Mr. Chairman,

Distinguished delegates,

In the Declaration for the 90th Anniversary of the ILO, the Labor Ministers of Non-Aligned Movement express our deep concern for the global economic and social crisis and for the negative impacts that are already having an effect on the live and welfare of millions of human beings, particularly those who suffer from the unjust international economic order.

As always, South countries suffer most from the consequences of the contradictions and irresponsibility of the capitalist system of production, which have aggravated the crisis with the imposition of neoliberalism and financial speculation.

The crisis is not to be solved with technical or regulatory measures; even less by strengthening the role of financial institutions, whose policies contributed to the emergence of this current scourge.

With independence of ideologies, or leftist or rightist positions, we have to recognize that the crisis is an expression of the unsustainability of a system, whose philosophy on the profitability of the capital, no matter what and at any cost, do not worry about closing factories, cutting out jobs, not protecting people, condemning the three quarters of the humanity to poverty, and even, putting in danger the survival of the human species.

None of the tripartite actors in this room will escape the crisis, particularly workers and poor countries that will have to pay a high price for the injustice and the profit of the lifestyle of the wealthiest.

Up to this moment, nobody can predict its outcome or consequences.

It is predictable that with speeches, money injections to the banks that speculated and with meetings among powerful people behind the back of the United Nations, the crisis won’t be solved.

The ILO is obliged to play an important role in finding solutions to the crisis together with the bodies of the multilateral system, by defending the Global Employment Trends, with emphasis on strengthening the social protection structure, the increase of public investment, the protection of the fundamental principles and rights at work, and particularly by demanding the increase of the resources allocated to the Official Development Aid.

Cuba is not exempt from suffering the impacts of global crisis in addition to the effects of the United States blockade against the will of the international community and of the 17 condemnations this genocidal policy has received in the UNO.

But in Cuba, the crisis won’t be a burden left on the backs of the people, jobs won’t be cut out, dismissal won’t be an option, and no one will be abandoned. We will share all available resources among us. No Cuban will be forsaken to his/her fate.

Cuba will invariably continue to meet its commitments with the ILO and to struggle to achieve that better world of peace and social justice that our people aspire and deserve.

Thank you very much. (Cubaminrex- Embacuba Ginebra)