Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryBMS/25 Al45/PV.11 101 (Hr.HaIRiereo reOli,Cuba)4 proc.sD between the~vo_.'orDuclear Poverstor.duc.aDdelt.lnate nucl.ar ..apODs~ &Ddthustor.movethethr.atofnuclearconflict; butthe~erba.not y.tbeeneliminated, andweCaDllot S&1"thattheprogr.ss madeislrrev.ra1blQ. Cubasupports thepossAbility ofconverting thepr••entpartialnuclear-test baDintoatotalbaD,inke.ping withtheetemud.oftheinternational co_unity. %befailureoftherecentr.vi.wconference forthenuclear nOD-proliferation Treaty-whereitwas111SPOssible toagreeonthoadoption ofafinaldeclaration - provesthattherearestillforc.s,intheUnitedStat.sinparticular, which resistsuspension ofnuclearte.tiag. Mewelcome thefactthattheDegotiatione onconventional-arm. ~eduction in Europe,inaccordance withthespecialcharact.ristics ofthatregion,aremoving forward. Intonse work1.UDderwayODthe8ubj.ctofch.mical w.apon.... butimportant CJU8st1onLl rOllainunr••olved. Cubavillcontinue to'workiDthenegotiating body withaviewtotheswiftadoption of&univ.rsal conv.ntion thatwillnotimpose limitsorobstacles onthe8CODOllic d.v.lopment ofdeveloping countries inthis sph.re,discriminat. inaaywayamoDgStatesparti.s o~1.ad,through theretention byotherStatesofth.ircb.mical araenals, toweatenad security forparties tothe conv.ntion whichdonotpos••sschemical weapoDD. Intheeconomic sphor., thecontrast bet..entheglimmers oflightonthe worldpolitical Bceneandtheshadows whichgenerally prevailininternational economic relations isverydisturbing. Nbilethereisagradual process ofdetente andofcloserrelatioDs betve~n thetwomajorworldPowersandbetween Eastand West,Borth-South relatioDS gr01l.vergrimmer. InthedecadethathasjUDtbe9uD' wenotethattheabyssofilllequality between thedevelopment levelsoftheindustrialized countries andthoseofthe Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryEMS/25Al4S/PV.ll 108 (Mr,Malmie;ca Peoli,CUba) underdeveloped cOUDtries continues togrowdeeper, bothintheeconomic andsocial sphereandintheareaofscience andtechnology. Thewrongscondemned byPresident ridelCastrointhisHallin1979havegrown outofallproportioD andhaveovertheyearsreached unimagined levels. Worse still,thefeisnoprospect ofareal,lasting solution: thedebtcrisis, theDet reverse transfer offinancial re~ources, thegrowing deterioration oftermsof trade,protectionism anddiminishing sourcesofcreditfordevelopment adduptoa situation oftot~leconomic desperation anduttersocialinsecurity forour countries. Thisisbeginning tomanifest itselfinvioleut outbursts ofsocial Cuba'sposition ontheexternal-debt crisis-whichasPresident FidelCastro haspointed outisnowthemainobstacle todevelopment, theprincipal instrument forfinancial plunder andthemostmodernformofneoc010niol dependence imposed by developed countries -iswellknoMDtotheinternational community. Thereisan urgentnee4foracompreh.nsive political solution torootoutthisevil;itmust necessarily includetotalcancellation ofthedebtofalldeveloping countries. Oneoftheconsequences ,~fthedebtcrisishasbeenaconstant deterioration oflivingstandards inthird-world countries. Almost60percentofthe economically activepopUlation isunemployed; morethan950million peoplelivein utterpoverty; 195million children belowtheAgeoffivesufferfromhunger; infutIIOrtaUty is10timeshigher, onaverage, thanif;18indeveloped countries; 40,000children diedaily,mostofthemofpreventable causesandofmalnutrition; 900mUlion adultsareilliterate; andhundreds of:;l;~"lJ.ions ofpeoplelivein misery. !hatstriking situation hascausedustodubthe1980salostdecadefor development. ThelODgerwedelayasubstantive 4eobion onthbdelicate problem, themoreseriousvillbetheconsequences efinaction. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryEMS/25 A/45/PV.ll 109-110 (Mr.Malmierca Peo1i,Cuba) &llNeither creditors nordebtors nowdoubtthattheexternal debtofthe underdeveloped countries isnotonlyunpayable butuncollectable. Thevarious modalities forexchanging debtforequitydonotmerelyevidence ageneral acknowledgement ofofthatfact,butalsorevealthatcreditors aredesperately scrambling tounloadatthelowestpossible costdehtstheyknowcannotbe recovered. Similarly, thevarious proposals madebythedeveloped Westinan attempt toresolve thecrisishaveprovedinadequate 1xodlimitedinscope-somuch sothatonecanhardlytalkofaglobaldebtstrategy atall. Nonetheless,andbearing inmindtheeconomic vulnerability ofallour countries, Cubai,prepared torecognize andworkonbehalfofinitiatives which, whilenotconstituting substantive formulas, approach thequestion froman integrated andinnovative pointofview.Thisimplies substantial debtreductions, theoverall handling ofalltypesofdebt,andadditional measures. Inthatspirit, myGovernment fullysupported theresults oftheregional
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the economic and financial struggles of developing countries, particularly Cuba, and the need for a comprehensive solution to the external debt crisis. It also touches on the consequences of this crisis on the living standards and well-being of people in these countries. While there are some references to international relations and the need for cooperation, the text is largely centered around economic development and the challenges faced by developing countries.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade