UNITED NATIONS, 16 November 2016. Cuba reiterated today that it turns out to be unsustainable to continue financing Special Political Missions through the UN Regular Budget and considered that such Missions should be financed in the same way as peacekeeping operations, including the use of its scale of assessments and an account exclusively dedicated to them.
“These events continue to demonstrate the imbalance of resources allocated to the different priorities established by the General Assembly”, ensured the delegate of Cuba to the Fifth Committee, Javier E. Sánchez Azcuy under item “Proposed Program Project for the Biennium 2016-2017”, at the time he considered the current approval and follow-up procedure of these missions restricts all actual supervision possibilities of the General Assembly.
Likewise, under Thematic Cluster “Special and Personal Envoys and Special Advisers of the Secretary-General”, he conveyed Cuba’s disagreement with the Secretary-General’s proposal to include activities and findings relating to the concept of “Responsibility to Protect”, in the estimates of the Special Political Missions; specifically under the proposal concerning the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. “Once again, we reject this inclusion.”, he highlighted and added, “The General Assembly had no voice or vote in creating the post of Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.”
Within this framework, he noted that amidst the complex scenario of long-standing international problems, historical injustices and inequalities, poverty and underdevelopment, it is even worse to manipulate the aforementioned realities to promote and consolidate concepts, such as the concept of “Responsibility to Protect”. Hence, he made sure its foundations undermine International Law, jeopardize the sovereignty of the State and its primary responsibility for the wellbeing of its people, which is the main motivation driving Cuba to oppose such a concept and the political manipulations that it is usually conducive to.
At the time, he understood the appointment of a Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect is a deviation from the letter and the spirit of operative paragraphs 138 and 139 of UNGA resolution 60/1, he made clear that the position assumed by Cuba on this matter should in no way be viewed as the rejection to the work of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.
In line with the elements outlined, the Cuban delegate confirmed the active participation of its delegation in question-and-answer sessions and on making specific proposals to modify the presentation of the Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide.
(Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations)