HAVANA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Tuesday called on Latin American countries to deepen regional integration, saying it was the only way to reduce inequality across the region.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 37th session of Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Havana, Diaz-Canel said the goal of the region should be to increase economic growth as well as social justice and equality.
"There is no other option but to move forward with regional integration and development with equity," said the newly-elected Cuban leader to the 46 member nations of ECLAC.
He highlighted that ECLAC had been a reference point for economic and social knowledge in the region for decades and contributed to making equality an important development goal.
Diaz-Canel also praised ECLAC's role in the region's economic growth and development as well as scientific studies on the structural causes that make Latin America and the Caribbean the most unequal region in the world.
"It is an inequality associated with the colonial past of our nations, which particularly affects indigenous people, those of African descent, girls and women," said the president.
According to the president, many nations in the region have carried out neoliberal and macroeconomic policies, which only benefit international companies and widen social differences and discrimination.
Diaz-Canel reiterated his government's commitment to boost economic and social development in Latin America and vowed to work along with ECLAC in the next two years to deepen the role of this UN organization.
"Cuba is committed with ECLAC to helping regional integration and solidarity amongst our nations and continuing to advance together despite our diversity," Diaz-Canel said in his first major speech at an international event after taking office.
All of this, he added, would be done despite the economic difficulties caused by the U.S. embargo on Cuba and the island nation's tense financial situation.
"We are working on a national economic and social development plan until 2030, whose strategic aims are linked with the UN Sustainable Development Goals," he said.
Havana has just taken over the two-year rotatory presidency of ECLAC from Mexico.
"We have received the presidency of ECLAC with a high commitment and awareness of the challenges we face, focused on continuing to promote cooperation among the countries of the region," he said.
Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the ECLAC, shared a similar message, saying that integration was a "pending task" for development in the region.
The ECLAC chief stressed that integration is more needed than ever as Latin America has the highest level of inequality in the world.
"It is true that there are better prospects for global growth, but there are still worrying contingencies and uncertainties," she explained.
As an example, Barcena said that over 187 million people are living in poverty in the region, including 62 million in extreme poverty.
She said that this figure is a warning to the region, despite widespread pledges to eliminate poverty in all its forms as part of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In order to address this, Barcena urged those present to accelerate the pace of development and promote industrial and technological policies while always paying attention to their environmental costs.
She also encouraged the development of fiscal policies which are capable of creating benefits in the social sphere.
As part of her speech, Barcena also confirmed ECLAC's support for the process of economic reforms started in Cuba by former President Raul Castro and continued by his successor Diaz-Canel.
