Havana, February 20 (RHC)-- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has begun a new cycle of cooperation with the Cuban government in 2020.

The current cycle, approved on February 4 by the UNDP Board in New York, will last until 2024. It is a continuation of the organization's activities in Cuba, said Maribel Gutiérrez, the UNDP's resident representative on the island.

Addressing a press conference Wednesday, Gutiérrez said that UNDP's purpose is to assist and collaborate with the Cuban government as it has done for several years, through organizations such as the ministries of Economy; Science, Technology and Environment; Agriculture; Education; Health; and Labor and Social Security.

The current plan will continue to work with Cuban authorities to reach those communities and populations that need it the most, she said.

"Among the purposes pursued with this aid are generating the capacity to provide public services that benefit groups in vulnerable conditions, incorporating demographic dynamics into economic and social decision-making, and contributing to the national response to HIV,"  Maribel Gutierrez said.

They will also follow up on the Sustainable Development Goals, work on professionalizing young people in those specialties most needed for the nation's development, and focus on the value chain process (fruit and agriculture).

The UNDP representative added that this cycle aims to work with greater force in Havana. To this end, the Urban Resilience project is being developed, which will help recycle and convert rubble from landslides or demolition into building materials for new homes.

The official also praised Cuba's climate change plan, Task Life,  a practice that very few countries have implemented, and said that the UNDP would work on environmental sustainability with more than 20 projects, including one dedicated to finding environmental financing solutions.

Gutiérrez noted that among the main cooperating partners are the European Union, Canada, Italy, and Switzerland, as well as the Russian Federation, the United Arab Emirates, and China, all of which are willing to assist Cuba in its priorities.