In the context of the discussions of the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in charge of economic and financial affairs, Venezuela expressed the importance of meeting the basic needs of the peoples of developing countries in order to achieve the objectives established in Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, on the path of sustained growth.
“That is why Venezuela claims the sovereign management of natural resources and the establishment of fair prices for them as effective and legitimate instruments for the development of peoples who own such resources. Their illegal exploitation by third parties and in particular by colonial powers, in addition to violating the sovereignty of countries, contributes to pushing the peoples into poverty and despair”, said Rafael Ramírez, Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations.
During the aforementioned session of the Second Committee of the General Assembly, Ramírez said that poverty is a direct consequence of the capitalist economic model, which generates deprivation and exclusion, which deepens the gap between the rich and the poor.
For Venezuela, the approach to poverty must be made in several dimensions, for it being a complex problem with diverse causes of origin.
Ramírez presented the achievements of the Bolivarian Revolution in social matters, thanks to the fair distribution of oil revenues, through which was achieved the goal of reducing poverty in 2006.
“It was this way that Venezuela met the goal of reducing extreme poverty to half of what was in 1990, during the second half of 2006. It stood at 24% and fell to 11.1%. The figure continued to fall to 7.1% by the end of 2012”, said the Venezuelan diplomat.
Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to work jointly in the implementation of an inclusive agenda that allows working on the eradication of poverty, taking into account the social, economic and environmental elements.
Following is the full speech by Ambassador Rafael Ramírez, Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the United Nations, in the Second General Assembly debate of the United Nations General Assembly on the Eradication of Poverty:
“Thank you Mr. President,
Our country subscribes to the statements made by Ecuador on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and El Salvador by CELAC.
Poverty is a consequence of the unjust and exclusionary economic model that has prevailed on the planet during the last decades. Capitalism is conceptually a generator of exclusion and lack, being a system that never takes into account the human being or his needs.
Foreign occupation, political and economic destabilization, colonialism, wars and an unjust and exclusionary international financial system are some of the obstacles we must overcome in order to eradicate poverty.
Likewise, the gap between rich and poor, which continues to increase, is a problem that fuels the factors that determine poverty and inequality. While the richest minority continues to benefit from this unjust scheme, the most impoverished are more excluded, to the extent that it is estimated that nine (9) billionaires have the same wealth as the poorest half of the planet. It is because of the above that a substantive change in the economic model is required, so that it benefits all people and not only a select elite.
It is worth noting that in this context, Venezuela sees poverty as a complex problem, with different causes and, therefore, must be approached with a multidimensional vision. Therefore, the measurement of poverty must address the existing inequality in economic, social and citizen rights. For this very reason, the concept of poverty cannot be expressed or reduced to mere financial or monetary terms.
Mr. President:
This Commission has discussed the financing mechanisms to support the development of peoples, particularly those related to the implementation of the Agenda 2030. But without something as basic as the use and management of natural resources for the satisfaction of needs, it will not be possible for developing countries to embark on a path of sustained growth.
That is why Venezuela claims the sovereign management of natural resources and the establishment of fair prices for them as effective and legitimate instruments for the development of peoples who own such resources. Their illegal exploitation by third parties and in particular by colonialist powers, in addition to violating the sovereignty of countries, contributes to pushing the people into poverty and hopelessness.
Since the arrival of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela in 1999 and after the recovery of our natural resources and the distribution of oil revenues among the people, Venezuela has been working successfully to meet the needs of the people. The Government has put forward a plan to strengthen the productive apparatus, which will support the “Zero Poverty” Plan by 2019 and the Economic and Social Agenda of the Bolivarian Revolution, incorporating, in addition, all sectors of society increasingly organized and articulated with the State.
It was in this way that Venezuela met the goal of reducing extreme poverty to half of what was in 1990, during the second half of 2006. It was at 24% and fell to 11.1%. The figure continued to fall to 7.1% by the end of 2012.
Within this reality, and despite the unilateral coercive economic, financial and commercial measures to which we are subject, the Bolivarian Government will continue to fulfill and deepen programs and policies framed in the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Objectives in order to 2030, in reducing the levels of exclusion and greater equity, in the search for the protection of economic and social rights that represents, in the end, a greater empowerment for our people.
It is a fundamental requirement to work together, unselfishly and with political will, to achieve greater equity and overcome the differences between the richest and the poorest, based on common but differentiated responsibilities and always with a human-centered vision . Moreover, it is not possible to justify the continued existence of poverty in a world with the current technological possibilities, or where more than a third of the food produced globally is disposed of.
Finally, Mr. President, our country reaffirms its strong commitment to work towards the implementation of an inclusive agenda that reinforces the commitment of all to poverty eradication and the achievement of sustainable development, in which are integrated, in a balanced way. the social and economic dimensions, and that restores the spirit of solidarity and work with a deep social sense.
Thank you very much.”
