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)

The experiences in the work towards the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents were the focus of a parallel panel discussion to the 30th Session of the Human Rights Council, running in this city.

Panelists analyzed the challenges confronting by the Cuban government in safeguarding the rights of children and youth.

The work carried out for standardizing age to engage determined legal relations (labor, civil, criminal, political participation), was stressed among the issues that called the attention of those attending the meeting.

Actions for dissemination and knowledge of international instruments signed and ratified by the Caribbean nation, the mechanisms for the participation of children and adolescents in decisions that affect their interests, were also discussed.

Other issues will be also discussed, such as the world vaccination plan to reduce rates of malaria, the effects of pollution on health, medicines below standard, illegitimate products, with deceptive or forged labeling.

The opening ceremony will be chaired by outgoing president Roberto Morales Ojeda, minister of Health of Cuba, who led the assembly last year. The World Health Assembly is the most important decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Its main role is to outline the WHO policies, appoint director general, define financial policies and review and implement the proposed budget.

(Prensa Latina)