United Nations: the world once again votes against the U.S. blockade of Cuba
For the 31st time the world votes at the United Nations against the U.S. blockade of Cuba. teleSUR
Transcript
00:00:00 Welcome to Tell Us Your English, and join us as we go live to the United Nations as
00:00:07 worldwide nations meet for a second day to discuss the need to end the US blockade against
00:00:12 Cuba.
00:00:13 Let's listen.
00:00:14 To continue the debate on the item, I would now give the floor to the distinguished representative
00:00:26 of Peru.
00:00:50 Mr. President, Peru aligns itself with the statement made by St. Vincent and the Grenadines
00:00:57 representing the community of Latin American Caribbean states, and by Azerbaijan on behalf
00:01:03 of an online movement, and that made by Uganda representing the group of 77 in China, and
00:01:09 we welcome the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodriguez Parilla.
00:01:15 Each year, this General Assembly reiterates its firm position on the need to end the economic,
00:01:21 commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba.
00:01:25 Last year, 185 countries, almost all member states of this organization, expressed the
00:01:33 strongest possible support for lifting the embargo.
00:01:37 This result reflects the collective and legitimate will which is in line with the basic norms
00:01:43 of international law of the General Assembly.
00:01:46 At the same time, it was a clear and evident signal that it's necessary to put an end to
00:01:51 this type of unilateral measure so that Cuba can advance on the path of development, meeting
00:01:58 the sustainable development goals of the 2030 agenda.
00:02:03 Mr. President, from the most recent report of the Secretary General, I would like to
00:02:08 highlight the response provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commission of Human
00:02:14 Rights.
00:02:15 It concludes that the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed on Cuba continues
00:02:21 to negatively impact the enjoyment of human rights by the country's population, particularly
00:02:28 the most vulnerable people, and reiterates that when unilateral sanctions are directed
00:02:35 against an entire country or entire economic sectors, it is the most vulnerable people
00:02:41 in that country, the least protected, who will probably be most harmed.
00:02:47 It also specifies that the population of those countries are in no way responsible for the
00:02:53 policies that are the target of those sanctions and, to a greater or lesser extent, have already
00:02:58 been living in a precarious situation for a long time and are not responsible for that.
00:03:04 Also, the Office of the United Nations High Commission of Human Rights gives examples
00:03:10 that illustrate how the embargo particularly affects the rights to health, adequate nutrition,
00:03:18 adequate education of the Cuban people.
00:03:23 Mr. President, Peru does not agree with the imposition of unilateral sanctions of any
00:03:27 kind.
00:03:28 The only legitimate sanctions are those adopted by the Security Council in the context of
00:03:34 the exercise of its powers for the maintenance of international peace and security, in accordance
00:03:40 with Chapter 7 of the Charter.
00:03:43 And even in those cases, such sanctions are clearly delimited.
00:03:49 For example, a couple of weeks ago, the Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 2700,
00:03:57 renewing the sanctions regime against Haiti.
00:04:01 In its preamble, it specified once again that the measures imposed by this resolution are
00:04:07 not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population and
00:04:14 that their relevance will be examined on an ongoing basis.
00:04:18 The unanimous adoption reflects that for all members of the Security Council, including
00:04:23 its permanent members, it is important to consider the adverse humanitarian consequences
00:04:30 for the civilian population.
00:04:33 That should be a consideration that applies in the case of every state, without any distinction.
00:04:41 In the context of the multiple crises that we are experiencing, any action that affects
00:04:45 directly people's living conditions generates consequences on various levels, and its impact
00:04:56 can be structural, multidimensional, cross-cutting, or can be a multiplier of underlying causes.
00:05:04 Therefore, any measure that has adverse humanitarian consequences for the population of any state
00:05:10 or any nation must be eliminated or suspended immediately.
00:05:16 Mr. President, Peru shares the view of practically the entire international community in considering
00:05:24 that the embargo on Cuba is against the principles and purposes of the United Nations Charter,
00:05:30 as well as against international human rights covenants.
00:05:34 Consequently, Peru once again expresses that it will vote in favor of the draft resolution
00:05:41 entitled "The Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo Imposed
00:05:46 by the United States of America against Cuba" as part of a state policy that we have followed
00:05:51 without interruption for more than 30 years.
00:05:54 Thank you very much.
00:05:55 I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Peru and now invite the distinguished representative
00:06:04 of Chile to take the floor.
00:06:18 Mr. President, allow me to begin by congratulating the delegation of Cuba, headed by the Minister
00:06:26 of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bruno Rodríguez.
00:06:29 I also wish to express my gratitude for the presentation of draft resolution A/78/L.5
00:06:38 on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United
00:06:47 States of America against Cuba.
00:06:51 In previous years, this resolution has enjoyed the support of the majority of the United
00:06:58 Nations Member States.
00:07:00 Chile is committed to effective multilateralism and, as such, reaffirms its staunch support
00:07:06 for the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and international
00:07:12 law.
00:07:13 These principles include the sovereign equality of states, non-intervention and non-interference
00:07:19 in internal affairs, and the freedom of international commerce and navigation.
00:07:27 For more than 30 years in a row, the General Assembly has been adopting, by an overwhelming
00:07:33 majority, resolutions which call for an end to the economic, commercial, and financial
00:07:41 embargo imposed by the United States.
00:07:44 Chile wishes to reaffirm its conviction that the implementation of unilateral, coercive
00:07:51 measures runs counter to international law.
00:07:55 Chile does not agree with the imposition of unilateral sanctions of any kind.
00:08:03 The only legitimate sanctions are those adopted by the Security Council in the exercise of
00:08:10 its authority for the maintenance of international peace and security in accordance with Chapter
00:08:18 7 of the United Nations Charter.
00:08:22 The embargo has created and continues to create shortages, hardship and suffering for all
00:08:31 of the Cuban people.
00:08:32 It stymies and erodes economic and social progress and hinders the fulfillment of development
00:08:39 goals, including those of sustainable development.
00:08:42 Consequently, we lament the fact that the embargo imposed unilaterally against Cuba,
00:08:49 which has remained in force for more than half a century, is still in force today.
00:08:56 With that in mind, the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations for Operational
00:09:03 Activities in the Development of Cuba in its report dated April 18, 2023, indicated that
00:09:11 the exclusion of Cuba from international financial institutions may constitute its most significant
00:09:19 obstacle to its development and the achievement of the 2030 goals.
00:09:25 Moreover, in accordance with the United Nations Development Programme report dated March 29,
00:09:32 2023, the embargo is having an impact on the most vulnerable groups of the population and
00:09:40 on human development in general.
00:09:42 According to official estimates, the direct and indirect losses that the blockade on the
00:09:49 Cuban economy has inflicted between 1960 and 2022 stand at some $154 billion in current
00:10:01 prices.
00:10:04 Chile is staunchly convinced that it is only through direct dialogue and using multilateral
00:10:11 mechanisms and international law that it will be possible to settle differences between
00:10:18 states.
00:10:19 With this in mind, we reaffirm the need to put an end to the blockade on Cuba, as well
00:10:24 as to the implementation of extraterritorial measures associated with this policy.
00:10:29 We must also end Cuba's inclusion on the list of countries that supposedly sponsor
00:10:36 terrorism.
00:10:37 The listing there exacerbates the impacts of the blockade.
00:10:41 Mr. President, it has clearly emerged over the last 60 years of the implementation of
00:10:46 unilateral coercive measures against Cuba that the Cuban people can still survive.
00:10:53 Thanks to their dignity, perseverance and hope, the economic embargo is an anachronism
00:10:59 from a bygone age and must be ended now once and for all.
00:11:04 Chile will vote in favour of the draft resolution being presented, once again as an expression
00:11:08 of its belief in commitment to the Cuban people.
00:11:12 Thank you.
00:11:13 I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Chile for her statement.
00:11:20 I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil.
00:11:25 Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, Brazil aligns itself made by St. Vincent of the Grenadines
00:11:46 on behalf of the economic community of Latin American Caribbean states and that made by
00:11:51 Uganda on behalf of the group of 77 in China.
00:11:57 We present this in our national capacity.
00:11:59 I welcome the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, His Excellency Mr. Bruno Rodriguez
00:12:02 Parilla, and I would like to thank the Secretary General for his report A/78/84 on this theme.
00:12:11 My delegation reiterates its firm opposition to the economic, commercial and financial
00:12:16 embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba and the application of extraterritorial
00:12:25 national commercial laws that are discriminatory.
00:12:27 We do not agree with the imposition of unilateral sanctions of any kind.
00:12:31 The only legitimate sanctions are those which are adopted by the Security Council in the
00:12:37 context of its exercise of its competence in regard to maintenance of international
00:12:42 peace and security and in conformity with Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter.
00:12:50 Over many years, we have been asking for the normalization of relations with Cuba by the
00:12:54 government of the United States of America.
00:12:57 Our objection of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United
00:13:02 States of America against Cuba since 1962 is almost of international consensus.
00:13:10 The sanctions imposed against Cuba have not just generated significant losses for the
00:13:14 country in monetary terms over the last 60 years.
00:13:18 In qualitative terms, it has also affected, without doubt, and continues to affect, the
00:13:23 full enjoyment of the rights of the Cuban people.
00:13:28 It prejudices the poorest people who are affected by these unilateral measures through unemployment.
00:13:38 The embargo is also an obstacle for Cuba's efforts to achieve sustainable development
00:13:44 goals.
00:13:45 Mr. President, the inclusion of Cuba on a list of states sponsoring terrorism of the
00:13:50 United States on January 12, 2021, worsens the impact of the economic embargo.
00:13:58 Putting them on this list lacks any justification, and therefore we call for Cuba to be removed
00:14:04 from this list.
00:14:08 It is the right path to be followed by all countries that are interested in supporting
00:14:12 the development of this island and improving the living conditions of millions of Cuban
00:14:17 citizens.
00:14:20 President Lula, in his opening statement at the 78th General Assembly, said on September
00:14:28 19 that Brazil will continue to denounce any measures that are not supported by the United
00:14:33 States, such as the economic and financial embargo against Cuba and the intention to
00:14:38 list that country as a state co-sponsor of terrorism.
00:14:44 This statement today enhances this important and urgent appeal.
00:14:49 Mr. President, in conclusion, Brazil will vote in favor of the draft resolution 78L5.
00:14:55 Thank you very much.
00:14:56 I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Brazil, and I now invite the distinguished
00:15:03 representative of Barbados to take the floor.
00:15:19 Mr. President, Barbados aligns itself with the statements delivered by Uganda on behalf
00:15:24 of the Group of 77 in China, by Saint Lucia on behalf of the Caribbean community, and
00:15:30 by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on behalf of CELAC.
00:15:34 The purposes and principles of the United Nations are founded on the respect for sovereign
00:15:40 equality of states, noninterference in their internal affairs, the rights of peoples to
00:15:45 self-determination, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the maintenance of friendly
00:15:50 relations among states.
00:15:53 The peaceful coexistence of our states and the sustainable development of our peoples
00:15:59 require us all to abide by these principles.
00:16:04 For these reasons, Barbados opposes the imposition of unilateral punitive measures, especially
00:16:11 when they involve the extraterritorial application of legislation that violates international
00:16:17 law and restricts freedom of trade and navigation and the sovereignty and freedom of states.
00:16:24 Barbados views the continued imposition of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo
00:16:30 against the Republic of Cuba to run counter to both the letter and the spirit of the UN
00:16:37 Charter.
00:16:38 Mr. President, the annual report of the Secretary General presents an impressive catalog of
00:16:43 submissions by member states.
00:16:46 These highlight a shared perspective of opposition to the efforts to isolate Cuba, which ultimately
00:16:53 inhibits the development of normal economic and cultural relations, distorts trade and
00:16:58 investment, and impedes legitimate business opportunities among neighboring states.
00:17:05 When my Prime Minister, the Honorable Mia Mor-Motley, delivered her remarks at the recent
00:17:09 G77 and China Summit, which took place in Havana in September of this year, she observed
00:17:17 that the indomitable Cuban spirit continues to shine in spite of 60-plus years of a callous,
00:17:25 cruel, and crippling economic blockade.
00:17:29 Indeed, as part of its submission to the Secretary General's report, the government of Barbados
00:17:34 acknowledged with deep appreciation that, in spite of the blockade, Cuba has provided
00:17:40 invaluable support to the National Health Service of Barbados, including sending under
00:17:45 contract agreement medical personnel to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:17:51 Cuba remains a beacon for South-South cooperation.
00:17:56 Mr. President, the combination of all that I have said so far, together with the multiple
00:18:01 times that we and others have expressed these very sentiments both within and outside of
00:18:09 this Assembly, leaves Barbados with no other option than to reiterate, once again, its
00:18:17 call for Cuba to be freed from these harsh and debilitating measures, as well as the
00:18:23 removal of Cuba from the State Department's list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism,
00:18:29 which is equally, if not more, debilitating.
00:18:34 Barbados continues to maintain excellent relations with the United States of America and Cuba.
00:18:40 In this spirit, too, we further urge the government of the United States to engage in a constructive
00:18:46 dialogue with the government of Cuba aimed at normalizing relations.
00:18:52 Such a step would remove a source of tension and conflict and improve the prospects for
00:18:58 peace, development, and cooperation in our region.
00:19:03 In support of these principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, Barbados,
00:19:08 as in previous years, fully supports the draft resolution before the General Assembly entitled
00:19:14 Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United
00:19:20 States of America against Cuba.
00:19:23 We will vote in favor of the adoption of the draft resolution before the General Assembly.
00:19:29 I thank you.
00:19:30 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of Barbados, and I now invite the distinguished
00:19:38 representative of Belize to take the floor.
00:19:46 Mr. President, Belize aligns itself with the statements made earlier by Saint Lucia on
00:20:00 behalf of the Caribbean community, El Salvador on behalf of SICA, and Saint Vincent and the
00:20:06 Guernardines on behalf of the community of Latin American and Caribbean states, as well
00:20:11 as the statements made by Uganda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and Azerbaijan
00:20:17 on behalf of the Non-Allied Movement.
00:20:19 And we welcome the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, His Excellency
00:20:25 Bruno Rodriguez.
00:20:27 Belize registers again its unequivocal condemnation of the economic, commercial, and financial
00:20:34 embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.
00:20:38 For over three decades, the General Assembly has consistently and with near unanimity called
00:20:44 for the end of the legal, immoral, and unjustified financial, commercial, and trade embargo imposed
00:20:51 on Cuba.
00:20:52 And yet the embargo continues to not only be imposed but intensified by the United States
00:20:58 against Cuba in audacious defiance of the Charter of the United Nations, international
00:21:03 law, and the resounding call of this General Assembly through 30 successive resolutions.
00:21:10 Mr. President, all members of the United Nations have a duty to respect and adhere to the purposes
00:21:16 and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty, noninterference,
00:21:22 the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the maintenance of friendly relations among states.
00:21:28 There are no exceptions for violations of international law, and there is no member
00:21:32 state above the law.
00:21:35 The unilateral economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America
00:21:41 is a clear violation of the Charter and international law.
00:21:45 Extraterritorial applications of third state laws is contrary to the letter and spirit
00:21:51 of the provisions of the Charter and undermines the principles of multilateralism to which
00:21:56 we are all committed.
00:21:58 We furthermore reject the designation of the United States of Cuba on its list of state
00:22:05 sponsors of terrorism, a measure which only serves to exacerbate further and compound
00:22:10 the inhumane consequences of the embargo.
00:22:13 Mr. President, the Secretary General's report A. 7881-84 documents in harrowing details
00:22:21 the impact and cost of the embargo on Cuba.
00:22:24 In one year, the embargo caused estimated losses of over $4.8 billion to the Cuban economy.
00:22:32 The embargo has had the deliberate effect of hindering Cuba's recovery from COVID-19,
00:22:38 frustrating its sustainable development, and isolating it from the international trade
00:22:42 and financial system.
00:22:44 Even more unconscionable were the attempts to deny Cuba access to medical supplies during
00:22:49 the pandemic itself.
00:22:51 Notwithstanding the toll that the embargo has caused Cuba, the Cuban spirit of resilience,
00:22:56 ingenuity, generosity, and brotherhood has characterized its engagement with Belize and
00:23:01 developing countries globally.
00:23:04 Cuba continues to be a force for goodwill and development in our region.
00:23:09 Cuban doctors are an integral part of Belize's health care system.
00:23:13 Many Belizean students receive scholarships for professional training in Cuba in areas
00:23:17 as diverse as medicine, physical education, computer science, mathematics, and veterinary
00:23:23 medicine.
00:23:24 And Cuba continues to provide technical assistance in critical areas, including climate change,
00:23:31 response, and agriculture.
00:23:33 Belize stands in solidarity with Cuba and will vote in support of Resolution L.5.
00:23:39 We reiterate our call for the United States to immediately and unconditionally lift the
00:23:44 embargo it has illegally imposed on Cuba.
00:23:47 I thank you.
00:23:50 I thank the distinguished representative of Belize, and I now invite the distinguished
00:23:55 representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to take the floor.
00:24:09 In the name of God, the compassionate, the merciful, Mr. President, I would like to begin
00:24:14 by warmly welcoming His Excellency Bruno Rodriguez Parilla, Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs
00:24:22 of the Republic of Cuba, to this important meeting.
00:24:26 Iran associates itself with the statement made on behalf of the Group of Friends in
00:24:32 Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, the Group of 77, and China, as well as the
00:24:37 Non-Allowed Movement countries.
00:24:41 We would also like to express our appreciation to the Secretary General for his report which
00:24:47 presents the views of member states condemning the unilateral and extraterritorial economic,
00:24:54 commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba.
00:25:02 Distinguished colleagues, it has been more than 60 years since the United States unilaterally
00:25:08 imposed an illegal and immoral embargo on Cuba.
00:25:13 Its efforts continue to limit the possibility for Cuba's economic growth, curb foreign investment,
00:25:20 hinder trade relations with third countries, and create the maximum possible barriers to
00:25:27 banking and other financial operations.
00:25:31 For all these decades, the blockade paradigm has benefited no one, the governments and
00:25:38 people of Cuba through its decisive vote in favor of the resolution calling for the removal
00:25:47 of the U.S. embargo against the Republic of Iran.
00:25:51 Despite repeated calls by the General Assembly to all states to refrain from promulgating
00:25:57 and applying laws and measures contrary to the purposes and principle of international
00:26:04 law, including the UN Charter, and despite the call to respect the sovereignty of states,
00:26:18 non-intervention, non-interference, and freedom of international trade and navigation, Cuba
00:26:24 is still subject to an illegitimate and immoral embargo that violates its inalienable rights
00:26:32 to development.
00:26:33 Mr. President, the Islamic Republic of Iran categorically opposes the application of any
00:26:40 unilateral restrictive measures against sovereign state members of the United Nations, and would
00:26:47 like to reiterate its position that imposition of such measures runs contrary to the goals
00:26:55 and principles enshrined in the UN Charter.
00:26:59 Further, the extraterritorial extension of those restrictive measures is in direct violation
00:27:05 of legitimate right of other states to fully cooperate with Havana.
00:27:12 Iran has been the target of the United States' unlawful and inhuman sanctions since 1979.
00:27:20 In the past four decades, the rate of unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Iranian people
00:27:27 has potentially increased to the extent that the U.S. has even targeted the import of the
00:27:34 medication and medical equipment.
00:27:37 In addition to the imposition of this unilateral illegal sanction against Iran in gross violation
00:27:44 of its obligation under the UN Charter, as well as the Security Council Resolution 2231/2015,
00:27:53 the U.S. brazenly continues to threaten other states to either violate the said resolution
00:28:00 or face punishment.
00:28:02 The response to the unilateralism lies in heightened solidarity and taking greater collective
00:28:09 action.
00:28:10 Iran will continue working with its partners to create a new environment in which self-respecting
00:28:17 nations can pursue their own interests and fulfill their international obligations.
00:28:23 We will continue to work to offset unlawful U.S. sanctions and irreversibly eliminate
00:28:32 the stabilizing phenomenon of extraterritorial application of its domestic legislation.
00:28:39 The world must find solutions to counter such destructive interventions and unilateralism.
00:28:47 Mr. President, since 1992, when Cuba first introduced this draft resolution to the General
00:28:52 Assembly, the support of people all around the world for the legitimate claims of the
00:28:57 Cuban people has been continuously growing.
00:29:03 In this regard, my country once again expresses its unwavering solidarity with the people
00:29:09 and the governments of Cuba and joins the global call on the United States to immediately
00:29:16 and fully comply with its international obligations as well as to alleviate the application and
00:29:23 enforcement of unilateral coercive measures.
00:29:26 I thank you.
00:29:27 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and I now
00:29:35 invite the distinguished representative of Congo to take the floor.
00:29:40 Thank you, Mr. President.
00:29:57 Congo aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Uganda on behalf
00:30:03 of G77 in China, as well as that made by Zambia on behalf of the African group.
00:30:08 We wish to make a number of comments in our national capacity.
00:30:12 Mr. President, at the outset, allow me to recall the remarks made from this very rostrum
00:30:20 by Ambassador Hidalgo Basulto, former permanent representative of Cuba, shortly before the
00:30:26 adoption of the first resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial
00:30:34 embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba on the 24th of November 1992.
00:30:42 He said the embargo is the most serious of the myriad forms of aggression perpetrated
00:30:48 against Cuba by the government of the United States.
00:30:52 The embargo is immoral and unethical.
00:30:55 It is an act which strives systematically to reduce an entire people to hardship and
00:31:00 famine in flagrant violation of their human, political, and social rights.
00:31:08 Almost 31 years later, such remarks still apply as we consider agenda item 38 of the
00:31:19 78th regular session of the General Assembly.
00:31:22 It is devoted to considering this embargo.
00:31:26 Mr. President, it is vital that the interminable embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States
00:31:34 of America be lifted.
00:31:35 It has been in place since the middle of last century, and it needs to be lifted, as was
00:31:41 recognized by the Secretary General himself in the Report A/78/84 that my delegation welcomes.
00:31:49 Indeed, this report states that the continued presence of the financial and commercial embargo
00:31:56 imposed on Cuba by the United States of America, which has now been in force for 60 years,
00:32:01 and Cuba's placement on the list of states that sponsor terrorism, are both incompatible
00:32:07 with an international system based on the rule of law.
00:32:11 Both acts are a clear expression of the wielding of political and economic clout which gravely
00:32:18 undermines human rights, including the right to development.
00:32:23 The harmful effects of these measures are as patently clear as they are unacceptable
00:32:28 under the United Nations Charter and under principles of international law.
00:32:35 Moreover, in addition to the effects aforementioned, the embargo is affecting the crisis following
00:32:43 the COVID-19 pandemic and is exacerbating current economic, financial, and climate crises.
00:32:54 And all of these are placing the well-being of the Cuban people under additional strain.
00:33:00 Mr. President, Congo reiterates its desire to promote stringent adherence to the purposes
00:33:09 and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
00:33:12 We call once again for the unconditional lifting of the economic, commercial, and financial
00:33:19 embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States of America.
00:33:23 I thank you.
00:33:24 UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL LUKE CARRINGTON I should like to thank the distinguished representative
00:33:28 of the Congo, and I now call on the distinguished representative of Jamaica to take the floor.
00:33:35 UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL LUKE CARRINGTON Mr. President, let me first express my delegation's
00:33:55 warm welcome and best wishes to His Excellency Mr. Bruno Rodriguez-Padilla, Minister of Foreign
00:34:02 Affairs of the Republic of Cuba.
00:34:06 Jamaica aligns itself with the statements delivered by Saint Lucia on behalf of the
00:34:10 Caribbean community and by Uganda on behalf of G77 and China on the necessity of ending
00:34:18 the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against
00:34:25 Cuba.
00:34:27 My delegation thanks the Secretary General of the United Nations for his regular reports
00:34:31 on this important issue and for maintaining a forum for UN member states to articulate
00:34:37 their perspectives on this unilateral policy, which Jamaica continues to believe is in violation
00:34:44 of international law and contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
00:34:53 Jamaica values the significance of participating in the discussions under this important agenda
00:34:58 item and continues to join the international community in expressing its unwavering solidarity
00:35:06 with the government and people of the Republic of Cuba on this call for the removal of this
00:35:11 irrelevant and decades-old blockade on Cuba.
00:35:17 The embargo has not only inflicted unnecessary wounds to the Cuban economy but also stifles
00:35:23 the development aspirations and the growth potential of the Cuban people.
00:35:29 Mr. President, Jamaica considers this prolonged blockade against Cuba to be contrary to the
00:35:34 norms and ethos governing friendly relations among states, international trade, and navigation.
00:35:41 It continues to be the main obstacle to the prosperity and to the realization of the genuine
00:35:47 aspirations of the Cuban people.
00:35:50 This blockade has hindered progress on Cuba's national plan for economic and social development
00:35:56 and impeded Cuba's implementation of Agenda 2030 and her attainment of the Sustainable
00:36:02 Development Goals.
00:36:04 The embargo has frustrated efforts by the government of Cuba to contribute to the global
00:36:09 fight against climate change, transnational crime, and poverty.
00:36:14 It has also hampered initiatives aimed at women's empowerment, social protection for
00:36:19 the most vulnerable, and transformation of the economy and society in a constantly changing
00:36:25 global environment.
00:36:28 The embargo against Cuba has stymied economic, commercial, and financial activities, thereby
00:36:34 hindering regular access to bilateral trade, importation of goods, and access to financial
00:36:40 mechanisms through formal and institutional channels.
00:36:44 The embargo has deterred Cuba's effective response to exogenous shocks, including the
00:36:51 impact of health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and global food,
00:36:59 energy, and health crises.
00:37:02 Such crises have had significant negative and lasting effects on women, children, the
00:37:07 elderly, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups in Cuba.
00:37:14 The unmerited inclusion of Cuba on the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism
00:37:21 further restricts entities from conducting legitimate business with Cuba and deepens
00:37:26 the challenges for third states' engagement with Cuba on trade, investment, developmental
00:37:32 aid, and international cooperation on transnational organized crime and provision of technical
00:37:38 assistance.
00:37:40 Therefore, we continue to express our concerns about the impact of continuing the blockade
00:37:46 and the grave systemic implications of the extraterritorial application of the United
00:37:52 States of America laws regulating transactions, directly or indirectly.
00:37:59 For far too long, the people of Cuba have suffered in an unjustified and undignified
00:38:04 manner as a result of this embargo.
00:38:07 The undue hardship imposed has impacted and affected every facet of life and livelihood
00:38:13 of the Cuban people.
00:38:16 So President, the international community has been seized of this matter since the first
00:38:20 tabling of this resolution at the 46th session of the United Nations General Assembly in
00:38:26 1991.
00:38:28 Every year since 1992, the international community has consistently, profoundly, and resoundingly
00:38:36 expressed support, as is evidenced in the favorable voting outcomes, for the need to
00:38:42 end this blockade against Cuba.
00:38:45 As a peaceful member and development advocate within the international community, Jamaica
00:38:50 welcomed the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States
00:38:55 in 2015, which has served to ease restrictions in a number of areas.
00:39:00 But notwithstanding this positive step in the right direction, we have seen reversals
00:39:05 in the more recent past.
00:39:07 In any event, even those measures were not far-reaching enough and cannot be a substitute
00:39:14 for the lifting of the embargo to allow the Cuban people's access to critical financial
00:39:19 resources, health products and services, inputs for industrial activities, and, importantly,
00:39:27 their right to development.
00:39:29 Mr. President, I will close by reiterating Jamaica's calls for advancing dialogue between
00:39:36 Cuba and the United States.
00:39:39 Jamaica reaffirms its commitment to stand in solidarity with the government and people
00:39:42 of Cuba in concerted efforts with the majority of the members of the United Nations and call
00:39:48 for the removal of the embargo and for the full inclusion of the Republic of Cuba in
00:39:53 the international community.
00:39:55 The benefits and cycle of international development cooperation are upended as long as a member
00:40:02 of the international community is unreasonably deprived of opportunities to contribute to
00:40:07 our collective vision of a safe, just, sustainable, prosperous and progressive world.
00:40:16 Jamaica will therefore vote in favor of the resolution.
00:40:20 I thank you.
00:40:22 I thank the distinguished representative of Jamaica for his statement, and I now invite
00:40:28 the distinguished representative of Egypt to take the floor.
00:40:37 FOREIGN MINISTER AL-JUBEIR, EGYPT (Via interpreter): Mr. President, distinguished delegates, member
00:40:59 states, I would like to align my country with a statement delivered by Uganda on behalf
00:41:03 of the Group of 77 and China.
00:41:06 The statement delivered by Zambia on behalf of the African Group, as well as the statement
00:41:12 delivered by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and the statement of Mauritania
00:41:18 on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
00:41:21 I would like to thank His Excellency the Secretary General for his report on the importance of
00:41:28 the necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United
00:41:32 States of America against Cuba.
00:41:35 I would like to reaffirm the steadfast position of Cuba in support of the people and government
00:41:42 of Cuba.
00:41:43 The unilateral coercive measures and the embargo affect negatively and in a very direct manner
00:41:51 very vital sectors of the economy.
00:41:54 These measures have very profound repercussions on the economic and social life of the Cuban
00:42:01 people.
00:42:02 They have a difficulty to access food, medicine, education, and advanced technology.
00:42:09 In this regard, Egypt reiterates the importance of respecting and upholding the principles
00:42:16 and objectives of the Charter of the UN, as well as the international law, and we call
00:42:21 for the respect of the many resolutions of the General Assembly in this regard.
00:42:25 We repeat that the continuity of this embargo is not going to discourage the international
00:42:32 community, which will keep calling for lifting those measures.
00:42:37 In conclusion, we call upon the international community and encourage for the complete lifting
00:42:45 of the sanctions immediately and enable the Cuban people to achieve the objectives of
00:42:51 the sustainable development.
00:42:53 Thank you.
00:43:01 (Applause.)
00:43:29 Mr. President, the Philippines aligns itself with the statements delivered by Singapore
00:43:36 on behalf of ASEAN, by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and by Uganda
00:43:43 on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
00:43:47 For the 31st year, we are witnessing today clear expressions of solidarity with the Cuban
00:43:54 people through an overwhelming support for the resolution on the necessity of ending
00:44:01 the economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against
00:44:08 Cuba.
00:44:10 The report of the Secretary General clearly shows that the international community once
00:44:16 again supports strongly an end to the six-decade embargo and unjustified sanctions policy.
00:44:26 It is also the 31st consecutive year that the Philippines will support the resolution.
00:44:34 Mr. President, the blockade presents a main obstacle for Cuba's socioeconomic development,
00:44:41 as observed by various UN agencies in the Secretary General's report.
00:44:48 It also poses a serious challenge for Cuba's implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
00:44:55 Development.
00:44:58 It violates international law.
00:45:01 It is contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.
00:45:08 With cultural and economic ties dating as far back as the Manila-Acapulco-Gallon trade
00:45:15 in the early 16th century, Cuba and its people will always have the support of the Philippines.
00:45:23 The United States should lift the embargo against Cuba unconditionally once and for
00:45:28 all.
00:45:29 Thank you, Mr. President.
00:45:30 I now offer the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Pakistan.
00:45:58 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
00:46:00 At the outset, let me acknowledge the presence of His Excellency, Mr. Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez-Pereira,
00:46:06 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba.
00:46:08 My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement
00:46:14 and the Group of 77 in China.
00:46:17 Pakistan has an abiding faith in multilateralism.
00:46:20 We believe in the fundamental principles of sovereign equality, non-interference, and
00:46:25 non-intervention as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.
00:46:30 We consider that the imposition of unilateral economic measures is counterproductive and
00:46:36 inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international
00:46:41 law.
00:46:42 Both the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly recognize that people should not
00:46:48 be deprived of their own means of subsistence, especially food and medicine.
00:46:53 They also recognize that the extraterritorial application of law, including unilateral coercive
00:46:59 measures that affect international humanitarian law and international human rights law, is
00:47:04 inadmissible.
00:47:06 Such measures are also in contravention of our pledge in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
00:47:12 Development to leave no one behind.
00:47:15 The economic, financial, and commercial embargo severely impacts the lives of all Cuban citizens.
00:47:22 In that regard, we also take note of the report of the Secretary General, which raises similar
00:47:27 concerns.
00:47:28 Ending the embargo would be a significant step towards ameliorating the quality of life
00:47:34 of the Cuban people.
00:47:36 I thank you very much.
00:47:49 >> Mr. President, I would like to thank you for the leadership that you are demonstrating
00:48:03 in the work of this General Assembly, and you could enjoy the support of my country.
00:48:10 My country aligns itself with the statements made by Uganda on behalf of the G77 and China,
00:48:16 and the African group in Zambia, and the statements made by the other groups that we are a member
00:48:25 of.
00:48:26 Mr. President, Gabon is still concerned about the ongoing commercial, economic, and financial
00:48:34 embargo imposed on Cuba by the United States of America.
00:48:39 The scale of its impact is more and more harmful to the Cuban people.
00:48:46 This economic blockade, which has been going on for more than 61 years, is clearly a hostile
00:48:52 act to regional and continental cohesion, and it threatens the Pacific coexistence between
00:49:01 states.
00:49:02 These measures go against international law, the United Nations Charter, and the norms
00:49:09 and principles that govern the peaceful relations between states.
00:49:14 The embargo against Cuba prevents the economic, cultural, and social development of the island,
00:49:22 and it has a negative impact on many sensitive sectors, such as public health, and it affects
00:49:30 the well-being of the Cuban people, and it imposes on these people unacceptable suffering.
00:49:38 This embargo is the main obstacle to the social and economic development of Cuba and to the
00:49:44 implementation of its national development plan, including the development program for
00:49:50 2030.
00:49:51 Gabon reasserts its appeal for the full implementation of United Nations resolutions in favor of
00:50:00 the lifting of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo that has been imposed on
00:50:05 Cuba by the United States of America.
00:50:08 In the same spirit, Gabon calls on the international community to continue in its efforts to support
00:50:14 the normalization of the relations between the two countries.
00:50:18 We are convinced that only the principles of dialogue, cooperation, and solidarity will
00:50:25 contribute to establishing a climate of trust and peace and will promote significant progress
00:50:32 on this issue.
00:50:34 We reiterate our appeal for the unconditional lifting of the economic, financial, and commercial
00:50:40 embargo imposed upon Cuba, and we will support the draft resolution we have before us.
00:50:46 Thank you very much.
00:50:47 I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Gabon for her statement, as indeed for
00:50:56 her sentiments, and I now wish to offer the floor to the plurinational state of Bolivia
00:51:04 for their statement.
00:51:05 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
00:51:23 Allow me to thank the presidency for convening this meeting, which is of interest to the
00:51:31 entire international community.
00:51:33 We welcome to this meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, Bruno
00:51:41 Rodriguez Barria, and we welcome the presence of the entire delegation.
00:51:47 Bolivia aligns itself with the statements made by Uganda on behalf of G77 and China,
00:51:52 by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, by St. Vincent and the Guernardines
00:51:58 on behalf of the community of Latin American and Caribbean states, and by Eritrea on behalf
00:52:05 of the Group of Friends in Defense of the United Nations Charter.
00:52:10 We wish to make the following comments in our national capacity.
00:52:14 President, Excellencies, colleagues, allow me at the outset to thank the sister Republic
00:52:23 of Cuba for their unwavering solidarity to the most noble causes of humankind.
00:52:31 Its health, education, and humanitarian aid brigades have been selfless and have been
00:52:40 deployed across the globe.
00:52:43 The peoples of the world have witnessed how 60 years have not been enough to punish a
00:52:51 people united in solidarity.
00:52:53 Moreover, we're seeing the ratcheting up of the economic, commercial, and financial
00:52:59 embargo imposed by the United States of America.
00:53:03 Just think how many lives could have been saved if Cuba had had the freedom and the
00:53:08 opportunity to share with the rest of the world the vaccines which were successfully
00:53:14 developed in Cuban laboratories.
00:53:18 Mr. President, myriad reports from specialized agencies and the report of the Secretary General
00:53:26 demonstrate that the embargo has been the greatest impediment to Cuba's achievement
00:53:31 of the SDGs.
00:53:32 Moreover, the report confirms the international consensus that exists around the need to put
00:53:38 an end to this economic, commercial, and financial embargo which has been illegitimately and
00:53:45 illegally imposed against Cuba.
00:53:47 However, in spite of this international consensus and in spite of the support of the overwhelming
00:53:54 majority of this General Assembly, the aggressor country prefers to ignore and flout the decisions
00:54:00 and resolutions adopted year after year.
00:54:03 This is one more demonstration of the double standards of certain states.
00:54:08 While some countries comply with and uphold international law and multilateralism, others
00:54:14 treat this General Assembly in a disgraceful way.
00:54:18 Mr. President, it is inconceivable and contradictory that the most solidarity-driven country in
00:54:25 the world be included unilaterally and outside the perimeters of international law on the
00:54:32 list of state sponsors of terrorism drawn up by the United States.
00:54:36 This is a flagrant aggression against the Cuban people, an act whose only goal is to
00:54:45 create further suffering through unjust and inhumane sanctions.
00:54:49 There is no valid argument for Cuba's placement on this list.
00:54:53 As such, the plurinational state of Bolivia demands Cuba's immediate removal from this
00:54:58 list.
00:54:59 That will rectify a historic mistake and serve to remedy perhaps irreparable damage against
00:55:06 the Cuban people.
00:55:08 Mr. President, Bolivia is a country that seeks to build a sisterly relationship and cooperation
00:55:12 between peoples and governments, with a view to contributing to mutual understanding, comprehensive
00:55:18 equitable development, the promotion of intercultural coexistence, and all of this with full respect
00:55:23 for the sovereignty of peoples and the independence of states.
00:55:26 It is precisely for this reason that we roundly condemn and reject the implementation of any
00:55:33 policy based on interference or interventionism, and we impose the application of any unilateral
00:55:39 coercive measures which violate the sovereignty, independence, or territorial integrity of
00:55:44 any states.
00:55:46 With this in mind, my country intends to deepen its cooperation with Cuba and other countries
00:55:50 of the world to strengthen sustainable development in all its facets.
00:55:55 As part of that policy, Bolivia's national airline and the strategic public business
00:56:03 that is Bolivian aviation has this week inaugurated commercial flights, direct commercial flights
00:56:12 indeed between Santa Cruz in Bolivia and Havana, Cuba to promote trade, integration, and cultural
00:56:18 exchange between our peoples.
00:56:19 Finally, Mr. President, for the aforementioned reasons, Bolivia supports the resolution that
00:56:24 will be adopted today.
00:56:26 That will add to more than 30 resolutions that have not yet succeeded in putting an
00:56:31 end to the ongoing act of aggression that the brave Cuban people have weathered.
00:56:37 We reaffirm our commitment to continue to work to ensure that sooner rather than later
00:56:42 this aggression against Cuba is put to an end, because nothing weakens multilateralism
00:56:48 more than the fact that a state is able to violate with impunity the human rights of
00:56:53 an entire people.
00:56:55 That act is grounded in military and economic might.
00:56:59 Peoples will never be vanquished when the causes that they fight for are justice, the
00:57:05 defense of life, and the defense of dignity.
00:57:07 Thank you, Mr. President.
00:57:08 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of Bolivia, and I now invite the distinguished
00:57:18 representative of Nicaragua to take the floor.
00:57:37 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
00:57:42 We align ourselves with the statements made by the representatives of Cuba on behalf of
00:57:49 the G77 in China, Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and San Vincente
00:57:56 and the Grenadines on behalf of the community of Latin American states, El Salvador on behalf
00:58:03 of the Central American integration system, and that made by Venezuela on behalf of the
00:58:09 group of friends in defense of the United Nations Charter.
00:58:12 We recognize and we thank the foreign minister of Cuba for being with us, Brother Bruno Rodriguez.
00:58:22 The imperialist powers continue to maintain and worsening the unilateral, illegal, coercive,
00:58:28 and arbitrary policy against sovereign peoples and governments, imposing their hegemonic
00:58:35 interests over the priorities of the international community.
00:58:40 They foment wars, blockades, sanctions, and defamatory campaigns.
00:58:47 These are contrary to international law, to the United Nations Charter, and the most basic
00:58:53 principles that should guide the relations of mutual respect, solidarity, dialogue, and
00:58:59 cooperation between states.
00:59:01 The peoples of the entire world have the right to exercise our national sovereignty, our
00:59:07 independence, moving forward in building and developing our own model of political, economic,
00:59:13 social, and cultural development, free from any interventions, threats, or aggressions
00:59:21 from abroad.
00:59:23 In the face of these perverse practices, our developing people are moving towards multipolarity,
00:59:30 confronting the destructive imperialism and neocolonialism that tries to dominate the
00:59:36 planet and humanity.
00:59:39 Thus it is that humanity is creating the conditions to put an end to imperial hegemony.
00:59:45 In this spirit, with its own voice, its own identity, dignity, and shared values, the
00:59:51 international community should move forward to better integration, rejecting and denouncing
00:59:57 all remnants of colonialism.
00:59:59 We are referring to the criminal, economic, commercial, and financial embargo which has
01:00:05 been imposed for more than 60 years on the Brotherhood Republic of Cuba and its unjustified
01:00:11 inclusion in the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and it should be removed from that
01:00:16 list.
01:00:17 The U.S. hegemony has imposed on the heroic people of Cuba an illegal blockade.
01:00:26 This heroic revolutionary brother has resisted for more than 60 decades and is continuing
01:00:32 to resist this corrosive blockade which violates its state institutions, limits its access
01:00:38 to financing for development, weakens its economy, and affects the full enjoyment of
01:00:45 all fundamental rights of an entire people.
01:00:49 Nicaragua, along with all developing countries and the international community as a whole,
01:00:57 rejects these illegal, unilateral, and coercive measures.
01:01:03 This dangerous and stifling blockade of Nicaragua condemns all the hostile policies imposed
01:01:08 by the United States of America against Cuba, the tracking down of financial transactions
01:01:15 and commercial transactions, and the impossibility to issue non-immigrant visas in Havana, intimidation
01:01:22 against companies that provide fuel to the island, and the attempts to frustrate recovery
01:01:29 of the tourist sector following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the campaign to discredit programs
01:01:36 of medical cooperation of Cuba.
01:01:39 Just to mention a few, Cuba has demonstrated that since the 1st of March 2022 to the 28th
01:01:47 of February 2023, the blockade has caused damage to Cuba estimated to be $4.8 billion.
01:01:58 This represents an impact of more than $505 million per month, more than $13 million a
01:02:05 day, and more than $550,000 every hour of this blockade.
01:02:13 The accumulated damage over six decades of this policy has reached $150 billion, $84.3
01:02:22 million.
01:02:24 But even so, in the worst circumstances and the most criminal pressure, Cuba has been
01:02:29 able to overcome the severe COVID-19 pandemic with its own efforts and talents.
01:02:37 It is admirable that Cuba, thanks to its awareness and its fighting revolutionary spirit and
01:02:44 its socialist conviction and commitment with the world, and its unequaled example of international
01:02:50 solidarity, has supported 42 countries and territories in the pandemic since the COVID-19
01:03:00 pandemic was declared in May of 2020 until September 2022.
01:03:05 Fifty-eight Henry Reid specialized Cuban aid brigades worked, and their members joined
01:03:13 more than 28,000 Cuban health professionals who were working in 66 nations as part of
01:03:21 the cooperation medical brigades sent by this brotherly country.
01:03:26 Cuba has been able to resist and establish initiatives so that its own efforts, together
01:03:34 with brother peoples in solidarity, can win this battle, because Cuba's battle is our
01:03:40 battle.
01:03:41 Cuba's victory is our victory.
01:03:45 We also congratulate our Cuban sisters and brothers for an excellent chairmanship of
01:03:52 the group of G77 in China.
01:03:55 134 countries make up this group of countries of the global south.
01:04:01 This is more than two-thirds of the member states of the United Nations, in which 80
01:04:08 percent of the global population lives.
01:04:14 And indeed, at the recent summit of the G77 in China, held in Havana, showed that they
01:04:20 have not been able to kill these imperialists and colonists of the world, have not been
01:04:27 able to kill the fighting spirit and the dignity of the peoples of the world.
01:04:32 Mr. President, the universal consensus of the peoples and government of the world has
01:04:36 demanded an end to this inhuman, illegal, and criminal blockade, which is cruel and
01:04:42 genocidal in nature.
01:04:44 It violates the human rights of an entire people, undermining the efforts of the courageous
01:04:50 Cuban people to implement their national plan of economic and social development for 2030,
01:04:58 as well as achieving the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development goals.
01:05:05 The government of the United States, by failing to implement the 30 resolutions of the General
01:05:11 Assembly, demonstrates its disrespect for international law, the United Nations Charter,
01:05:17 and the political will of the universal consensus of the international community, which demands
01:05:23 an end to this outdated policy against Cuba.
01:05:27 The clear objective of the empire has been to destroy Cuba, to destroy the socialist
01:05:33 model, which is fair, based on solidarity with its people and with the peoples of the
01:05:39 world.
01:05:40 The United States should begin a respectful dialogue to resolve the bilateral issues outstanding
01:05:47 with Cuba on the basis of the equality of states, reciprocity, respect for the sovereignty
01:05:53 and independence of Cuba.
01:05:56 Mr. President, we are fully convinced that international solidarity with Cuba will continue
01:06:03 to be effective and that the General Assembly will condemn today, once again, this criminal
01:06:08 embargo and all the extraterritorial measures which are being implemented against the dear
01:06:18 people of Cuba.
01:06:19 We hope that, once again, there will be the end of the double standards in this General
01:06:24 Assembly and that there will be respect for and implementation of the various UN resolutions
01:06:31 on this issue, that we put an end to this inhuman blockade against Cuba.
01:06:37 Nicaragua, as in previous years, will vote in favor of draft Resolution A78/L5.
01:06:44 And today, this General Assembly will approve universally this resolution submitted by Cuba.
01:06:51 And in that way, we'll be defending multilateralism, the United Nations Charter, seeking to find
01:06:58 understanding, peaceful coexistence between nations, and promoting a culture of peace
01:07:05 that we all talk about and desire.
01:07:07 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
01:07:08 UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL FULLERTON
01:07:09 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of Nicaragua for his statement.
01:07:19 I now give the floor to His Excellency Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Paria, the Minister of Foreign
01:07:26 Affairs of the Republic of Cuba, to introduce the draft Resolution A/78/L5.
01:07:32 UNDER SECRETARY GENERAL FULLERTON
01:07:35 Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, the embargo violates the right
01:07:56 to life, the right to health, the right to education, and the well-being of all Cuban
01:08:06 men and women.
01:08:10 Our families feel the effects of this blockade through the fact that shops are lacking goods
01:08:17 and there are long queues, there are excessively high prices, and salaries are devalued.
01:08:23 These are all effects of the blockade.
01:08:25 The Government is making great efforts to ensure that all families are provided with
01:08:32 the basic family food basket of rations.
01:08:35 This is not enough to meet all needs, but it is crucial to the survival of all households.
01:08:43 All families receive this basket, with no exception, at heavily subsidized prices.
01:08:51 This year, to cover the costs of this basket, the Government will have to invest more than
01:08:57 $1.6 billion.
01:08:58 With only one-third of the value of the losses caused by the embargo between March 2022 and
01:09:05 February 2023, these expenses would have been covered.
01:09:14 The blockade deprives our national industry of the funds required to procure agricultural
01:09:21 machinery, animal fodder, parts and spare parts for equipment and the industry as a
01:09:29 whole, as well as other inputs necessary for food production, which is being severely compromised.
01:09:39 Under strict licenses, Cuba is allowed to commercially procure agricultural products
01:09:47 in the United States, but this is subject to draconian and discriminatory limitations
01:09:54 that violate the universally accepted rules of international trade, as well as the freedom
01:10:01 of travel and navigation.
01:10:03 Cuba is forced to buy those products by paying for them in advance and by shipping them on
01:10:09 board of vessels belonging to that nation, which are required to return empty to their
01:10:15 ports of origin.
01:10:18 While across the world, trade is a two-way operation, it flows in two directions.
01:10:29 Cuba is prevented from exporting to the United States and cannot access credit, be these
01:10:36 from private institutions or granted by multilateral financial institutions.
01:10:43 Cuban families suffer blackouts, which at times have been overwhelming.
01:10:53 Where the energy and mining sector is concerned, the damage over the last year exceeds $491
01:11:03 million.
01:11:05 The primary source of those losses lies in the national electricity sector.
01:11:18 They have weathered more than $200 million in losses.
01:11:23 We could have guaranteed the supply and vital spare parts to avoid blackouts and guarantee
01:11:35 the functioning of our electric industry and our power plants.
01:11:41 Public people, including children, elder persons, pregnant women, are damaged by the lack or
01:11:52 choppy supply of medicines and doctors.
01:11:57 They are deprived from chemotherapy and treatment for heart disease.
01:12:02 People face difficulties on a daily basis to acquire insulin, antibiotics, painkillers,
01:12:12 hypertensive medication and other primary medications.
01:12:17 Our country is able to produce more than 60% of its core medications.
01:12:28 These levels of production have not been guaranteed during this period in which we have seen the
01:12:37 blockade ratcheted up because of the cunning blow dealt to our finance sector.
01:12:43 Cuba is presented with equipment, technologies, medical devices and end-use pharmaceuticals
01:12:57 and is forced to acquire them at exorbitant prices by intermediaries or to replace them
01:13:07 with less effective generic drugs, even for newborns and sick children.
01:13:15 With the consent of the family, I share with you the deep sorrow of the situation facing
01:13:26 Maria, a Cuban girl of only six years old.
01:13:33 She had to undergo surgery for the partial removal of an intracranial grade 4 tumour.
01:13:46 She has received the alternative chemotherapy treatment required to shrink the tumour, but
01:13:55 it was impossible to treat her with limustine, a US-manufactured drug which Cuba cannot access
01:14:02 due to the blockade.
01:14:05 This and other medications are first-line treatments for these high-grade tumours that
01:14:15 affect the central nervous system, but limustine is the most effective treatment among them
01:14:20 and Cuba cannot access it.
01:14:22 Right now, this young patient is in relapse and is now being subjected to a so-called
01:14:32 rescue chemotherapy treatment.
01:14:34 For her, as for other Cuban children, the blockade continues to mark the difference
01:14:39 between life and death.
01:14:44 Yadier and Abel are two 14-year-old teenagers.
01:14:50 They suffer from cerebral palsy.
01:14:55 This condition causes spasticity that impairs their motor function and causes involuntary
01:15:04 movements which they cannot control and that makes their everyday life difficult.
01:15:14 The dedication of their teachers and of the other professionals who have supported them
01:15:20 over all these years has allowed these teenagers to recover their motor, intellectual and communication
01:15:30 skills as far as possible and they have been fully integrated into society.
01:15:35 However, how different could the lives of Yadier and Abel have been if Cuba were not
01:15:43 prevented from directly acquiring on the US market the type A botulinum toxin, an injectable
01:15:52 drug that would prevent their spasms?
01:15:55 It has encouraging results in this type of patients.
01:16:02 As occurs in many other similar cases, these teenagers became direct victims of the merciless
01:16:09 harassment of Cuba.
01:16:12 The US government is lying when it asserts that the blockade does not prevent access
01:16:21 to medicines or medical equipment.
01:16:25 At the most difficult points of the COVID-19 pandemic, when cases peaked and our intensive
01:16:34 care units were overcrowded and exceeding capacity, Cuba was not allowed to import ventilators
01:16:45 on the pretext that European companies supplying those machines were subsidiaries of US companies.
01:16:56 That fact is without a doubt a cruel and inhumane act and a gross violation of the rules of
01:17:06 commerce and international law.
01:17:10 Cuba therefore had to develop its national production of ventilators using prototypes.
01:17:18 It itself had developed.
01:17:20 The extreme cruelty of the blockade was laid brutally bare when our main medical oxygen
01:17:30 plant went out of order, when the number of COVID-19 cases in our country was peaking.
01:17:43 Two US companies tried to supply medical oxygen to Cuba, and that demonstrated that there
01:17:51 was a need for the US government to grant a special license for that transaction, even
01:17:57 during the pandemic.
01:18:01 Cuba also has evidence proving the machinations of the US government designed to prevent companies
01:18:11 of two Latin American countries from selling medical oxygen to our country.
01:18:18 The blockade created difficulties with and delayed the import and arrival in Cuba of
01:18:26 other inputs and medical equipment vital to tackle the COVID-19 virus and vital particularly
01:18:38 for scaling up the production of Cuban vaccines.
01:18:41 During the pandemic, the US government applied temporary humanitarian exemptions to countries
01:18:49 that are victims of its unilateral coercive measures and other sanctions.
01:18:54 I ask you now, why was Cuba excluded from that temporary humanitarian relief?
01:19:03 The truth is that the US government opportunistically used COVID-19 as an ally in its hostile policy
01:19:15 against Cuba.
01:19:17 The blockade can constitute, indeed constitutes, a crime of genocide in accordance with the
01:19:28 Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of this Offence, as clearly established under
01:19:33 Articles 2B and C. The wicked decision to ratchet up the blockade to unprecedented levels
01:19:40 at that particular time during the pandemic and to take advantage of the global economic
01:19:46 crisis resulting from the pandemic to promote destabilization in the country clearly reveals
01:19:55 the profoundly cruel and inhumane nature of that policy.
01:20:03 The feat of saving and preserving the lives of our compatriots under such difficult circumstances
01:20:10 was only made possible by the efforts deployed by the government and all of our people over
01:20:20 decades to build a robust health and science system.
01:20:27 This system is profoundly humanist in vocation.
01:20:30 It's high quality and accessible to all Cuban men and women at no cost.
01:20:37 Despite the fact that caring for human beings has been and will continue to be the highest
01:20:44 priority of the Cuban government, it cannot be denied that the blockade is having a huge
01:20:51 impact on the quality of life and services offered to the people.
01:20:57 Mr. President, for more than six decades, Cuba has resisted a ruthless economic, commercial
01:21:07 and financial blockade.
01:21:09 More than 80% of our current population has known nothing other than a Cuba under blockade.
01:21:19 The U.S. government has not let up in its efforts to deprive our country from the crucial
01:21:29 financial revenues they require.
01:21:31 They have not ceased to lower the living standards of our people or to impose a continued shortage
01:21:38 of foodstuff, medicines and other basic inputs.
01:21:41 They have not let up in efforts to bring about an economic collapse.
01:21:45 Viciously and with surgical precision, the U.S. government is attacking the most delicate
01:21:51 sectors of the economy.
01:21:54 It deliberately intends to inflict the greatest possible damage on Cuban families.
01:21:59 The blockade is an act of economic warfare in times of peace.
01:22:05 It aims to lay waste to the government's capacity to meet the needs of its people.
01:22:12 It aims to create a situation of ungovernability and to destroy the constitutional order.
01:22:21 These objectives were clearly described in the infamous memorandum written by the Deputy
01:22:30 Assistant Secretary of State, Lester Mallory, on April 6, 1960.
01:22:35 That memorandum was declassified several years later.
01:22:39 Now I quote, "Every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic
01:22:46 life of Cuba, denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages,
01:22:55 to bring about hunger, desperation and to overthrow the government."
01:23:04 That is the nature of and those are the goals pursued by the economic coercion and maximum
01:23:15 pressure policy being implemented by the current U.S. administration against Cuba.
01:23:21 Those have been its goals since the very beginning.
01:23:24 The conduct of the United States is absolutely unilateral and unjustified.
01:23:30 There is no single measure or action being taken by our country to damage the United
01:23:36 States or to harm its powerful economy or its commercial activity.
01:23:45 There is not one action being taken by Cuba which jeopardizes the independence of the
01:23:52 United States or its national security.
01:23:55 There's no single action being taken by Cuba which undermines its sovereign rights, which
01:23:59 seeks to interfere in its internal affairs or which aims to damage the well-being of
01:24:04 its citizens.
01:24:05 It is neither legal nor ethical for the government of a major power to subject a small nation
01:24:12 for decades to ceaseless economic warfare in the interest of imposing a political system
01:24:20 on it which is alien to it and to once again take hold of its resources.
01:24:25 It is unacceptable to deprive an entire people of the right to peace, self-determination,
01:24:32 development and human progress.
01:24:37 The Cuban people is not the only people suffering the terrible consequences of an illegal, cruel
01:24:47 and inhumane policy.
01:24:49 There are many others in this world who are also the victims of this injustice and of
01:24:57 the philosophy of dispossession which leads to the philosophy of war, as was denounced
01:25:04 by our Commander-in-Chief, Fidel Castro Ruiz, from this rostrum in 1960.
01:25:11 At this tragic juncture, I reiterate Cuba's full support for and solidarity with the brotherly
01:25:20 people of Palestine currently being massacred on their own illegally occupied land.
01:25:31 But these barbaric acts must stop.
01:25:35 The US authorities have tried to sow the idea that the Cuban government is ineffective and
01:25:44 that our system is failing.
01:25:48 They have cynically claimed that they support the Cuban people and they intend to make others
01:25:55 believe that the unilateral coercive measures that they impose do not affect families.
01:26:03 They intend to make people believe that they are not a significant factor in the difficulties
01:26:07 faced by Cuba's national economy.
01:26:10 It is clear that the blockade is not responsible for all the problems today facing our country.
01:26:17 That has been stated by President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
01:26:22 But anyone denying its very serious effects or failing to recognize that it is the main
01:26:31 cause of the desperate deprivation, scarcity and hardships suffered by the Cuban families
01:26:37 would be failing to tell the truth.
01:26:41 Those who deny that the blockade is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human
01:26:46 rights of our people, as well as the biggest obstacle to our development, would be lying.
01:26:54 Let us look at facts and review some data.
01:27:00 Between March 1, 2022 and February 28, this year, the damage caused by the blockade has
01:27:11 been estimated by conservative calculations to stand at $4.867 billion.
01:27:19 That figure accounts for damages that are higher than $405 million a month, and that
01:27:27 amounts to more than $13 million in losses per day.
01:27:31 Had the blockade not existed, Cuba's GDP would have grown by 9% in 2022.
01:27:39 At current prices, the accumulated effects of the blockade after more than 60 years now
01:27:47 surpass $159 billion.
01:27:51 If we base these calculations on the value of gold, the figure amounts to some $1,337,000,000,000.
01:28:04 These are figures extraordinary for any economy in the world, and even more extraordinary
01:28:10 for a small island-developing nation such as ours.
01:28:15 What would Cuba be like today if it had been able to use these resources?
01:28:21 As of the second half of 2019, the U.S. government has strengthened the siege around our country
01:28:31 to an extreme measure.
01:28:33 It's more perverse and harmful.
01:28:36 It's adopted wartime measures to try to prevent fuel supplies for arriving in Cuba.
01:28:44 It strengthened the attacks against Cuba's international medical cooperation.
01:28:49 It's increased the persecution of Cuba's commercial and financial transactions in other
01:28:55 markets, and it's tried to threaten investors and commercial entities in the third countries
01:29:04 with the extraterritorial implementation of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.
01:29:13 There is also a list of Cuban restricted entities which affect most of our companies, and curiously,
01:29:25 there is a list of prohibited accommodations among many other prohibitions and restrictions.
01:29:36 In a globalized international economy, it's not just absurd, but it's also criminal to
01:29:42 continue to prohibit the export to Cuba of articles manufactured in any country containing
01:29:51 at least 10% of U.S. components, and also to prevent the import into the United States
01:30:00 of products manufactured in third countries if they contain some raw materials, intangible
01:30:10 or components that come from Cuba.
01:30:15 What would have happened to other economies, including in rich countries, if they had been
01:30:23 subjected to similar conditions?
01:30:29 Mr. President, the United States is strengthening its mechanisms to harass Cuba in the banking
01:30:35 and financial sectors.
01:30:37 It maintains the prohibition to use American dollars and the ceaseless and obsessive tracking
01:30:45 of financial and commercial transactions in other currencies, in areas such as trade and
01:30:52 investments.
01:30:53 The persecution has been further strengthened after the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the
01:31:01 State Department's unilateral list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism.
01:31:09 This was a lethal measure imposed by the former Republican administration only nine days before
01:31:18 leaving the White House.
01:31:20 The current president could have amended that just tomorrow with a signature.
01:31:31 The U.S. government is lying and is severely hampering international efforts to combat
01:31:39 terrorism when it accuses Cuba, without any grounds for doing so, of being a country that
01:31:47 sponsors that scourge.
01:31:48 There isn't a single valid or reasonable argument to keep Cuba on that spurious list.
01:31:56 It's an inadmissible action against a specific nation that has been itself a victim of terrorism
01:32:03 and that is still suffering today the incitement to violence and terrorist acts from the U.S.
01:32:12 territory and whose behavior of firmly rejecting and persecuting all forms of manifestations
01:32:20 of terrorism is impeccable and should be recognized.
01:32:26 The effects of this are particularly harmful in the context of a global economy that is
01:32:34 becoming more and more interconnected, interdependent, and more than anything else, subject to the
01:32:41 dictates of the powerful financial centers that are controlled by Washington.
01:32:49 Based on this arbitrary accusation, the U.S. authorities are extorting hundreds of banking
01:32:56 and financial entities all over the world and they force them to make the choice between
01:33:03 continuing to maintain relations with the United States or maintaining their relations
01:33:07 with Cuba.
01:33:10 Between January 2021 and February 2023, there was a total of 909 actions reported by foreign
01:33:20 banks that had refused to offer their services to our country.
01:33:28 Dozens of Cuban diplomatic missions abroad have lost contact with their traditional banks
01:33:36 and currently they do not have any bank account nor do they enjoy any financial services.
01:33:42 This has occurred even in countries that develop friendly and cooperative relations with our
01:33:49 country and which have consistently rejected the economic blockade but have become victims
01:33:57 of the extraterritorial power of U.S. hostility, its harmful and disproportionate influence
01:34:05 on the international financial system, and its determination to undermine the Cuban economy.
01:34:16 Falsely qualifying Cuba in this way, which says that it's a so-called risk, is forcing
01:34:22 Cuba to pay as much as twice the cost of any commodity on the world market.
01:34:32 Cuban entrepreneurs, whom the United States cynically claims to support, are often denied
01:34:41 access to platforms of e-commerce and payment platforms, including PayPal and Airbnb.
01:34:49 They are not even allowed to open personal bank accounts just for being Cuban.
01:34:57 In third countries, they have met banking restrictions and have suffered discrimination
01:35:04 as a result of the effects of the blockade.
01:35:12 Not even academic scientific training escapes the effects of this absurd policy.
01:35:21 Evelio is a 25-year-old Cuban youth. He's currently studying information science engineering.
01:35:34 With the support of his university, he was ready to share with students from other countries
01:35:41 the results of his scientific research, and he decided to attend in person the World Congress
01:35:51 on Undergraduate Research. This is an international scientific event, and it was held from the
01:35:58 4th to the 6th of April of 2023 at the University of Warwick in the UK.
01:36:08 He was admitted as a participant due to the quality of his research. However, shortly
01:36:15 afterwards the organizers of the event informed him that given Cuba's inclusion in the list
01:36:22 of countries under sanctions, the funding for his in-person attendance would be withdrawn.
01:36:33 He hoped to see an end to the blockade because, as is the case with thousands of other Cuban
01:36:39 youths, this policy excludes and discriminates him, and they prevent them from interacting
01:36:45 on an equal footing in academic and scientific communities.
01:36:54 Athletes and artists from Cuba who suffer from discrimination and sometimes abuse should
01:37:05 receive the same income that go along with their medals and prizes.
01:37:13 Mr. President, the blockade restricts the rights of Cubans residing in the United States.
01:37:22 It hampers family reunification by means of regular mechanisms and visas. It does not
01:37:29 allow traveling visas to be granted in Cuba and hinders the sending of remittances. It
01:37:38 also provokes uncertainty when people are seeking personal development in other countries,
01:37:48 including the families of young people who are highly qualified. However, the increase
01:37:57 of Cuban migration, with its painful cost for families and adverse demographic and economic
01:38:06 consequences for our nation, is directly linked to the tightening of the blockade and also
01:38:17 the privileged treatment given for purely political reasons to Cuban migrants who arrive
01:38:24 on the U.S. borders regardless of how they reach that border.
01:38:32 It is impossible to understand the nature of the migratory flows of Cuban citizens in
01:38:39 countries of the region heading for the United States without considering the importance
01:38:45 of these factors, which are being used for the purpose of destabilization, brain drain
01:38:53 and bringing about discredit for Cuba. Its unfavorable impact on some countries in our
01:39:01 area is also clear when we see that the Cuban migrants are considered as irregular migrants
01:39:09 and use unsafe and dangerous routes or become victims of organized crime. Cuba will also
01:39:17 always advocate for a regular, safe and orderly migration. It is up to your government, the
01:39:27 U.S. government, to modify the structural causes of much of Cuban migration, whether
01:39:35 it be regular or irregular. However, the blockade hampers the U.S. citizens' freedom to travel
01:39:48 to Cuba. It interferes with their right to freedom of information and to form their own
01:39:57 opinion. It also discriminates against, intimidates and deprives the automated visa system known
01:40:08 as ESTA to citizens from other countries who enjoy that privilege simply because they had
01:40:18 visited Cuba. Mr. President, the tightening economic siege has been accompanied by a sustained
01:40:31 communication and information media campaign against Cuba. New information technologies
01:40:39 and other digital platforms are being used to try to capitalize on the shortages caused
01:40:45 by the blockade and portray an absolutely false image of the reality in Cuba. And it's
01:40:52 seeking to destabilize and discredit the country. The media crusade, particularly from toxic
01:41:01 platforms funded and based in the U.S. territory, is aimed at encouraging discontent, creating
01:41:12 the perception of a domestic political crisis, discrediting government institutions and minimizing
01:41:21 the huge efforts made by the country to cope with the challenges of an economy under blockade.
01:41:31 This is a non-conventional cognitive warfare to which the United States publicly and notoriously
01:41:40 allocates funds that are worth millions from the federal budget and also using other undercover
01:41:48 funds. It is a perverse plan. It's incompatible with democracy, freedom and the right to information
01:41:59 that they supposedly advocate. Mr. President, the current United States government is ensuring
01:42:10 the continuity of the humane policy established under the administration headed by President
01:42:16 Donald Trump and paradoxically has embraced that policy. In fact, they have maintained
01:42:23 intact and imply severely the laws and regulations that support this policy, including the most
01:42:34 hostile and inhumane. The blockade has reached extreme levels and continues to be the central
01:42:43 element defining U.S. policy towards Cuba. The extraterritorial impact of the blockade
01:42:53 harms the sovereignty of the countries that you, you all represent, distinguished delegates.
01:43:02 It infringes upon your national legislations. It submits you to the decisions of U.S. courts.
01:43:10 It affects the interest of your companies and sanctions your entrepreneurs and restricts
01:43:18 the freedom of your citizens. And all this is in violation of international law. More
01:43:28 than six decades have elapsed since the time when this General Assembly annually has been
01:43:34 calling for an end to the blockade on Cuba. However, the express will of the international
01:43:42 community is disrespected. It's unheeded by the government of the biggest economic, financial
01:43:49 and military power. It's unacceptable, not permissible to ignore with impunity the successive
01:43:59 resolutions of this body, which is the most democratic and representative, the United
01:44:05 Nations. On behalf of the Cuban people, I appreciate the statements against the blockade
01:44:13 made by heads of state and government, as well as high dignitaries from 44 countries
01:44:21 during the general debate of this session. Twenty-one of those countries explicitly condemned
01:44:29 Cuba's arbitrary inclusion in the unilateral and fraudulent list of state sponsors of terrorism.
01:44:41 We express our appreciation and gratitude to the many delegations who expressed that
01:44:48 position in yesterday's and this morning's sessions. I also deeply appreciate the statements
01:44:57 of fraternal assistance from our compatriots, from the broad and universal movement in solidarity
01:45:04 with Cuba and the many friends we have in various latitudes. We are encouraged to enjoy
01:45:13 the growing support of persons of goodwill who throughout the world are demanding that
01:45:19 an end be placed to this blockade. Despite the hostility of the U.S. government, we will
01:45:29 continue to build bridges with the people of the United States, as we do with all peoples
01:45:36 of the world. We will strengthen more and more our links with Cuban emigres residing
01:45:44 abroad. We will soon host the fourth national immigration conference that will contribute
01:45:53 to strengthening the dialogue between the Cuban government and our compatriots. Mr.
01:46:01 President, the colossal challenges that we face do not frighten us. The Cuban people
01:46:08 will never cease in their efforts to honor, exalt, and defend their free and sovereign
01:46:17 homeland. We will continue our efforts, which is transformative and revolutionary, seeking
01:46:25 way outs of the siege imposed by U.S. imperialism, as well as ways to achieve towards prosperity
01:46:34 with social justice and support the transformation of our communities and support and broaden
01:46:43 our social programs. We will continue to guarantee the increased participation of our young people
01:46:52 and all our citizens in the political, economic, social, and cultural processes of our nation.
01:47:03 No other people has been forced to engage in a development project in such conditions
01:47:10 and such systematic and long-lasting hostility by a superpower. But Cuba will continue to
01:47:20 renew itself. It will build a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous, and sustainable
01:47:32 nation. Mr. President, Your Excellencies, Distinguished
01:47:38 Delegates, In short, upon exercising your vote, you will not just be deciding a matter
01:47:45 of vital interest for Cuba and each Cuban family. Your vote in favor of the draft resolution
01:47:55 that has been presented will also be an expression in support of reason and justice, and it will
01:48:04 be an act of support to the United Nations Charter and to international law. On behalf
01:48:12 of our noble, dignified, and fraternal people who, for a long time now, decided to become
01:48:20 masters of their own history and their future, on behalf of the millions of Cuban men and
01:48:26 women who resist and create on a daily basis against the most cruel and long-lasting unilateral
01:48:37 coercive measures system ever applied against any country and which should be abolished
01:48:43 once and for all, for the good of all, I respectfully ask you to vote in favor of draft resolution
01:48:51 A/R/78/L5 entitled "The Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo
01:49:05 Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." We are better without a blockade.
