China, Bruno Rodríguez Barela, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed that Cuba, in his role as President, will work to promote full compliance with the responsibility of industrialized countries to provide support through North American cooperation. South, will encourage the advancement of common positions among members, and preserve and consolidate the unity of the group.

(Taken from ACN)

See also:

Summit in Havana amid international tensions