New York, 11 October 2016. The Cuban delegate to the Sixth Committee Tanieris Diéguez Lao offered today great importance to the item: “The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction”, at the time she reiterated Cuba’s concern for the inappropriate use of this principle in the unilateral, selective and politically motivated exercise of jurisdiction by tribunals in developing countries’, against natural or legal persons, from developing countries, without coming from an international norm or treaty.
The Cuban delegate stressed that the strict observance of the principles enshrined in the UN Charter is of vital importance within the application of the universal jurisdiction principle by national tribunals, especially those related to sovereign equality and the non-interference in the internal affairs of States; and that such a principle is not used to undermine respect for a country’s national jurisdiction, integrity and values of its legal system, to be used selectively with political ends to the detriment of the norms and principles of International Law.
To conclude, she expressed Cuba’s greatest support to the efforts of the international community in its struggle against impunity and to judge those responsible for the most serious crimes attempting against Humanity. Likewise, she reiterated the importance acting without political double standards and under strict observance of International Law, in order to attain positive results and not weaken the legitimacy of our struggle for human values of peace and justice. (Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations).