New York, November 7, 2025. — Ambassador Yuri Ariel Gala López, Chargé d'affaires, a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations, spoke at the Sixth Committee's debate on agenda item 160, concerning the “Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.”
In his statement, Ambassador Gala López referred to the persistence of unjustified restrictions imposed by the United States, which continue to affect several delegations of UN Member States.
In this regard, he drew attention to various violations committed by the host country, including the arbitrary imposition of restrictions on the movement of accredited diplomats, their families, and visiting delegations from various countries; the arbitrary delay and denial of visas to members of some delegations to access the Organization’s headquarters; the impediments imposed on Member States to access bank accounts and carry out transactions; and the secondary inspections carried out on diplomatic personnel at airports in the host country, among other practices.
The Cuban diplomat recalled that the host country continues to arbitrarily and unilaterally apply restrictions on the movement of Cuban diplomats and visiting delegations to New York City for UN meetings, which is contrary to international law. He reiterated that all restrictions on the movement of personnel and delegations from certain diplomatic missions constitute discriminatory treatment.
He reiterated Cuba's condemnation of the denial of Dr. Tania Margarita Cruz Hernández's request to travel from New York to Washington, D.C. Ms. Hernández is the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, a member of Cuba's delegation to the High-Level Segment of the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA), who also planned to travel to the U.S. capital to participate in the 62nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Ambassador Gala López mentioned Cuba's rejection of the United States' selective and arbitrary use of the Headquarters Agreement to prevent or limit the participation of certain delegations in the Organization's work, which fragrantly violates the principle of sovereign equality among all the Member States of the Organization.
Finally, he reiterated that the Cuban delegation will continue to work constructively to improve the effectiveness of the Committee's work. In this regard, he affirmed Cuba's firm commitment to cooperating to ensure the Committee's decisions and recommendations are implemented with transparency and respect for the sovereignty of Member States, in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations.