HAVANA, Cuba. – The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Barcena, remarked the fact there is a country like Cuba in the area which has taught new forms of cooperation, sharing what it has, not what they have aplenty.

In taking part in one of the panels on the national Day of Cuba, prior to the official inauguration of the thirty-seventh session of that body, Barcena highlighted Cuba as an example of South-South cooperation.

In that sense, she described Cuba’s contribution to controlling the Ebola epidemic in Africa, which he valued in addition as rapid, effective and timely, showing the international community how much it can be done when there is goodwill and solidarity principles.

We no longer want cooperation to be defined from the North, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC said and urged the defense of multilateralism.

An Altruistic Spirit

Cuba´s firm commitment to South-South cooperation was ratified by the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Ileana Nunez, during the National Day of Cuba, prior to the official inauguration tomorrow of the thirty-seventh session of that organism.

Nunez argued that cooperation has been one of the essences of the Revolution over more than 50 years, and reiterated the solidarity will of the Government and people despite the effects of the blockade imposed by Washington.

The Cuban vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment pointed out that actions in South-South cooperation allow for the exchange of experiences, and to boost developing economies.

Foreign investment, business opportunities and sustainable development for Cuba, is another issue at the Convention Palace of Havana, venue of the ECLAC session.

Cuba´s Generosity

In the panel dedicated to South-South cooperation, opportunities and lessons learned from Cuban experiences, UN expert Jorge Chediek described as impressive the generous collaboration of the Caribbean island in various fields.

The Director of the Office for South-South Cooperation of the United Nations, recalled mechanisms put in place by this system to encourage such a spirit, but many shipwrecked despite that the Millennium Development Goals are modest.

Cuba, small and subject to military, political and economic aggressions, since the 1960´s has collaborated with other developing nations in an example of solidarity that should be imitated, the UN official said.

Chediek mentioned that 1.5 billion people have been taken care of by the missions of Cuban doctors in the world, and more than 60 thousand physicians have graduated in the Latin American School of Medicine.

Cuban Contributions to South-South Cooperation

On the day dedicated to the host country of the session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Cuba presented several of its contributions to South-South cooperation.

More than 40 thousand health workers provide assistance today in 64 countries, including Brazil, where the Mas Medicos program articulated by the Pan American Health Organization, ensures attention to people in peripheral areas and the Amazon rainforest.

Other examples were the contextualization of the Cuban model of non-institutional care “Educate Your Child,” and experiences in preventing and confronting the effects of climate change.

ECLAC, which celebrates its 70 years, will held its most important biennial meeting from tomorrow until Friday.