Mr. President,
We thank the sponsoring countries for introducing draft resolution L.25.
Cuba opposes any act of intimidation against organisations or individuals who legitimately collaborate with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights.
For this reason, our country supports draft resolution L.25 and hopes that it will be adopted by consensus.
We denounce the unacceptable harassment and unilateral sanctions imposed against the Special Rapporteurs on unilateral coercive measures and on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Such actions constitute acts of retaliation for the fulfilment of their mandates and for their activism in upholding the UN Charter and international law. We welcome the fact that the draft resolution reflects concern regarding this unacceptable situation.
The reports submitted by the Secretary-General on this issue should be objective, non-politicised and drawn from credible and verifiable sources.
We are concerned that, in recent years, reports have focused only on alleged cases taking place in developing countries. This is surprising when the numerous examples of harassment, threats and reprisals in developed countries against social movements, youth leaders, migrants and people of African descent who collaborate with the UN system are well known.
The harassment, repression and limitation of rights suffered by university students and thousands of people protesting in the streets of these countries and demanding an end to the complicity of their governments with the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people have been frequent.
The Cuban delegation reiterates its rejection of the abusive use of human rights mechanisms for purposes outside the mandate of the Council and contrary to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
Thank you very much.