Mr. President,
The report presented on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a reflection of the discriminatory, politicized and selective practices that have regrettably been imposed by yet another interfering Council resolution.
The report overlooks the DPRK’s cooperation. It minimises the country’s acceptance of 132 recommendations made during the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review.
Instead of fostering respectful and constructive dialogue to facilitate the implementation of those recommendations, hostility and antagonism against the DPRK persist. This confrontational approach has drained significant financial resources from this body over the years, without yielding any practical results.
It is time for the Council to set aside obsolete, ineffective and interfering punitive and biased practices against countries of the South, as is the case with the DPRK.
Cuba will continue to oppose any mechanism that undermines the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.
The only effective way to promote human rights in all countries is through dialogue and cooperation, founded on impartiality and objectivity, without selectivity or double standards.
We will continue to denounce the unilateral coercive measures imposed on the DPRK, as they violate the human rights of its people.
Thank you.