Statement by the Permanent Representative of Cuba, Ambassador Pedro L. Pedroso Cuesta, in the General Debate on Issue 4 (Human rights situations requiring the Council’s attention). 36th regular session of the Human Rights Council. Geneva, Switzerland, 19 September 2017
Mr. President:
Is it politicization, double standards and selectivity, the bad practices that will end up prevailing in the work of the Human Rights Council? Many of us hope not.
However, what we have heard in the debate of this theme, as well as in others last week, suggests that some promote that this is the way to go by this body.
Several countries continue to seek to stand as paradigms for the promotion and protection of human rights and use this and other agenda items to criticize other countries, while xenophobia, racism and intolerance increase in their own territories to a highly worrying level.
How can one think they are seriously concerned about human rights situations in countries of the South, when they promote wars and interventions against them, and then ignore or keep their hands off the suffering they caused with these actions to citizens whose rights are supposedly sought to improve?
Why do they oppose implementing the right to development and thereby improve the situation of millions of people living in poverty?
Mr. President:
Cuba rejects manipulation for political ends and double standards in the treatment of human rights. The accusations against my country made by the United States representative, as well as unfounded, are inconsistent with the need to promote an objective, non-politicized and non-discriminatory debate on human rights issues.
I must also draw attention to the fact that such statement, centered on the alleged violations of others, aims at ignoring all human rights violations occurring in its territory, and the deep international concern caused by the language of exclusion that appears in that country.
We demand the cessation of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba for more than 55 years. The measures of June 16 to reinvigorate this blockade are doomed to failure, and will not achieve their purpose of weakening the Revolution or bending the Cuban people.
We reiterate our solidarity with the Venezuelan Government and people and call for an end to all interference in the internal affairs of that country. We demand respect for the legitimate right of the Venezuelan people to continue building the social model that drives the Bolivarian Revolution.
Let us not let the failure of the defunct Commission on Human Rights repeat itself in the Council. It is our duty to work for cooperation and respectful dialogue to prevail, and politicization, selectivity and double standards disappear once and for all.
Thank you very much.
(Cubaminrex-Cuba’s permanent misión in Geneva)