United Nations, July 20 (RHC)-- The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations hosted the working meeting of the member states of the forum of countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on sustainable development, chaired by the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, and the executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena. 

While welcoming the participants, the Cuban minister confirmed Cuba's continuing to promote the work of ECLAC and its subsidiary bodies, as well as in supporting the work of the Commission to guide the efforts of the countries of the region in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Cuba holds the presidency of the Commission for the period 2018-2020, from which it will promote regional cooperation and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean through the implementation and fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda. 

Alicia Bárcena again acknowledged the Cuban presidency of ECLAC and confirmed her organization's commitment to the sustainable, equitable and just development of Latin America. She further recalled the importance and priority that the Commission has decided to give to the small island states of the Caribbean, due to the various challenges, including climate change, they face. 

During the 36th session of ECLAC, held in Mexico City 23-27 May 2016, Member States adopted resolution 700, known as the Mexico resolution, which created the Forum of Countries of Latin American and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development as a regional mechanism for the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their targets, means of implementation and the Addis Ababa Agenda for Action on Financing for Development. Subsequently, the United Nations Economic and Social Council endorsed the establishment of the Forum through the adoption of its resolution 2016/12.