اتحاد الشباب الديمقراطي الفلسطيني - أشد
Palestinian Democratic Youth Union - PDYU
Greetings,
The Palestinian Democratic Youth Union (PDYU – Ashd) addresses the United Nations General Assembly with a sincere appeal to end the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on the Republic of Cuba by the United States of America since 1962.
This blockade, which has persisted for more than six decades, is not merely a political dispute; it constitutes a blatant violation of international law and of several fundamental international instruments upon which the United Nations and the modern international order are founded.
First, the Charter of the United Nations, in its Article 1, affirms that relations among states must be based on the principle of sovereign equality, respect for the right of peoples to self-determination, and the prohibition of the use or threat of force in international relations. Article 2(4) explicitly states that “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” The imposition of a comprehensive economic blockade that isolates a state and undermines its economy constitutes a form of economic coercion that falls within the broad meaning of the use of force prohibited by the Charter.
Second, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, the foundational document of human dignity, states in Article 25 that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care and necessary social services.” The blockade imposed on Cuba deprives millions of citizens of access to essential medicines, medical equipment, and technology, making it a direct violation of this basic human right.
Third, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in Article 11, recognizes “the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions,” while Article 12 guarantees “the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.” Comprehensive economic sanctions that affect the lives and health of civilians are therefore wholly incompatible with the obligations of states under this Covenant.
Fourth, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 — particularly the Fourth Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War — prohibit collective punishment and measures targeting civilians. Although Cuba is not in a state of war, the principle of protecting civilian populations from collective economic measures is a customary norm of international humanitarian law. Punishing an entire people to achieve political goals is thus both morally and legally prohibited.
Fifth, since 1992, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted, by an overwhelming majority each year, a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. blockade on Cuba, affirming its illegality and its contradiction with the principles of the UN Charter and the freedom of international trade. Ignoring these repeated resolutions undermines the credibility of the United Nations and weakens the international legal system that was established to protect peoples, not to punish them.
The American blockade on Cuba is not merely a political measure — it is an ongoing crime against humanity that punishes an entire people for their free choice of social, economic, and political system. It stands as a stark example of imperialist policies that contradict the spirit of international cooperation and the goals of sustainable development to which all UN member states have committed.
اتحاد الشباب الديمقراطي الفلسطيني - أشد
Palestinian Democratic Youth Union - PDYU