At UN, Medina talks poverty, inequality, hypocrisy

United Nations.– Underlining that the fight against povertyand inequality has great potential for long-term transformation, the Presidentof the Dominican Republic today in his address to the United Nations generalAssembly called for a sustained focus on those who have been recently liftedout of poverty, given that they face distinct vulnerabilities.

“The challenge we face is to strengthen the position ofthis emerging class. We must provide them with security and give them the toolsand skills to allow them to not only develop their own lives, but also toparticipate in the development of their countries,” President Danilo Medinatold the Assembly’s general debate.

“Let there be no doubt, this new social class itself is agreat opportunity for our nations,” he added, explaining that if the potentialof this new “emerging middle class” is strengthened, it will be able to demandmore complex and better quality products and its path to progress will enableall countries to move forward.

To realize this potential, the President said that socialstructures related to health, education, employment and security need to bestrengthened. He added that this would not only enable them to escape theirdifficulties, but also create more democratic and peaceful societies with lessneed for emigration.

Stressing the importance of the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, President Medina said the framework offered a road map to addressmany of the challenges faced by countries in Latin America, the Caribbean aswell as the world.

He added, however, to accomplish the goals laid out in theAgenda, profound changes needed to be made in which trade and financial flowsare conducted. “That is, the rules of the game between rich and poor countriesmust be revised,” he noted, stressing that non-tariff barriers to trade neededto be removed and that global trade had to be made free and fair, and without "hypocrisy."

The President also noted the opportunities and threatsbrought by the financial sector, adding that his country, like many othersaround the world, can only benefit from more stable, predictable and betterregulated financial markets.

Noting that the lack of regulation has made it easy for theevaders to escape taxes and at the same time, made the work of taxadministration more complex, he underscored that this is a major threat tostate funding worldwide and makes it difficult for governments to fulfil theirresponsibilities to their citizens, and added that effective “supervision offinancial markets [is important] to make these markets serve the real economyand citizenship.”

In conclusion, President Medina underscored that the DominicanRepublic is committed to reducing inequalities, both between the richest andpoorest within the country as well as helping shape international relationsbetween poor and rich countries.