REPUBLIC OF CUBA
Permanent Mission to the United Nations
315 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016
Press Release
The Group of 77 and China joins the worldwide call for the elimination of all unilateral coercive measures against developing countries
New York, 3 April 2020. The Group of 77 and China publicly stated its position regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed its solidarity with all affected countries as they struggle to mitigate its effects. It also expressed its support and admiration for all healthcare professionals and medical researchers who serve on the front lines in the battle against the disease.
In its statement, the Group of 77 and China called upon the international community to adopt urgent and effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries. Said measures have a negative impact on the capacity of States to respond efficiently to the new demands of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the statement stressed that such coercive measures also affect the essential cooperation and solidarity that should prevail among nations.
This appeal joined the one recently made by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the Non-Aligned Movement, among other organizations, that also recognized that blockades and sanctions, especially on medical equipment and medicines, directly affect developing countries fighting the coronavirus.
The statement by the Group of 77 also included a call for sharing information and technology for the detection, prevention, treatment and control of the pandemic at the global level. Moreover, it commended the South-South cooperation that currently contributes to confront the pandemic. The Group stated that this is a time for the international community to demonstrate its capability to work together in solidarity to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations
