A poor country does not have to leave its people defenseless

Affirms U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan at the opening of the First South Summit

by Aldo Madruga Granma International staff writer

April 19, 2000 -- Speaking at the opening session of the 1st South Summit in Havana, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated that Cuba has demonstrated that a poor country does not have to leave its population defenseless against life’s greatest hardships, and that is one of the reasons he was happy to be in Cuba.

He noted that the United Nations human development index, which measures education, life expectancy and per capital income, always puts Cuba above other countries with higher per capita gross domestic products.

Its efforts in the field of public health are especially impressive, he noted, citing the recognition given by The Economist, a magazine that could hardly be called communist, of the high level of health care maintained in Cuba and scarcely seen in most poor countries. According to Annan, what is even more unusual is that Cuba maintains the same levels in the rural areas as in the cities. He added that in this sphere the Cubans had provided an example that others could learn from.

Annan stated that the organizers of the Summit could not have chosen a better moment to hold it, because within five months the Millennium Summit will take place, providing a singular opportunity for mobilizing the world’s energy in a common program.

The voice of the South, loud and clear

He stated that the meeting would hear the voice of the South loud and clear, and that even more importantly, the Summit ought to result in real improvements in the lives of people, especially poor people. This means, he went on, that the voice of the South not only must be strong, but also clear, coherent and constructive.

The UN secretary-general spoke of the efforts being made so that the Millennium Summit could concentrate on issues which are priorities that unite everyone around a common action. He called on the representatives of the South nations to study proposals for a positive and practical program.

He also discussed the need to halt the spread of AIDS, noting that this was a worldwide health crisis threatening to wipe out several years of human development. He stated that his fellow Africans are aware of the magnitude of the epidemic, since on that continent, specifically below the Sahara, is where most of the AIDS victims live.

As for the alternatives facing the poor countries today, he commented that leaders need to work together to make change, because they will not accomplish what they want on their own. He called for the participation of everyone who has something to contribute, and the inclusion of the creative energy of the common man and woman.

History will judge us, he said, for what we do now and in the coming years, to free up the energies of the persons who live in developing countries, so that they can board the train of a world economy that is moving faster and faster.

Among the factors he enumerated for a successful national economy is good management of public affairs, along with the rule of law, efficient state institutions, government accountability, respect for human rights and the participation of all citizens in the decisions that affect their lives.

A more equitable world economy

Annan recognized that in order for the poor countries to benefit from the new world economy, the latter must be more equitable and based on norms that cover social objectives and common institutions in which the South is equally represented and its interests are protected. The most important of those institutions should be a renewed and strengthened UN, because it is the only world forum in which all countries are represented.

He remarked that the wealthiest countries are interested in establishing a more prosperous and stable world than the current one, but he said that in order for that to happen they must make an indispensable contribution. He urged them to provide free access to their markets from products from less developed countries, and to erase from their books the official debts of the poorest and heavily indebted countries.

He also urged the richest countries to be more generous in the development aid they provide, particularly those countries which are devoting resources to the reduction of poverty.


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