The right to self-determination is a fundamental right for all peoples under the UN Charter. The UN Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States confers on all countries the right to peaceful trade with other countries.
Yet, for more than 60 years the United States violates international law by blocking Cuba's legitimate contact with other countries economically, financially, and commercially, with disastrous consequences for the people of the country. To add insult to injury, the US has placed Cuba on its list of countries that are so-called state-sponsors of terrorism. This creates enormous problems for Cuba, but it also affects third countries whenever they need to undertake completely legal financial transactions or foreign investment in Cuba.
Thus, Cuba is being suffocated economically, and Cubans suffer from shortages of essential goods, frequent power outages, and lack of transportation. It is a targeted starvation policy, which in recent years has caused many well-educated Cubans to emigrate, due to the privations that the US sanctions policy has imposed on their country.
The overwhelming majority of nations condemn the hostile actions of the United States against Cuba. The UN General Assembly has urged the US to end its blockade of Cuba 32 times. Most recently, this happened at the UN General Assembly in October 2024, when a resolution from Cuba on the “Necessity of Ending the Blockade” was adopted with 187 votes in favour, two votes against (Israel and the United States) and one abstention.
From our Northern European meeting for Solidarity with Cuba, 35 delegates from organizations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the UK and Germany make an urgent appeal to the governments and parliaments of our countries and to the EU to uphold international law, which demands that the United States lift its blockade against Cuba and remove Cuba from its list of countries that are so-called state-sponsors of terrorism. We also call for the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement signed between Cuba and the EU to be finally ratified by Lithuania and resolutely implemented by all member states.
The US blockade against Cuba not only violates international law, it also coerces companies, organizations and governments from trade, investment, cooperation, and exchange with Cuba. Furthermore, it sabotages legitimate financial transactions between European countries, whenever the word “Cuba” or “Cuban” is included in any field on the transaction mandate.
These unacceptable conditions for Cuba and for the people and businesses of Europe can only change if the EU and the governments of our countries take active countermeasures.
So far, the only such countermeasure is the EU’s “Blocking Statute” from 1996, which was supposed to protect companies in the EU from the consequences of US extraterritorial legislation, but has proven utterly inadequate. It has not protected EU individuals, companies or banks against threats of lawsuits by the US. The Office for Foreign Assets Control has imposed fines and other sanctions for economic activity in Cuba, trade with that country or even something as simple as transferring money or booking a hotel room. The Blocking Statute must be updated to become an effective countermeasure to US policy.
The latest report from Cuba pursuant to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 79/7, which the Cuban government submitted to the UN in early September 2025, contains shocking documentation of how the US sanctions policy undermines the living conditions of Cubans.
While we address this appeal to our governments and to the EU, we declare our solidarity with Cuba and the Cubans' fight for the right to sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs. Every country - including Cuba - has the right to democratically choose its social model without being subjected to pressure, political persecution or economic sanctions.
In addition, we wish to pay tribute to Cuba for courageously and persistently maintaining the belief in and the fight for a better world for the world's most exploited countries and peoples.
Cuba has demonstrated international solidarity in line with its long-standing anti-colonial policies by, for example:
- sending thousands of healthcare workers to countries suffering imperialist exploitation, which has alleviated suffering and saved countless lives,
- delivering literacy campaigns, which have helped millions of children and adults around the world to learn to read and write,
- offering opportunities for individuals from various countries in the Global South to pursue education at the highest academic levels in Cuba.
Cuba should be celebrated – not punished – for its heroic efforts to build a better world.
This year – for the 33rd time - we demand that our countries vote in favour of Cuba’s resolution on the “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” again at the UN General Assembly.
We also insist that the vote be accompanied by effective countermeasures that allow EU citizens, corporations and governments to exercise their economic rights to trade freely with Cuba, free from the extraterritorial effects of US policies.
List of signatories:
Danish-Cuban Association (Dansk-Cubansk Forening
Finnish-Cuban Association (Suomi-Kuuba-seura)
Icelandic-Cuban Association (Vináttufélag Íslands og Kúbu)
Norwegian-Cuban Association (Cubaforeningen i Norge)
Swedish-Cuban Association (Svensk-Kubanska föreningen)
German Network Cuba (Netzwerk Cuba)
Cuba Solidarity Campaign (United Kingdom)
Cuba Support Group (Ireland)