New York, 21 October 2016. Despite the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, the reopening of embassies in both capitals and the visit of President Obama to Havana, the Embargo is still in force. A number of international and regional forums have demanded an end to that genocidal policy in special communiqués, declarations and resolutions.
During the General Debate of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, 47 Heads of Delegations, including 27 Heads of State of Government declared themselves to be in favor of lifting the Embargo.
On 27 October 2015, the UN General Assembly passed, for the twenty-fourth consecutive time, the resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial Embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”, 191 votes in favor, only 2 against and no abstentions. During the general discussion, preceding the adoption of the draft resolution, 21 speakers participated, among them the representatives of Group of 77 and China, the Non-Aligned Countries Movement, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the African Group, the Islamic Cooperation Group, the Common Market of the South and, for the first time, the Association of South-East Asian Nations. Another 19 delegations also explained their positions against the Embargo after the resolution had been adopted.
The 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Island of Margarita, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, from 17 - 18 September, 2016 welcomed the historic decision of the Presidents of Cuba and the United States to reestablish diplomatic relations and, once again reiterated their call to the Government of the United States of America to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial Embargo against Cuba. They also urged the President of the United States to use his broad executive powers to substantially modify the Embargo which, in addition to being unilateral and contrary to the UN Charter and International Law, and to the principle of neighborliness, is causing huge material losses and economic damage to the people of Cuba. They once again urged strict compliance with resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, 61/11, 62/3, 63/7, 64/6, 65/6, 66/6, 67/4, 68/8 ,69/5 and 70/5 of the UN General Assembly. They expressed deep concern over the widening of the extra-territorial nature of the Embargo against Cuba and rejected the reinforcement of the financial measures adopted by the Government of the United States, aimed at tightening the Embargo.
On 23 September 2016the Foreign Ministers of the Group of 77 and Chinarejected application of the Embargo against Cuba and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures against developing countries in their Ministerial Declaration. The text was adopted at the annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group held within the framework of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The 102th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Group of Countries of Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) approved a declaration which demands lifting the economic, commercial and financial Embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, while applauding the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Ministers also stressed the courage, spirit of resistance and dignity of the Cuban people. They also emphasized the solidarity of the Cuban people and its contribution to the economic and social development of many developing countries. They especially referred to the valuable participation by Cuban doctors and health-care personnel in the fight against the Ebola virus.
The Fourth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held in Quito, Ecuador between the 26th and the 27th of January of 2016, ratified in its Political Declaration the call on the government of the United States to put an end to the Embargo. It also adopted a Special Communiqué in which they applaud the re-establishing of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as the reopening of the embassies. Among other elements, it reiterates its call on President Obama “to adopt all measures in his executive powers to substantially modify application of the Embargo against Cuba” and it emphasized its call on “the U.S. Congress to proceed” towards the elimination of the Embargo.
On the 30th and 31st of January of 2016, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), at the Thirty-sixth Summit of the Organization held at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, asked for the Embargo to be lifted and urged the President of the United States to take all the necessary measures within his broad executive powers to deal with all the Embargo´s pending matters.
The Declaration of Havana at the Seventh Summit of Heads of State and/or Government of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), adopted on 4 June 2016, reiterated “their most profound rejection of the application of unilateral coercive measures” and reaffirm “the call on the government of the United States to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial Embargo it imposes on said sister nation, overturn the Helms-Burton Act and cease its extraterritorial application” and urge the President of the United States to use his broad executive powers to substantially modify the application of the Embargo”.
In the period being analyzed, the website http://www.cubavsbloqueo.cu/ has recorded over 80 declarations and denunciations of the Embargo by solidarity movements, friendship associations and Cubans residing abroad, different NGOs and municipal or provincial governments in a wide variety of countries.
Added to these denunciations there have been statements made by different parliaments, political parties and government and religious personalities. (Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations)