Cuba Country Position Briefing Related to the UN MDGs

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Outline

Cuba is located off the southern coastline of the USA and is the biggest island in the Caribbean. The present government of Cuba had taken over after the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista fell in 1959 and from that time onwards, Cuba has been a single party state ruled by Fidel Castro. Since the takeover by Castro, Cuba has been able to build a reputed education and health setup and attained a high literacy rate. After the political changes that happened in Eastern Europe in 1989, the Cuban government experienced severe hardships and had to introduce large scale rationing of consumer goods, food and energy.

Introduction

In the light of the Cuban circumstances and in view of the fact that the country has functioned and survived under extreme difficulties for several years and yet followed its own path, this paper will examine the extent to which its millennium goals have been successful. The economy of the country has managed to survive with the assistance from Canada, and some countries from Latin America and Europe by way of new investments, mainly in tourism¹. Cuba has also been able to forge closer relations with Venezuela and the Chinese. China has invested extensively in the country’s nickel industry and Venezuela, in being rich with oil reserves, has assisted the country a great deal by supplying cheap fuel. In focusing on the internal conditions in Cuba, a country specific perspective will be provided; based on the theme that Cuba has to meet its millennium development goals by 2015. The background of the issues will be examined, an analysis will be made and subsequently an action plan formulated to achieve the given objectives.

The following are the eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by Cuba by the year 2015²:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

Background of the Issue

The Millennium Development Goals have been set in keeping with the priorities of the Cuban people at large so as to improve their health, education and economic conditions. Of the given objectives the most pertinent pertain to infant mortality, health and gender equality because in achieving such goals the country can surge towards rapid economic development³ (Patricia Grogg). It is estimated that about 4.8% of the population in the country lives below the poverty line, which is indeed very low as compared to international standards. The number of underfed children below the age of five years is quite worrisome since about 2% of them are undernourished and weigh less than what is considered healthy. Cuba has made considerable advances in reducing infant mortality which is evident from the fact that in 2003, there were 8 deaths per 1000 births, and since then, the figure has shown a constant decline. The Cuban government has taken initiatives in promoting healthy habits in regard to nutrition, and expecting mothers are cared for and put under medical supervision in the pre natal stage. Development and growth of children is monitored until they attain the age of one year. But the government needs to improve upon the present trends in making the health care system to reach up to the grassroots level so that there is no deviation from the goal of achieving perfection of an almost nil rate of infant mortality.

Significant progress has been made in regard to maternal health and according to indicators of the Human Development Report such figures for Cuba are the lowest in Latin America. The numbers of deaths during childbirth were 38.5 per 100,000 childbirths as of 2004, which too have been declining. The government is aiming to further improve upon the position by treating mothers at different stages of pregnancy as also after childbirth. All births are attended to and cared for by trained and skilled health care workers. There has been significant improvement in gender equality in the country during the preceding four decades. Presently 42% of government employment in non-agricultural functions is accounted for by women, while in the professional streams and in parliament they account for 66%, and 36% respectively. Gender equality is considered an important perspective to be improved upon and the government continues to make efforts to encourage and involve more women in entering professional services.

Cuba can proudly claim to have one of the highest percentages of children enrolling in schools, which presently stands at 98%. Literacy rates are increasing fast and the goal of universal education will be achieved very soon⁴. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS is very negligible in Cuba, unlike other countries. The figure is only 0.05% amongst pregnant women and the use of condoms is widespread with 73% of the adults using contraceptive measures. The eradication of malaria is a significant achievement and the incidence of death due to tuberculosis has been reduced to 0.4% per 100,000 people. In efforts to ensure environmental stability, forest fires have been considerably checked.

The question of forest fires is an important issue in Cuba since 24% of the total land is forested and the government continues to introduce new strategies to minimize and prevent fire incidents. Forests have been declared as protected areas and have been included within the legal structure so that biodiversity reserves, ecological reserves and parks are well cared for. The government has introduced strategies to reduce emission of carbon dioxide, by way of sponsoring national programs which support innovative techniques for industrial engines as also the non-wasteful utilization of energy. Education programs have been introduced that emphasize the relation between economic development and the environment. Cuba has also been able to achieve high purity standards for drinking water and presently safe drinking water and sanitation is available to 98% of the population.

Cuba continues to make efforts in developing global partnerships to foster economic and social development. A major problem faced by Cuba pertains to the trade embargo placed on it by the US in the 1960s. The resulting restrictions have caused severe difficulties in meeting the country’s needs for medicines and other essential commodities as also in partaking in international trade and commerce to reap the benefits of international cooperation.

Analysis

The Millennium Development Goals form an integral part of the Cuban government’s national mission. The government appears to be committed in achieving the given goals by 2015. Working under the aegis of the UNDP, annual reports are published in collaboration with the non-governmental organizations and academic institutions that outline the government’s performance in different sectors. The report for 2005 has portrayed the socio-economic condition of Cuba and concluded that the country has preserved the model of sustained human development along with equity as being a primary strategy for national development during the last forty years. The Cuban government has given importance to investing towards social and equitable development and consequently Cuba has exhibited comparatively higher social indicators.

The report of 2005 has clearly shown that the goals of reduction of child mortality, empowerment of women and gender equality and of universal primary education have been realized. Issues such as stopping the spreading of HIV/AIDS, improvement of maternal health and eradication of hunger and poverty are being handled effectively by the government and the objective will be achieved soon. There are two goals that need to be taken care of and more efforts are required by the government. In order to compete with the world and to improve its economic condition in the fast changing world order, Cuba must develop global partnerships. Economic development and increase in food supply remain issues that must be handled by the government on top priority. Cuba also needs to take stronger initiatives to rationalize the utilization of its natural resources and to protect its environment.

Recommendation for action

Although considerable improvements have been made in regard to human development, differences exist between the provincial and regional levels. The eastern provinces are less developed and hence require stronger inputs for development. In order to ensure environmental sustainability the Cuban authorities must conceptualize a framework so that the principles of sustainable development are well integrated into the country’s programs and policies to bring a turn around in the present pattern of losses occurring to environmental resources. The problem of scarcity of safe drinking water to a large number of people must be addressed and solution achieved by adopting remedial measures. In order to survive and to make a mark in the global economic scenario, the government has to develop global partnerships to reap the benefits of international cooperation. Cuba has not yet exploited the benefits accruing from information technology and must cooperate with its private sector in making available the advantages of latest techniques in regard to communication and information technology. In a fast changing world order it becomes essential for the country to transform its image globally and equip itself in a manner that makes its people to be technically advanced in meeting the emerging challenges. Government policies must change so that Cuban citizens are at par with the world especially in terms of internet usage and availability of the infrastructure in this regard.

Conclusion

Cuba is a country that has immense potential to emerge as a formidable economic power and must change its strategies so that it can compete in the global arena in making a strong presence in trade and commerce which is essential in keeping with the pattern of rapid economic development being undertaken by most of the developing countries. The country has been able to overcome most of the problems related to the achievement of primary education for all, reduction of child mortality, empowerment of women and gender equality. Considerable success has been achieved in the eradication of poverty and in prevention of AIDS/HIV. However lot of efforts are required to be made in sustaining the environment and in developing global partnerships since it is very important for Cuba to reap the benefits of economic development, otherwise it will be left behind which will cause long term damages to its people and to future generations. Cuba must take immediate initiatives in developing its technological base and reap the benefits of information technology so that its people become technical savvy in the current competitive environment⁵.

Bibliography

Goldstein, Joshua S., and Jon C. Pevehouse. International Relations: 2008-2009.

Update. 8th ed. 2009, New York: Pearson Longman.

MUNDI, Millennium development Goals: Cuba, Web.

Patricia Grogg, Gaps in Gender Equality in Cuba, march 27, 2009, Inter Press Service News Agency.

Robert B. Watts, Caribbean Maritime Migration: Challenges for the New Millennium, 2008, Journal of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland defense and Security, Supplement No. 2.

Wang Hongjiang, UNESCO: Cuba to meet Millennium Development Goals on education, 2007, China View.

Footnotes

Robert B. Watts, Caribbean Maritime Migration: Challenges for the New Millennium, 2008, Journal of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland defense and Security, Supplement No. 2, 2008.
MUNDI, Millennium development Goals: Cuba, Web.
Patricia Grogg, Gaps in Gender Equality in Cuba, march 27, 2009, Inter Press Service News Agency.
Wang Hongjiang, UNESCO: Cuba to meet Millennium Development Goals on education, 1.12.2007, China View.
Goldstein, Joshua S., and Jon C. Pevehouse. International Relations: 2008-2009, Update. 8th ed. 2009, New York: Pearson Longman.

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