Until now all the policies and measures put in place [by different governments around the world] aim to manage the crisis and create conditions to reactivate the economy. There is still no plan to restructure the global financial and economic architecture based on stable, equitative and sustainable foundations.

The President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Father Miguel D'Escoto Brockman, has named a High Level Commission led by the Economic Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz to come up with such a proposal which will be presented at an International Conference of the highest level about the World Financial and Economic Crisis which the UN General Assembly has planned for the end of May, 2009. On November 15th the ad hoc group G20 met in Washington. At that time it was agreed the group would meet again in April.

Nicaragua's position is that is must not be the G1, the G7, the G20 or any other ad hoc group that should approve a new financial and economic architecture. As the crass errors of commission and omission committed by the financial and governmental sectors of developed countries during the current crisis confirm, decisions that affect all of us should be taken with the participation of all of us. Only the UN General Assembly, or the G192, can legitimately and legally take such decisions.

II. Defending Nicaragua and the Poor from the Speculation of Neo-liberal Financial Capital

The government describes its efforts to reestablish the State's responsibility to guarantee the population's basic rights:

The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity's fundamental plan when it came to power in January 2007 was to replace the neo-liberal global capitalist socio-economic model with the model of equitative development made possible via Citizen Power...

Neo-liberal capitalism is immoral in that it denies the rights of the poor to education, health care, a health environment, housing, water and sanitation. [Within neo-liberal capitalism] it is not considered an obligation of the State to guarantee access to these basic services. From its first day the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity has been working towards the reduction of the negative impact neo-liberal capitalism has had on Nicaragua and on the poor.

The report goes on to detail initial government efforts to guarantee access for all to health care and education as well as subsidizing public transport in Managua, introducing subsidies for the services of water and electricity and exempting low income workers from income tax payments.

During the second semester of 2007 and the first semester of 2008 when the inflationary wave took hold and prices of basic goods shot up other measures were introduced such as:

• The reactivation of ENABAS (the National Basic Food Company) which has established a network of community run points of basic foods sold to the population at below market prices. 2,700 points of sale has been set up benefiting 2,700,000 families (1,350,000 people).
• The reduction of import tax on chicken, and the elimination of import tax on flour, beans, oatmeal and other basic foods.
• A government subsidy of US$1.30 on every gallon of fuel used by public transport between May and December 2008 (during which time the international oil price shot to unprecedented heights) in order to avoid increases in the price the population pays for public transport.

• The illiteracy rate has been reduced to 7.5%, Nicaragua's lowest ever rate
• The national curriculum has been transformed to include transversal themes such as the national reality, a culture of peace and gender equality
  
• The rate of school desertion has been reduced from 13% (in 2006) to 6% (in 2008)
• 956,530 school children received free school meals during 2008, 13% more than in 2007

• The number of medical consultations within the public health system rose by 11.2% in 2008 compared to 2007 (in 2007 this figure rose by 34.3% compared to 2006)
• The number of prescriptions and corresponding medicines given out by the health system rose by 27.7% compared to 2007 (in 2007 this figure rose by 50%)
• The number of infants under twelve months receiving regular check ups within the health system in 2008 is 11% greater than in 2006.
• The maternal mortality rate experienced a significant reduction in 2008 from 89 maternal deaths in 2007 to 63 maternal deaths in 2008. 
• The Communal Family Health Model is being implemented with the aim of identifying at risk individuals and families. So far 849 communal family health teams have been organized.
• In 2007 three oftamological centers were built in Nicaragua with help from the Cuban government (one in RAAN, one in RAAS and one in Ciudad Sandino). These centers facilitated over 22,000 oftamological operations free of charge for impoverished Nicaraguans during 2008.
• Rehabilitation work has been completed on health centers in El Rama and Corn Island and on hospitals in La Trinidad, Jinotega, Waspan and Rio San Juan.
  

• The percentage of the urban population with access to running water has risen from 65% in 2006, 73% in 2007 to 77% in 2008 as a result of the construction of 30 new running water systems in towns and cities across the country
• ENACAL (the national water company) will start work on the construction of running water systems and sanitation projects in the near future in 35 different neighbourhoods in Managua and in the towns of Rivas, San Juan del Sur and Boaco among others.

• 1,274 houses were built for impoverished families
• 2,960 houses were declared social housing and exonerated from VAT
• 2,868 families were given low interest rate credits to carry out repairs to their homes

• 59,764 preschool children were involved in nutritional programs during the year
  
• 2,500 street children and adolescents are involved in a government program designed to reintegrate them into family life and schooling (1,125 are already back at school)
• 16.5 million cordobas has been transfered to 33 state run CDIs (day care centers for the children of working mothers) which take care of 4,000 children between the age of 3 and 6.

• "Food for the People" Program - 1.35 million people benefited with access to basic food products at below market prices
• Provision of Seeds for Agro Food Production - 140,010 small and medium farmers (48% more than in 2007) were provided with certified seeds for basic grain production as part of this program
• "Zero Hunger" Program - 19,709 rural families benefited with a food production package worth US$1,500 (56% more than in 2007)
• "Zero Usury" Program - 20,174 female small business owners were benefited with low interest rate loans as part of this program in 2008. A total of C$139,837,150.17 has been awarded in low interest rate loans as part of this program since 2007. A total of C$141,934,214.50 has been paid back on loans by beneficiaries, C$71,502,701.85 of which has been loaned out again to new beneficiaries.
• Credit and funding for Agriculture: Total credit for agricultural production (from both public and private sources) in 2008 was C$4.465 billion 26% more than in 2007. On top of that, the government channeled C$1.131 billion of donated resources to the agricultural production sector, 130% more than in 2007. The interest rate on loans for agricultural production has been reduced to 8% as a result of the nation wide presence of ALBA Caruna branches providing low interest rate loans to small and medium producers. ENABAS (the national basic food company) bought 131,700 hundred weights of basic grains for distribution as part of the "Food for the People Program."
• Tourism: 857,480 tourists visited Nicaragua during 2008, 7.2% more than in 2007. A total of 389 micro, small and medium tourism companies were benefited with low interest rate loans from ALBA Caruna.
• Support for MIPYMES: The government facilitated training courses and other forms of technical and professional support for 66,333 Micro, Small and Medium businesses (MIPYMEs) during 2008.

• The price of electrical energy for consumers of less than 150kWh a month has remained the same (despite inevitably volatile generation costs as a result of increasing oil prices) thanks to a government subsidy.
• As part of the government's program to promote and facilitate access to electricity in rural areas 23,000 homes will be connected to the national grid between 2008 and 2010 benefitting 125,000 people.
• As part of the government's short term plan to overcome energy shortages with the installation of petroleum based generation plants, two plants (Hugo Chávez I and II) were installed in 2007 and three more (Ernesto Che Guevara I, II and III) in 2008 generating a total of 180 MW. Another 100 MW will be generated with the installation of a further four plants in 2009.
• As part of the government's medium term plan to transform the electrical generation infrastructural framework Nicaragua's first wind farm will begin to operate in February 2009 generating 40 MW of energy. Other renewable sourced energy generation projects with a total capacity of 856 MW and a total cost of over US$2.1 billion are already in the first or second phases of planning and construction. The government aim is that by 2014 only 12% of the electricity used in Nicaragua is generated from petroleum derivatives.

• PETRONIC (the national petroleum company) almost doubled its storage capacity (from 551,000 to 1,033,105 barrels) with the construction of two new storage facilities in Puerto Corinto.
• Progress was made on the design for the Industrial Complex "Bolívar's Supreme Dream" (which consists of an oil refinery and petrochemical plant capable of satisfying the regional demand for petroleum derivatives and plastics).

• Nicaragua's candidate Miguel D'Escoto Brockman was awarded the presidency of the UN General Assembly's 63rd Session (2008 - 9).
• At the end of December President Daniel Ortega took on the rotating presidency of SICA (Central American Integration System). He will preside the regional organization for a period of six months (January - June 2009).
  
• Nicaragua has contributed to the promotion of certain national objectives on the regional agenda such as fair trade and the establishment of a common fund for economic and financial credit as part of the negotiations for an Association Agreement with the European Union.
• Nicaragua has strengthened relations with Russia specifically in terms of technical, political and commercial cooperation.
• Nicaragua recognized the independence of Abkhasia and South Ossetia.

• The National Humanitarian Demining Program has been a priority. 8,596 land mines have been destroyed in 74 municipalities in the north of Nicaragua during 2008. An area of 187.2 square kilometers stretching across three different departments has been declared free of land mines and is now apt for agricultural production.

• The institution's operative response to narcoactivity has increased its effectiveness by 30% carrying out 1,375 operations, 35 of them involving international drug traffickers.
• Security during the municipal elections, at major public events and during festive periods was guaranteed.
• The prison population was reduced by 9.7% during 2008 as a result of the passing of the Reprieve Law and the application of the Penal Code.
  
• Access to health care and education for prisoners increased during 2008.
  

• 222 property disputes in the central region of the country were resolved, benefiting over 5,000 war veterans
• Anomalous compensations (inherited from previous administrations) were eradicated
• 981 cases of property claims were resolved, 458 of which respond to foreigners (448 to US citizens) and 516 to nationals.