01:49:13 We are better without genocidal blockade. Let Cuba live without blockade. Thank you
01:49:19 very much.
01:49:20 (Applause)
01:49:39 I should like to thank the distinguished Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba for his statement.
01:49:49 We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item. The Assembly will now take a
01:49:57 decision on draft resolution A/78/L5 entitled "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial,
01:50:11 and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." A recorded
01:50:20 vote has been requested. We shall now begin the voting. Those in favor of draft resolution
01:50:31 A/78/L5, please signify. Those against, abstentions.
01:50:47 The General Assembly is now voting on draft resolution A/78/L5 entitled "Necessity of
01:50:59 Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America
01:51:06 against Cuba." Will all delegations confirm that their votes are accurately reflected
01:51:12 on the screen?
01:51:21 The voting has been completed.
01:51:26 You're watching live the plenary session of the UN General Assembly as the voting is
01:51:32 now underway on the session that is focused on the need to put an end on the US embargo
01:51:40 on Cuba. We witness today an overwhelming majority of the nations represented at the
01:51:46 organism who have expressed themselves in favor of the resolution to end the unilateral
01:51:53 embargo, and we now have the voting results. At the images, we have 187 countries who have
01:52:05 voted in favor of lifting the US embargo on Cuba. This is, of course, the result of the
01:52:16 overwhelming majority of countries who have expressed throughout the day and yesterday
01:52:22 as well at this UN plenary session the need to lift this coercive unilateral measures
01:52:32 who have been imposed on the island nation for over 60 years. Let's recall we are now
01:52:44 witnessing the vote has already been had on the need to lift the US embargo on Cuba. This
01:52:55 is a draft presented by the Cuban nation and 187, an overwhelming majority of the countries
01:53:03 have voted in favor of lifting the blockade with only two countries voting against and
01:53:14 one country abstaining from the vote. Earlier today and yesterday, representatives from
01:53:27 worldwide nations expressed their rejection of the unilateral measures against Cuba and
01:53:33 the Cuban people which they deemed arbitrary and hypocritical.
01:53:38 >> We are inviting our students to study in Cuba and sending doctors and specialists to
01:53:46 work in our country's health centers. In addition to the health sector, we have also had in
01:53:54 place a cooperation project in the area of youth sports, art and culture which allows
01:54:03 us to send our students and sports athletes for training and to study in Cuba. Mr. President,
01:54:12 the vote we cast today in support of this draft resolution represents our great concern
01:54:18 over the adverse effects of this embargo on the well-being of the peoples of Cuba. We
01:54:27 are of the view that the embargo prevents the peoples of Cuba from fully enjoying their
01:54:32 human rights, including the rights to development as it undermines the efforts of Cuba in achieving
01:54:41 the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Mr. President, as described in the report
01:54:48 of the UN Secretary General on the draft resolution, the embargo has affected the full potential
01:54:55 of Cuba to be a more active actor in international trade and development and international cooperation.
01:55:04 In addition, we have also come to the understanding that the embargo has directly and indirectly
01:55:11 affected the critical sectors of the Cuban economy, including public health, nutrition,
01:55:18 agriculture, as well as investment, tourism and banking. Therefore, Timor-Leste joins
01:55:26 all the delegations here in calling for the lifting of the embargo, which will help the
01:55:32 peoples of Cuba to fully enjoy their human rights, including the right to development
01:55:38 in accordance with the UN Charter and the international law. I thank you, Mr. President.
01:55:44 The Vice President (Mr. Blinken) I would like to thank Timor-Leste.
01:55:52 And I now give the floor to the delegation of Sri Lanka.
01:55:56 Sri Lanka voted in favor of the draft resolution A/78L5 entitled "The Necessity of Ending
01:56:09 the Economic, Commercial and Financial Embargo" imposed by the United States of America against
01:56:14 Cuba. In keeping with past practice, this Assembly adopted, with an overwhelming majority,
01:56:21 the call to lift the blockade against Cuba. It is not difficult, Mr. President, to discern
01:56:26 the rationale. A cursory perusal of the United Nations Secretary General's report, A/78/84,
01:56:35 provides the answers. For 30 years, the General Assembly has been calling for an end to the
01:56:41 economic embargo the United States has imposed on Cuba since 1962. If sanctions have only
01:56:48 created hardships and collective suffering to a population, what justification, we ask,
01:56:54 can there be to continue a policy of repression?
01:56:58 Mr. President, it is said that universal coercive sanctions can have unintended consequences
01:57:05 and negative humanitarian impacts. As clearly seen in the Cuban scenario, universal coercive
01:57:11 sanctions harm the civilian population more than the intended targets, leading to increased
01:57:18 poverty, unemployment, and a lack of access to essential goods and services. It is also
01:57:24 said that sanctions can undermine diplomatic efforts and hinder dialogue, making it more
01:57:31 difficult to find peaceful resolutions to a conflict. Mr. President, unilateral sanctions
01:57:37 and secondary sanctions aimed at universalizing the sanctions regime have been the most difficult
01:57:43 aspects of any sanctions regime, aimed at alleviating such sanctions to one of collective
01:57:49 sanctions. Unilateral sanctions have never achieved the same status as collective sanctions
01:57:55 without exaggerated claims to jurisdiction. It is a fact that countries perceive the implications
01:58:01 of sanctions regimes differently from one another. If one looks at the bigger picture
01:58:07 carefully, unilateral sanctions have not had their desired effect. It is, therefore, time,
01:58:14 we say, to reexamine the continuation of the sanctions against Cuba and withdraw them.
01:58:19 We call on all those concerned to lift the imposition of unilateral coercive measures
01:58:25 that are not authorized to relevant organs of the United Nations and are inconsistent
01:58:30 with the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. My delegation
01:58:36 is of the considered view that the potential drawbacks of these sanctions outweigh the
01:58:41 intended objectives. It must also be observed that the target entities find ways to circumvent
01:58:48 the sanctions or find alternative allies which renders New Guettari the very purpose of imposing
01:58:54 such sanctions. Mr. President, we must all remind ourselves of the fact that the imposition
01:59:00 of universal coercive sanctions have been of little help and relatively ineffective
01:59:06 in maintaining a conducive global order, improve the respect for human rights, and prevent
01:59:13 the escalation of conflicts globally. The continued sanctions on Cuba against this backdrop
01:59:19 appears misplaced and irrational. It is, therefore, time, we say, to revisit the continuation of
01:59:26 the sanctions against Cuba with a view to their final withdrawal. I thank you, Mr. President.
01:59:33 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of Sri Lanka and now invite the distinguished
01:59:42 representative of Solomon Islands to take the floor.
01:59:47 Mr. President, at the outset, my delegation acknowledges the presence of the Minister
01:59:52 of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Mr. Bruno Rodriguez-Pereira, and thank the Secretary General for the report
01:59:58 on Cuba, highlighting the impacts of the embargo on Cuba. My delegation aligns itself with
02:00:05 the statement made by the distinguished delegate of Uganda on behalf of the Group of 77 in
02:00:12 China.
02:00:13 Mr. President, Solomon Islands voted in favour of the resolution as a reaffirmation of our
02:00:19 support for Cuba and the cessation of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo
02:00:25 on Cuba. The embargo on Cuba is not in the spirit of the United Nations and goes against
02:00:33 the principles of the United Nations Charter. As member states, we are duty-bound to uphold
02:00:39 the commitment to the purposes, principles, and the spirit of the Charter of the United
02:00:44 Nations, particularly regarding the sovereign equality of states, non-interference in states'
02:00:51 internal affairs, and freedom of international trade and navigation.
02:00:56 Mr. President, the unilateral embargo on Cuba over six decades denies Cubans the right to
02:01:02 trade, access to goods, critical and medical supplies, and violates Cuba's inalienable
02:01:08 right to development. Nor does it reflect our unified aspirations to achieve the 2030
02:01:15 Agenda or the Sustainable Development Goals, which we collectively pledge not to leave
02:01:21 anyone behind.
02:01:23 Mr. President, Solomon Islands does not support the imposition of unilateral action or measures
02:01:29 that perpetuate negative impact on the well-being of the people of another state. We therefore
02:01:35 join the UN community in calling for the immediate removal of the embargo to restore faith in
02:01:42 observing international law and the respect for United Nations principles.
02:01:48 With the near-unanimous support by the General Assembly on the resolution again today, we
02:01:56 encourage the United States to reconsider its decision on the embargo in the spirit
02:02:01 of goodwill and engage in enhanced dialogue and constructive consultation with Cuba.
02:02:09 Mr. President, Solomon Islands acknowledges with sincere appreciation Cuba's partnership
02:02:14 and commitment to South-South cooperation and its contribution to the international
02:02:18 community despite these imposed measures. As a close bilateral partner, Cuba has trained
02:02:25 more than 100 of our medical doctors that are now saving lives around the country.
02:02:31 We remain resolved in our stand with Cuba, as we have done in the past, until the ending
02:02:36 of the economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba.
02:02:41 I thank you, Mr. President.
02:02:42 I should like to thank the distinguished representative of the Solomon Islands, and I now invite the
02:02:49 distinguished representative of Indonesia to take the floor.
02:02:55 Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, Indonesia reiterates its opposition
02:03:02 to the unilateral coercive measures with external effect on the sovereignty of other states
02:03:09 and reiterates the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction
02:03:16 and the freedom of trade and navigation. The prolonged imposition of the unilateral
02:03:23 economic, commercial and financial embargo by the United States against Cuba clearly
02:03:30 violates the UN Charter principles of sovereignty of states, non-interference and non-intervention.
02:03:40 It also violates international law. In this regard, Indonesia rejects any measure
02:03:45 aimed at further strengthening the unilateral embargo against Cuba.
02:03:51 This includes the inclusion of Cuba in the United States' list of state-sponsored terrorism,
02:03:56 especially on the basis of inconsistent arguments and without proper evidence.
02:04:03 Mr. President, we are at a crucial time where unilateral acts are increasing and it's becoming
02:04:11 more unacceptable. So let me highlight a few points.
02:04:16 First, we are at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda with the risk that our SDG progress
02:04:24 is being stalled by the current post-pandemic global economic uncertainty, conflicts and
02:04:29 climate crisis. Cuba has the right to fulfill their economic
02:04:34 and social development and it is intolerable to further impede this while we are collectively
02:04:42 fighting to bring the SDG back on track and advocating to leaving no one behind.
02:04:49 Second, the unilateral act undermines our efforts to restoring trust in multilateralism.
02:04:58 There is nothing that speaks more than this, than a consecutive resolution which consistently
02:05:05 and overwhelmingly receives favorable votes from the UN member every year, yet there is
02:05:11 no significant effort to be made to address the problem.
02:05:16 Third, humanity should always be put first beyond any political agenda, let alone a single
02:05:22 country's political agenda. The Secretary General's report clearly highlights
02:05:27 the declining of life quality of the people of Cuba, particularly vulnerable groups such
02:05:34 as children, women and elderly people. Increasing infant mortality rate, deteriorating
02:05:41 health system and difficulty to access basic food and medicines.
02:05:45 Children deprived from their rights to education are unacceptable.
02:05:51 Therefore Indonesia urges for the immediate implementation of this resolution and continues
02:05:56 to underline the importance of an enhanced and constructive dialogue to this aim.
02:06:01 Thank you, Mr. President.
02:06:02 I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia and I give the floor to Spain on
02:06:13 behalf of the European Union.
02:06:17 Thank you very much, Mr. President. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the
02:06:21 European Union and its member states. The candidate countries, North Macedonia,
02:06:26 Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia align themselves
02:06:32 with this statement. I reiterate today our conviction that the
02:06:37 economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba has a
02:06:43 damaging impact on the country's economic situation and negatively affects the living
02:06:49 standards of the Cuban people. We should not forget that external trade and
02:06:54 foreign investment can play a crucial role in setting the country on a path towards modernization,
02:07:01 reforms and sustainable growth and help it to overcome the economic hardship caused by
02:07:07 external events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to affect the island, or regular
02:07:16 meteorological and climate change-related hazards. Consequently, the EU believes that
02:07:24 lifting the embargo could make economic reforms more effective and facilitate the opening
02:07:30 of the Cuban economy for the benefit of the Cuban people.
02:07:35 We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Cuba, in particular following
02:07:41 the events on July 11 and 12, 2021, following the severe rulings handed down by Cuban courts
02:07:48 hitherto as regards civil and political rights. Consequently, we reiterate our appeal to the
02:07:56 Cuban government to fully grant its citizens internationally recognized civil, political,
02:08:04 and economic rights and freedoms, including freedom of assembly, freedom of expression,
02:08:10 and free access to information. We call upon Cuba to release all political
02:08:16 prisoners, to ratify the UN Covenant for Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant for
02:08:22 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and we call upon Cuba to extend a standing invitation
02:08:27 to all UN special procedures to visit Cuba. We strongly insist upon the importance of
02:08:36 upholding the UN Charter and of respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial
02:08:41 integrity of all UN members. And we urge Cuba to stand in full solidarity with these fundamental
02:08:50 principles and to work together to defend them.
02:08:53 Moreover, we firmly believe that empowering civil society is vital for the promotion and
02:08:59 protection of all human rights, and we call upon the Cuban government to open spaces for
02:09:05 constructive and inclusive dialogue without preconditions with the full spectrum of the
02:09:11 island's civil society. A broad spectrum of civil society, both Cuban and European,
02:09:17 should also be involved in the implementation of the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation
02:09:25 Agreement, the PDCA. The EU believes that the path to positive change in Cuba is closer
02:09:33 engagement on all levels, government, economy, civil society, but positive change can also
02:09:40 be brought about through people-to-people exchanges. Consequently, we welcome the measures
02:09:44 announced by the US administration last year to ease restrictions on family remittances
02:09:50 and travel to the island, and to fully resume consular services.
02:09:56 However, the redesignation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism by the previous US administration
02:10:04 without the presentation of any new facts, and Cuba's maintenance on the list without
02:10:10 obvious justification,
02:10:11 and the economic interests of the European Union. We have firmly and continuously opposed
02:10:26 any such measures due to their extraterritorial application and their impact on the European
02:10:31 Union, and this in violation of commonly accepted rules of international trade. We cannot accept
02:10:39 such measures impeding our economic and commercial relations with Cuba. The EU strongly rejects
02:10:46 the US's activation of Titles III and IV of the Helms-Burton Act in April 2019. This
02:10:54 activation breaches the commitments made by the US in the US-EU agreements of 1997 and
02:11:01 1998. We will avail ourselves of all appropriate measures to address the effects of the Helms-Burton
02:11:10 Act, including in relation to our WTO rights and through the use of the EU blocking statute.
02:11:19 That statute protects against the extraterritorial application of those US sanctions to US citizens,
02:11:26 businesses and NGOs operating in Cuba. Mr. President, for the European Union, international
02:11:33 cooperation, dialogue and closer, even critical engagement are the way to go where Cuba is
02:11:40 concerned. The provisional application of the EU-Cuba political dialogue and cooperation
02:11:45 agreement, the PDCA, is now in its sixth year. The agreement has put our bilateral relationship
02:11:51 on new and solid legal footing. It sets forth an agenda of critical engagement with Cuba
02:11:57 that will also allow us to support and accompany Cuba on its path of reform and modernization.
02:12:04 We are enhancing dialogue and cooperation also on issues on which we still have fundamental
02:12:10 differences. To this end, the aforementioned PDCA has established a human rights dialogue
02:12:16 as a key pillar of our relationship. The fourth formal meeting of the dialogue is scheduled
02:12:21 to be held on November 24. Following the adoption of the country's new constitution and in
02:12:27 order to overcome the current economic and social crisis, we call upon Cuba to ensure
02:12:33 that its reform agenda extends economic, judicial and social reforms and to ensure that it is
02:12:39 implemented in a manner that addresses the key concerns of the Cuban people. Moreover,
02:12:45 its implementation must meet the legitimate democratic aspirations of the Cuban people
02:12:50 for more opportunities to participate in shaping the country's future. The PDCA is an agreement
02:13:01 that allows the EU to offer Cuba a consistent and reliable partnership to support Cuba as
02:13:08 it seeks to reform its political and social -- political and economic model, to pursue
02:13:12 sustainable development and to find common solutions to global challenges. While continuing
02:13:18 to advocate democracy and for the respect of human rights in the interests of all human
02:13:23 citizens, it is our considered view that the U.S. embargo does not contribute to promoting
02:13:29 these aims. On the contrary, it hinders their achievement. Against this backdrop, the member
02:13:34 states of the European Union voted unanimously in favor of the draft resolution. Thank you.
02:13:41 I thank the delegation of Spain on behalf of the European Union, and I'll give the floor
02:13:50 to the United States.
02:13:54 Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, members of the General Assembly. The United States
02:14:00 stands resolutely with the Cuban people. We strongly support their pursuit of a future
02:14:07 with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Approximately 1,000 political prisoners
02:14:18 remain behind bars in Cuba, more than at any point in Cuba's recent history. Nearly 700
02:14:28 of those detentions owe to the historic July 11, 2021 protests during which members of
02:14:37 civil society, including human rights defenders as well as minors of age, exercised their
02:14:44 freedom of expression and right of peaceful assembly. We share the Cuban people's dream
02:14:53 of democracy in Cuba and join international partners in calling for the Cuban government
02:14:59 to immediately release all those unjustly detained.
02:15:06 Despite Cuba's membership in the UN Human Rights Council, the Cuban government has delayed
02:15:12 responding to requests to send independent experts to Cuba who would help advance respect
02:15:19 for human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and the freedom
02:15:26 to assemble peacefully. Some of these requests have remained pending for 10 years. Sanctions
02:15:36 are one set of tools in our broader effort toward Cuba to advance democracy and promote
02:15:43 respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba. We therefore oppose this resolution.
02:15:52 We recognize the challenges the Cuban people face. That is why U.S. sanctions include exemptions
02:15:59 and authorizations relating to the exports of food, medicine and other humanitarian goods
02:16:07 to Cuba. The United States remains a significant source of humanitarian goods to the Cuban
02:16:16 people and one of Cuba's principal trading partners. In 2002 alone, U.S. companies exported
02:16:25 over $295 million worth of agricultural goods to Cuba, including food, to help meet the
02:16:35 needs of the Cuban people. The United States opposes this resolution. We encourage this
02:16:42 body to urge the Cuban government to adhere to its human rights obligations and listen
02:16:50 to the Cuban people and their aspirations to determine their own future. Thank you,
02:16:56 Mr. President.
02:16:57 We have had the last speaker in explanation of vote after the vote. The exercise of right
02:17:12 of reply has been requested. May I remind members that statements in exercise of the
02:17:19 right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and five minutes to
02:17:25 the second intervention and should be made by delegations in their seats. I call on the
02:17:33 representative of Cuba to exercise that right.
02:17:43 Thank you, Mr. President. I use the right to reply in light of the statement made by
02:17:49 the representative of the United States. With old and new pretexts, the U.S. government
02:17:56 is trying to justify a policy that is illegal and morally unsustainable, even when in an
02:18:03 overwhelming way the General Assembly has confirmed over more than three decades an
02:18:09 unequivocal message that the international community recognizes the urgency of putting
02:18:15 an end to the economic and commercial embargo against Cuba. The United States is imposing
02:18:21 the most serious siege and with the greatest impact in terms of the coercive measures undertaken
02:18:27 against Cuba. What was announced in May 2022 with regard to visas, remittances and travel
02:18:34 to Cuba does not change the principal measures that enhance the blockade and which have caused
02:18:41 a severe worsening in the living conditions of the Cuban people since 2019 until today.
02:18:48 The speech of the United States is hypocritical and dishonest. The criminal economic, commercial
02:18:55 and financial embargo against the people of Cuba is a cruel violation that has been massive
02:19:02 and has been for a long time and cannot be justified in any way, even with the lies and
02:19:08 the colonies and the legends that the White House and the State Department seeks to use
02:19:16 to justify its measures. For several thousands of children over 18 years, they have been
02:19:24 injured or harmed by measures by the U.S. and there have been several hundred shootings
02:19:33 in schools since 1970. The systemic racism in that country, the police brutality, the
02:19:40 repressive policy against migrants and the repression of the reproduction rights and
02:19:46 extrajudicial executions and the use of torture are just some of the condemned practices committed
02:19:54 in the United States and which are a scandal to the whole world. The United States complicity
02:19:59 with the massive assassination of citizens in Gaza at the hand of the IDF means that
02:20:06 it is participating in a crime against humanity. Mr. President, the U.S. delegation cites inflated
02:20:16 figures with regard to humanitarian aid to our country and it talks about multimillion
02:20:21 funds that the United Agency for International Development is sending for subversion in Cuba
02:20:29 and which are used for Cuban immigrants and the beneficiaries. This is all just making
02:20:40 many obstacles to the delivery of support from NGOs. It's totally false that the United
02:20:46 States is providing medicine to Cuba. There is irrefutable proof that the blockade prevented
02:20:54 the official channels for sending aid to the country, including from third countries. In
02:21:00 the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restrictions for the export of medicines to
02:21:06 Cuba are explicitly covered by laws, and this is an arm of aggression, a weapon of aggression
02:21:14 against our country. The U.S. advocates individual freedoms and supports the private sector in
02:21:19 Cuba, but it has not lifted restrictions that damage the interests of Cuban businessmen.
02:21:28 If the U.S. is really interested in the well-being of the human rights and the self-determination
02:21:33 of the Cuban people, they could lift the blockade. They would work together in us, in cooperation
02:21:38 internationally, rather than discrediting us and remove us from the list of so-called
02:21:45 state sponsors of terrorism. Cuba should never have been on this list.
02:21:52 We expressed our position several weeks ago. This was expressed by our Cuban president,
02:21:59 and he said, "Cuba will continue to defend its democracy and its socialist model, which
02:22:05 has, over decades, demonstrated what a developing country can do, a small country and with small
02:22:11 natural resources. We will continue our transformative efforts to find a way out from the embargo
02:22:19 in place by U.S. imperialism and means to achieve prosperity with justice, social justice,
02:22:27 that our people deserve." Thank you very much.
02:22:30 I thank the representative of Cuba. May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly
02:22:40 to conclude its consideration of the agenda item 38. It is so decided. The meeting is
02:22:51 adjourned.
02:22:52 (Applause.)
02:23:01 (END)
02:23:28 You were watching live the plenary session of the UN General Assembly, which has just
02:23:33 adjourned after the vote on the need to lift the embargo on Cuba, where an overwhelming
02:23:41 majority of the nations represented at the organism have voted in favor of the resolution
02:23:48 to end the unilateral embargo imposed on the island nation, which has been unfairly imposed
02:23:54 for over 60 years, hindering Cuba's possibility to develop its full potential and especially
02:23:59 harming the well-being of its people. Specifically, 187 countries voted in favor of the resolution
02:24:06 to lift the embargo, while only two, the United States and Israel, voted against it and Ukraine
02:24:12 abstained. Earlier today and yesterday, representatives from worldwide nations expressed their rejection
02:24:18 of unilateral measures against Cuba and the Cuban people deemed arbitrary and hypocritical.
02:24:24 Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Ferreira introduced a draft resolution presented by
02:24:30 Cuba to the international community year after year to lift the blockade and highlighted
02:24:35 the way in which the embargo hinders the Cuban government's efforts to provide the most
02:24:40 basic products for its people, a situation for which the country calls to the international
02:24:44 community to raise its voice against such measures. We will be following closely any
02:24:51 updates related to this topic and any related issues, so stay tuned for upcoming news briefs.
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