The Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba, Manuel Marrero, delivered the closing remarks of the second and last day of sessions of the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the G77 and China. teleSUR
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00:00 We go back to the summit of the G77 and China being held in Havana.
00:13 Let's listen to the statements of Mario Lubetkin, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative
00:17 for Latin America and the Caribbean Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
00:21 The administration by 2030, at this rhythm, we will not fulfill the goals established
00:30 for the agenda and the SDGs.
00:33 373 million people were hungry in 2022, and more than 3.1 billion people could not afford
00:42 a healthy diet.
00:44 The impacts of the climate crisis, such as droughts and floods, are severely affecting,
00:51 as you know, the agriculture and food security.
00:55 Agriculture still suffers 26 percent of damages and losses brought about by extreme disasters.
01:05 Our systems are under great pressure to produce more and satisfy the increasing demand for
01:12 food and minimizing the time and impact of the environment.
01:19 It is imperative to transform our food systems to make them more efficient, more resilient,
01:26 more sustainable.
01:27 This transformation will depend on the implementation of innovative technologies, science and technology.
01:34 The new strategy of science and innovation of FAO is based on three main pillars to strengthen
01:41 science and make decision-making based on evidence, supporting innovation and technology
01:47 at the regional and international level, and better serve the members and promote for them
01:55 to strengthen their capacities.
01:57 These change the rules of the game, but the knowledge in itself does not promote change.
02:04 Transformative governance and the strengthening of the society are a basis for that success.
02:12 The induction of new skilled technologies and innovation for an efficient development
02:18 require three key elements, coherent and comprehensive agricultural systems; two, investments in
02:29 agricultural planning for development; and three, participative focus for the exchange
02:34 of transfer and knowledge.
02:40 The agricultural systems cover all the cycles of production.
02:48 They also include a wide range of technologies and innovations, including biotechnology,
02:55 digital biotechnology, and renewable energies, among others.
03:00 The advances of biotechnology have very diverse use and can be used for the genetic improvement
03:06 of plants and animals in order to increase production, improve the health of the soils,
03:14 and for the quick diagnosis of diseases and the development of vaccines.
03:18 The technologies for gender addition also provide tools for the improvement of plants
03:26 and animals.
03:29 Tools also provide great opportunities to provide data and monitor crops and plagues,
03:40 and also provides governments and farmers with alerts in real time for efficient and
03:48 informed decision-making to improve adaptation resilience in the face of the threats and
03:54 crisis we have heard of in these days.
03:59 Technologies such as agricultural robots and digital technologies for financial improvement
04:06 will help us face the upcoming - the current developments.
04:14 We need to carry out efficient transformations in our agricultural systems in the world.
04:24 One of our goals is to support the acceleration of rural transformations.
04:34 Our geospace transformation helps us improve in the security of crops, among other areas.
04:49 The digital future will multiply the advances of artificial intelligence and big data, among
04:55 others aspects, which will translate into lesser costs and better capacity.
05:02 But in order to guarantee the inclusion of digitalization, we must provide the proper
05:10 environments.
05:11 Science, technology, and innovation can be a powerful engine to end hunger and malnutrition,
05:21 as well as to boost climate action.
05:25 We have to take into account that countries have diverse challenges, needs, and capacities,
05:32 amongst others, in infrastructure, the levels of education, and technical abilities to take
05:39 advantages of science, technology, and innovation, especially in rural areas.
05:46 Efforts must be focused on improving the technological infrastructures, the levels of literacy and
05:52 ability and access to services, and to reduce the cost of technology, strengthening a regulatory
06:00 framework to make sure that no one does anything illegal.
06:07 I would like to invite you to the FAO's forum for the World Food Day.
06:19 The topic will be science and innovation for climatic action.
06:24 We will highlight the relevance of science, technology, and innovation for the transformation
06:29 of the agricultural systems for improvements, better production, better nutrition, better
06:35 environment, and better life.
06:36 The G77 plus China continues to play a key role in ensuring that the developing countries
06:45 remain at the avant-garde of the rural governance avant-garde, and to continue supporting those
06:53 who need it the most.
06:54 Triangle, South-South cooperation, and effective alliances with all interested parties continue
07:00 to be the key to overcome the challenges of development in science, technology, and innovation
07:06 have the power to deblock our great collective potential.
07:12 Thank you.
07:13 [Applause]
07:13 >> Mario Vecchio.
07:42 We were just listening to the statements of Mario Lubetkin, Assistant Director General
07:46 and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean Food and Agriculture Organization
07:51 of the United Nations.
07:53 The official reported on the dire current situation of food insecurity experience in
07:57 the world.
07:58 Lubetkin highlighted the importance of technology transfers to help strengthen agricultural
08:02 systems in the world.
08:04 And this all taking part during the second and final day of the summit of the G77 and
08:09 China, which is taking place, as we have said, here in Havana at the Convention Center.
08:14 Friday's meeting made significant progress in the construction of a space for reaching
08:18 agreements on historical demands, such as the need for a new international economic
08:22 order, the rejection of coercive measures against countries, as well as situations related
08:27 to the concentration of wealth or the growth of poverty with a state vision.
08:32 The adoption of a final document focused on the global challenges in science, technology,
08:36 and innovation will seal Saturday's convention in Havana.
08:40 Several presidents, including the President of Brazil, Luis Inácio da Silva, appeared
08:44 during Saturday's day of speeches here at this important summit being held in Havana.
08:57 Earlier Honduras President Xiomara Castro talked about the task given her by the Honduran
09:02 people and her commitment and dream of building a democratic and socialist continent.
09:09 My dream is to help to build the great homeland of Marti, Morazán, and BolĂvar, where our
09:20 continent is a territory of peace, a territory that is just, socialist, and democratic.
09:34 We cannot even think to have this condition to take any step backwards.
09:46 And for this we must support SELAC.
09:52 The Honduran President Xiomara Castro also thanked all the leaders of Latin America and
09:56 left for their willingness to make integration grow.
10:00 Lula da Silva, Manuel Serralla Rosales, Cristina, Rafael, Evo, Daniel, Nicolás Maduro, and
10:16 other founders of SELAC for having resisted the systematically neoliberal attack and for
10:27 maintaining and keeping intact the willingness to make our integration larger.
10:37 What I have here expressed is undoubtedly, it may undoubtedly sound audacious, but to
10:47 us it is essential to build the world, a world in which we all have a place of equality,
10:58 freedom and justice.
11:02 The President of Brazil, Luis Inácio Lula da Silva, gave a speech on Saturday at the
11:06 Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Group of 77 and China.
11:10 Lula affirms that there are two great transformations in progress.
11:14 There are two major transformations that are underway.
11:17 They cannot be shaped by a bunch of rich economies.
11:24 We publish once again the dependency between center and periphery.
11:30 The first one is the digital revolution.
11:33 Advances with network computing, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cutting-edge
11:39 biotechnology, and digitization bring new possibilities that some decades ago we could
11:45 never imagine.
11:47 But these innovations have threatening collateral effects.
11:54 The big multinationals of the technology industry have a business model that increases the wealth
12:02 concentration, does not respect labor laws, and many times they feed the violation of
12:08 human rights and foster extremism.
12:12 For her part, the South African Foreign Minister, Grace Naledi-Mandisa Pandor, sentenced that
12:17 this was the time for the South and called for the unity of all member countries.
12:24 This is the time for the South.
12:27 Unity will be critical as many so-called partners will strive to divert our attention and break
12:35 our unity.
12:36 Let us rise from the Havana summit, determined as never before to change our condition through
12:44 advantageous use of the value of science, technology, and innovation.
12:50 Viva G77 plus China.
12:54 Viva.
12:55 Niger's Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sangare Yaw Bakari, explained the
13:01 political situation in his country, criticized the sanctions imposed on Niger, and confirmed
13:06 that the situation has come now to an end.
13:10 We have been under some kind of actions by some armed forces that have been leading our
13:24 countries to actions of endangerment of our safeguard in our nation, and also of disrespect
13:39 to the lives of our main leaders.
13:42 These have brought about a misunderstanding in our region.
13:49 For that reason, some of the sanctions that have been implemented by the Western African
14:01 community have been also considering some threatening position against my country.
14:09 Since July 30, 2023, those sanctions have been implemented against our country, and
14:16 also international entities, including the United Nations, have been given place to these
14:24 actions because the people of Niger made the decision to get from this unbalanced situation
14:31 in the country.
14:32 For those who are in doubt of the possibility of Niger to be emancipated from this relation
14:39 that was in our country for years, we can confirm here that the situation has get to
14:47 an end.
14:48 The Nigerian Foreign Minister also stressed the importance for his country to work with
14:53 its three bordering nations, placed Niger's determination to develop science, technology
14:57 and innovation, and urged to boost South-South cooperation.
15:04 The three countries in the borders in that area are key for international situation.
15:11 These three countries are playing a very relevant role today in the international context with
15:19 the existence of raw material in those three nations.
15:23 We are determined to develop a project to support science, technology and innovation.
15:34 We would like to invite investors to go to Israel to reinforce South-South cooperation.
15:40 Let's take a short break, but remember you can join us on TikTok @teresoringlish, where
15:46 you'll find news in different formats, news updates and much more.
15:50 Other stories coming up.
15:52 Stay with us.
15:53 [Music]
16:11 Welcome back from the South.
16:13 We go once again live to the G-77 and China Summit venue in Havana with our colleague
16:18 Gladys Quezada, who has the latest on today's Panamon event for the Global South.
16:22 Hello Gladys.
16:23 Hello Luis, and yes, the G-77 and China Summit is close to an end and there is just one speaker
16:34 away from the end of the debate sessions and these remarks that have been taking place
16:39 in Havana, in Cuba, in the Convention's Palace since yesterday, September 15th, and that
16:45 will conclude today, September 16th.
16:48 As part of the latest events in this afternoon, the Director General of the Multilateral Issues
16:54 and Affairs of International Law of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Cuba, Rodolfo Benitez,
17:03 offered the final briefing of the Summit, one of the briefings that gave us the overview
17:09 of the Summit and also gave us the characteristics and the main achievements and aftermath of
17:15 the Summit.
17:16 As he was saying, technically speaking, the Summit has not concluded, but there is just
17:21 one speaker away, so we can have some conclusions and also some results.
17:26 Also, as he was saying, over 1,300 participants took place in this Summit and attended the
17:37 Summit, and also from 116 countries and 12 international organizations, programs, and
17:44 organisms.
17:45 This is one of the evidences of the value of Cuba in the international arena and also
17:51 the prestige of Cuba to gather and host one event like this.
17:56 Also, that's one of the main features that says the high level of the Summit and the
18:03 high level of the G77 and the importance that the bloc concedes to the Summit and to this
18:09 gathering.
18:10 Havana hosted 33 Latin American countries and 45 nations from Africa and 34 from Asia
18:18 and three from Europe.
18:20 As we see, many of the countries come from the global south, of course, but that's to
18:26 say that many of them had a high level of representation, a top level of representation
18:31 in this Summit.
18:32 Also, this Summit is paramount, and the top official of Cuba's foreign ministry was saying
18:39 that the group had not a meeting of this kind since the one held 23 years ago here in Havana,
18:46 the first South Summit, and the second one that was held in Qatar 18 years ago.
18:52 So this one comes to gather the group once again in a paramount moment and in a time
19:00 when the global south needs to research and to come together facing hegemonism and imperialism.
19:06 Also, the outcome of the Summit shows that it's a high level event and it was paramount,
19:12 necessary, and it cannot be postponed.
19:15 That was one of the main remarks in this briefing, that the Summit cannot be postponed as it
19:21 comes in a paramount and a key moment of history and in the landscape of geopolitics.
19:27 Also, he was stressing that Cuba hosted a gathering and a Summit with no expenses, no
19:34 luxuries and being austere in all the moments as Cuba faces a hardship economic situation
19:43 and the sanctions are heavier and heavier on the island.
19:47 Also, the briefing and the top officials were saying that this was a transparent Summit
19:55 and it's not just because of the amount of information that the authorities and the main
20:02 organizers have offered to the press and have offered to the public in general.
20:07 It's also because all the debates, all the briefings and all the remarks have been broadcasted
20:14 in real time so everyone in the world could see and everyone in the press could see what
20:19 is going on in the Summit and what is being debated in the Summit.
20:23 He was also referring that this kind of transparency regarding high level events is more and more
20:29 scarce and is more and more needed also in high level events.
20:34 Also, he was saying that over 100 heads of state subscribed to this Summit and he said
20:43 that the main focus were the global issues regarding development, science, technology
20:49 and also the issues that the Global South is facing and how the Global South can find
20:54 the solutions to put those strategies into motion and to solve these kind of issues and
21:00 problems.
21:01 And the main concern is the growth of hunger, poverty, famine, inflation and the climate
21:08 crisis and that the G77 with this Summit has said to the world that it's not going to stand
21:14 still to wait for the North to take the demise of the South and to take the decisions.
21:20 The G77 has said to the world the South exists, the South is here and the South is going to
21:26 thrive and is going to fight for its own rights.
21:30 Also the Summit has been emphatic and has been stressing the need for a new financial
21:35 system, a new inclusive trade and financial architecture that allows smaller economies
21:42 to grow and not to be in the shadow or under the threat of the bigger economies and under
21:48 the threat of the dollar and the bigger financial organisms and bodies in the world.
21:54 As we know the Global North uses the dollar and that's one of the claims of this Summit,
21:59 that the Global North uses the dollar as a weapon, a financial weapon against the South
22:04 and the minorities.
22:06 Also this Summit was strong in the claim of the international community against the sanctions
22:13 and the blockade imposed on Cuba by the US and the claim that those sanctions must be
22:18 lifted at any time and with immediate effect so that Cuba can thrive and other countries
22:26 under sanctions can grow.
22:28 And one of the main topics that I think distinguishes this Summit from others that maybe can occur
22:36 is that all the participants, all the attendees took a moment to send their sympathies and
22:42 their condolences to the people of Morocco and Libya regarding and taking into account
22:48 the latest tragedies that occurred there with the climate disasters and the climate phenomena
22:53 that have been ravaging those countries.
22:56 So those were the main claims and the main characteristics and features of this Summit
23:03 and it's important that from the 48 previously drafted paragraphs in the Declaration, the
23:10 last one regarding the condolences to Morocco and Libya was the 49th edition, was the last
23:17 edition to this final draft and this final resolution.
23:21 Also this was a strategic Summit, the G77 is going to have a high level meeting in late
23:30 September as the ministers of the G77 are going to meet to review and to assess the
23:35 accords and all the agreements taken in this Summit, in this gathering.
23:41 And this Summit serves as a huge platform for two upcoming briefs.
23:47 One of them, or gatherings, one of them is a United Nations meeting on the next week,
23:55 on Monday, and that is going to take place on September 18th precisely in New York and
24:02 is one gathering of the United Nations.
24:04 And also the South Summit that is going to have place, or going to take place in Kampala,
24:12 Uganda.
24:13 Those are the main points of this last briefing, this summarise that we're offering.
24:18 Guys, I'm sorry to interrupt you for your very first summary that you were giving but
24:23 we have to go back live to the Summit as the Marrero is giving a closing statement of the
24:29 Summit that is being held there at the Palace of Convention.
24:32 We'll be with you in a moment, okay?
24:34 Let's listen to the statement of Marrero.
24:36 Zaragoza, the Prime Ministers of Dominica, Guinea-Bissau, among other colleagues and
24:42 comrades who accompany us.
24:45 I sincerely thank you for your attendance and your valuable contributions and the kind
24:53 words provided to the Presidency and your support for the Cuban people.
25:01 We would like to communicate to you all the firm conviction, steadfast conviction that
25:07 we all must change this world because as our Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro who said in
25:16 2003 in the University of Buenos Aires when he said that a better world is possible, all
25:25 the countries of the South during the last couple of days have proved as our Army General
25:32 Raul Castro who would have said that we could, we can, and we always will.
25:40 That all of the countries of the South are willing, as Ernesto Che Guevara said, to continue
25:47 fighting always until victory.
25:53 Thank you very much.
25:55 Well, that was the final statement from the Prime Minister of Cuba delivering after the
26:05 conclusion that all the representatives that were here at the summit in Havana provided
26:11 their statements and in their conclusion, Masredo gave the confirmation that it is necessary
26:16 to change, that they had the full conviction that it is necessary to change the current
26:20 world order for the well-being of every people of the world to a better future with more
26:25 equality, inclusion and prosperity for all.
26:29 With this, we have come to the end of this news brief.
26:32 Remember you can find this and more news on our website at telesorienglish.net and you
26:37 can also follow us on our social medias on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, X and TikTok.
26:45 For Telesorienglish, I'm Luis Alberto Matos.
26:47 Thank you for watching.
26:48 [Music]