Geneva, 7 February. Several Special Procedures mandate holders of the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a news release today rejecting the recent decision by the United States Government to reinstate Cuba on the unilateral list of States allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
They denounced the severe impact of this decision on the human rights of the people of Cuba, the country’s trade and financial relations, and the national efforts to respond to the cumulative adverse effects of the blockade, the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters.
The United Nations experts described the decision made by the Donald Trump administration as an act of unilateral coercion, incompatible with the United Nations Charter and the International Law, which goes again the UN resolutions stressing the illegality of unilateral coercive measures and the need to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States Government against Cuba.
They emphasised that cumulate damage from the blockade amounts to more than $164 billion and has a disturbing impact on Cuba's food security, inflation, rising food prices, decrease in agricultural production due to fuel shortages and restrictions on imports of agricultural machinery, spare parts, fertilisers and other inputs.
The joint news release issued today by the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, the Independent Expert on foreign debt, and the Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, recalls previous statements on this topic sent to the United States Government, which have gone unanswered.
The experts urged the United States Government to comply with its international human rights obligations and called for the removal of Cuba from the SSOT list and for the termination of all unilateral coercive measures against the country, including the economic, commercial and financial blockade.
For the full text of the United Nations experts’ joint news release, please log onto: