Foro Europa-Cuba | Jean Monnet NetworkNews
First Dialogue on Sustainable Development between the EU and Cuba
25-04-2019
In Havana on April 16th, the European Union and Cuba held the first Dialogue on the Advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The meeting was co-chaired on the one hand by Stefano Manservisi, Director-General for International Cooperation and Development at the European Commission, and Alberto Navarro, the European Union's Ambassador to Cuba and, on the other, by Rodolfo Reyes, Director-General of Multilateral Issues and International Law at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was held within the framework of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the two parties, which seeks to promote bilateral relations and accompany the island's process of regional and international integration.
This first dialogue analysed the progress Cuba and the EU have made on the 17 SDGs, along with the challenges and opportunities for joint initiatives that can be implemented together, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in response to the 2030 Agenda.
The debate addressed six thematic axes that were prioritised by both parties: SDGs 2 (zero hunger), 5 (gender equality), 7 (sustainable energy), 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequality) and 13 (climate action). The most important potential actions and strategies for fostering the creation of partnerships and alliances for development in relation to SDG 17 were studied, such as the promotion of triangular cooperation and regional programmes developed with Latin America and the Caribbean at different levels.
The Cuban government representative warned that the tightening of the sanctions and embargoes applied by the Trump administration is undermining the Caribbean nation's sustainable development efforts. On this issue, the EU reaffirmed its position in opposition to the blockade policy and made statements on the illegal nature of the extraterritorial provisions.
During the course of the meeting, Stefano Manservisi and Ileana Núñez Mordoche, Cuba's Vice Minister of Trade and Foreign Investment, signed several agreements that envisage additional commitments of a total of €61.5 million to finance EU-Cuba cooperation on food security, renewable energy, climate change, economic modernisation and culture.
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