Rodriguez said that Cuba's pro tempore presidency will explore all avenues to promote cooperation mechanisms.

Havana, Feb 2 (RHC) Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said Thursday that solidarity and cooperation are the only way to have tangible achievements in education, which will be one of the priorities of the Group of 77 plus China.

At the end of the Education Ministers' Meeting of the G77+China, the Cuban Foreign Minister said that one of the priorities of this body for 2023 will be to defend and promote universal access to inclusive, equitable, and quality education throughout life as a human right.

He said that Cuba's pro tempore presidency will explore all the possibilities to promote cooperation mechanisms based on the South's experiences in science and innovation and its cultural heritage.

Rodriguez added that the member nations of this multilateral organization will concentrate their efforts to create an agenda that responds to the demands of the members of this organization and build a strategic alliance to face future crises, similar to the one promoted by Covid-19.

The head of Cuban diplomacy pointed out that the meeting is taking place amid a systemic global crisis impacting the education sector, which is aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, unilateral coercive measures, the impact of climate change, and the increase in the digital divide.

Photo: Marcelino Vázquez

He stressed that the goals of the 2030 agenda are far from being met because more than 700 million adults are illiterate, 70 percent of countries allocate less than four percent of their GDP to education and the gaps between the education systems of poor and rich countries are deepening.

"To reverse this scenario, education must be revolutionized, to this end, we reaffirm the leadership of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in its role as coordinator," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He added that it is possible to make progress even without substantial resources, and cited as examples the literacy program 'Yo sí Puedo and the activity of thousands of Cuban collaborators in the education sector, which indicates that by articulating efforts and resources it is possible to propose important objectives.

The Education Ministers' Meeting of the G77+China is Cuba's first activity under the pro tempore presidency of the Group.

The meeting, which will be held until tomorrow, is part of the program of activities of the International Congress 'Pedagogy 2023' (Source: Prensa Latina).